Marrying Out: Dramatic Rise in Interracial, Interethnic Unions

Pew Research Center analysis of recent U.S. Census data has found that a record 14.6% of all new marriages in the country in 2008 were unions of spouses of a different race or ethnicity. The new figure is an estimated six times the intermarriage rate among newlyweds in 1960 and more than double the rate in 1980.

Pew also found that one-third of adults (35%) state they have a family member who is married to someone of a different race. They believe the increase is being driven in part by a weakening of longstanding cultural taboos against intermarriage and in part by a large, multi-decade wave of immigrants from Latin America and Asia.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien to Keynote ACA New Orleans Conference

Soledad O'Brien, highly acclaimed special investigations correspondent and host of CNN's In America documentaries has accepted ACA's invitation to speak at the Opening General Session of the ACA Annual Conference & Exposition. She will present on Friday, March 25, 2011. One of the shining stars of television news, Ms. O'Brien has covered Hurricane Katrina, the South Asian tsunami, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other "hot button" news stories across the country and the globe.

As the host of In America, she reported for Black in America, Black in America 2, and most recently, Latino in America. She is also the author of a recently released companion book to Latino in America. ACA approached Ms. O'Brien based on her commitment to cover stories that others fail to pursue and her willingness to be a voice for those in society who are unable to speak for themselves.

ACA Summer Institute for Leadership Training Concludes in Virginia

More than 100 division, region and branch leaders and emerging leaders gathered in Alexandria, VA on July 21-25 for the 2nd ACA Summer Institute for Leadership Training. The Institute provided an opportunity for organization leaders to enhance their skills through keynote speeches, learning sessions, visits with elected officials on Capitol Hill, and opportunities to network with association counterparts from around the country.

Information for Counselors Seeking to Serve BP Oil Disaster Victims

Erin Martz, ACA Manager of Ethics and Professional Standards, has researched the question of licensed professional counselors relocating temporarily to the Gulf region to work with individuals affected by the BP oil catastrophe and found the following information. Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi all have clauses in their professional rules/regulations that allow counselors licensed in other states to provide services for "temporary hardship" purposes for 30 days without having to notify the state board.

Texas, unfortunately, has no such exemption, and counselors cannot provide services unless they are licensed in the state. Florida requires counselors licensed in other states to contact the state board before providing services in order to obtain an emergency and/or provisional permit. Contact: Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, BIN C-08, Tallahassee, FL 32399. Telephone: 850-245-4474. Georgia is still working on the issue and will consider emergency/provisional applications on an individual basis. Contact: Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and MFT's, 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217-3858. Telephone: 478-207-2440.

Sign of the Times: "Boomerang" Grads Returning Home to Live

They left for 4 or 5 years to attend college and earn a degree. Now these "boomerang" grads have returned home during their early career experience or while they continue to look for a job. According to a recent poll by CollegeGrad.com, 80% of the 2009 college graduates moved back with mom and dad, up from two-thirds in 2006. Reasons for the trend: the support and guidance that Gen Y individuals get from living at home, failure to land a job after college, and starting salaries that make independent living a financial challenge.

ACA Book Tackles the Growing Problem of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying: What Counselors Need to Know
by Sheri Bauman

This informative new ACA book offers complete, up-to-date coverage of the growing problem of cyberbullying.

Written for counselors, teachers, school leaders, and others who work with kids and teens, Cyberbullying: What Counselors Need to Know addresses the real-life dangers students face on the Internet and includes the following benefits and features.

• Discussion of the different types of cyberbullying and cyberbullying environments
• Overview of prominent theories of aggressive behavior
• Examination of the developmental differences in cyberbullying and victimization across the life span
• Proactive responses to cyberbullying
• Effective, nonpunitive strategies for responding to cyberbullying
• Useful information on current technology and popular websites
• Chapter on adult cyberbullying
• List of helpful websites, books, and media
• Appendix with review of the latest cyberbullying research

2011 | 215 pages
Order #: 72900
ISBN 978-1-55620-294-0
List Price: $29.95
ACA Member Price: $24.95

Relevant Research: Teen Drinking Increases in the Summer Before College

According to Mark Wood, University of Rhode Island professor and nationally recognized alcohol researcher, teens tend to increase their alcohol during the summer months before college and shortly after matriculation. Wood's latest research and some of the interventions he and his team used with students were reported in the June issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and summarized on the ScienceDaily website.

New Syllabi Buoy ACA/ACES Syllabus Clearinghouse

Two New Features Added to ACA Website

Public Service Announcements to Promote Mental Health within Multicultural Communities

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in collaboration with the Ad Council, announced recently the launch of a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign to promote recovery from mental health problems within multicultural communities by educating and inspiring young adults to talk openly about issues of mental health.

The culturally targeted PSAs seek to motivate societal change toward social acceptance and decrease negative attitudes that may surround mental illness. These PSAs are part of a larger multicultural public service effort designed to reach Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Chinese American, and African American communities during and after National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in July.

Counseling Today CE Credit Program Going Electronic

For some time, readers of Counseling Today have been able to earn continuing education credits. That service is currently undergoing changes designed to tie the program in with other ACA continuing education offerings and to make the process electronic. Watch for the reemergence of the magazine content exam and new procedures in September.

Fast Fact: ADA Celebrates 20 Years

July 26 was the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), by President George H.W. Bush. ADA guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, and services. Figures from the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey found 54 million Americans with a disability, representing 19% of the population.

Calendar: ASERVIC, AACE, ACC and ACCA Conferences