In this issue readers will find:
- Unemployment and Mental Health: Report Suggests Epidemic
- New From ACA: Self-Assessment Tool for Tracking 2009 CACREP Competencies
- Learning First Alliance Proposes Principles for Gauging Turnaround of Low Performing Schools
- Relevant Research: Young Adults Need Counseling on Greatest Risks
- Fast Fact: Moving Americans Generating a De-Urbanization of Nation
- Sign of the Times: Practicing Netiquette in Your Email Communication
- Conference Clipping #1: Dec. 18 Deadline for Student Volunteers
- Conference Clipping #2: Register by Monday, November 30
- Reliable Resource: SAMHSA TIP on Suicide Among Alcohol and Drug Abusers
- ACA Branches and Divisions: Request Your Free ACA Goodie Box!
- Calendar: ACES and 15 ACA Branch Conferences This Fall
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Unemployment and Mental Health: Report Suggests Epidemic
When unemployment reached 9.7 percent in America in August and the possibility still existed that 10 percent could be reached, it became apparent that the "sting" of this recession is worse than any in recent memory. A sense of the raw emotions was captured in "The Anguish of Unemployment," a report from the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
The study of 1,200 unemployed U.S. workers reveals the economic and personal costs associated with prolonged joblessness, a subject of interest to the staffing professionals who are engaging these same people as they seek to reestablish themselves in the workforce. The personal and family impact on the unemployed suggests a mental health epidemic that could have "long-lasting effects on people's ability to spend, invest, save and take risks." Among the report findings:
- Three-quarters of the respondents report stress in their daily lives
- Two-thirds reported being depressed
- Three-fifths felt helpless
- Half stated they are angry
Matters get even worse. The study also revealed that a significant number of people reported having trouble sleeping, avoiding social situations, experiencing strained family relations, and increasing dependency on alcohol and drugs.
Despite their circumstances, the unemployed survey respondents are still actively pursuing work and one-third believe they will be employed within four months. Also noteworthy is that three-quarters say they would take a cut in pay to be working and a similar percentage believed they will have to change careers to gain re-employment.
New From ACA:Self-Assessment Tool for Tracking 2009 CACREP Competencies
The Professional Counselor: Portfolio, Competencies, Performance Guidelines, and Assessment, Fourth Edition
by Dennis W. Engels, Casey A. Barrio Minton, Dee C. Ray, and Associates
Student learner outcomes and counselor work behaviors are tied to the 2009 CACREP Standards in this edition of the premiere handbook for students, educators, supervisors, researchers, and practitioners seeking to quickly and efficiently update, refresh, or evaluate their knowledge of and skills in the most important competencies in counseling. Ideal for use as a student portfolio or a supplementary text, this new edition of The Professional Counselor continues a 35-year tradition of providing a useful framework for tracking individual professional growth and evaluation. The handbook allows for collection of baseline and progress data supporting a systematic developmental plan, assessment, and charting of each student's or professional's progress toward developing professional counseling competencies.
2010 | 244 pgs
Order #72897
ISBN 978-1-55620-296-4
List Price: $49.95
ACA Member Price: $33.95
Learning First Alliance Proposes Principles for Gauging Turnaround of Low Performing Schools
The Learning First Alliance (LFA) has identified five "clear and actionable" principles for measuring how effectively the nation's lowest-performing schools are addressing change and improvement. One significant change in assessment is movement away from quantitative assessment to a broader measure of student and school success, one that uses qualitative indicators.
LFA is a permanent partnership of 17 national organizations, that represents 10 million parents, educators, and policymakers.
Relevant Research: Young Adults Need Counseling on Greatest Risks
Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center have found that young adults, viewed as greater risk takers and having a mortality rate double that of teens, are extremely lax in their use of ambulatory and preventive care. The prevalence of substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), homicide, and motor vehicle crashes all peak in young adulthood. Yet the study's findings show that when young adults were offered counseling, which occurred at about one third of all ambulatory care visits, they infrequently received counseling directed at the greatest threats to their health.
The counseling that was offered to young adults was most often concerning exercise and diet, rather than more immediate threats to their health. Young adults have higher rates of tobacco use, alcohol use, illicit drug use and STDs than both adolescents and older adults. According to the study, counseling on these issues is infrequent, despite the fact that counseling has been shown to improve tobacco cessation rates, modify high-risk sexual behaviors, and decrease drug abuse.
Fast Fact: Moving Americans Generating a De-Urbanization of Nation
A story in Science Daily in late September cited research that found 14 percent of the U.S. population moves from place to place each year. Arthur P. Hall, executive director of the Center for Applied Economics at the University of Kansas School of Business, said his research uncovered three key themes to American population shifts by looking at annual data collected by the Internal Revenue Service on county-to-county migration. He found that:
- Populations are relocating to coastal areas (with the major exception that inhabitants for the first time are taking flight from California's prohibitively priced seaboard)
- People are moving out from major metropolises to smaller cities
- The general migration trend in the U.S. now is eastward rather than westward
Sign of the Times: Practicing Netiquette in Your Email Communication
Forbes.com, an Internet business newsletter, has provided a list of dos and don'ts for those regularly communicating via email. The list includes:
- Assume all email is public
- Get to the point as early as the subject line and/or initial paragraph
- Keep as short as possible
- Break message up into paragraphs and bullets
- Forgo unnecessary graphic attachments
- Mirror your correspondent in style and tone
- When emotions rise, slow down
- Don't resend unanswered email a second time
Opinions differ on the use of emoticons in business email. Read the full article for greater detail:
Conference Clipping #1: Dec. 18 Deadline for Student Volunteers
Becoming a volunteer is the best way for graduate students to connect with fellow ACA members, develop your leadership skills, and become an integral part of the association -- all while making a difference in the counseling profession. As a student volunteer, you will have the opportunity to meet and interact with leading counseling professionals. You will also find a wealth of information regarding future career choices and a number of student activities. So become a part of the ACA's Graduate Student Volunteer Program at the 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition in Pittsburgh (March 18-22).
ACA is seeking up to 100 graduate student volunteers willing to work a minimum of 12 hours during the conference. In exchange for your time and commitment, ACA will waive one-half of your registration fee. We are also pleased to offer graduate students who have previously volunteered in this program (within the last 3 years) full reimbursement for their registration fee. The deadline to sign up for this program is Friday, December 18, 2009. For applications or more information visit www.counseling.org/Students/GetInvolved, or contact Robin Hayes at 800-347-6647 ext. 296.
Conference Clipping #2: Register by Monday, November 30
By now you should have received the Advance Registration brochure in the polybag with your October issue of Counseling Today. Registration rates will increase December 1 by $45--$130 depending on your registration type. You can register online thru midnight on November 30. Now is the time to consider a Pre-conference Learning Institute--before you book your hotel and travel. See pages 12-20 for descriptions of the 18 Introductory and 21 Advanced Level LIs being offered this year or
The Advanced Registration Brochure also is available online in sections as well as in a
Reliable Resource: SAMHSA TIP on Suicide Among Alcohol and Drug Abusers
Suicide is a leading cause of death among people who abuse alcohol and drugs. For many reasons, people in treatment for substance use disorders are at especially high risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment, an installment in a best practices series from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will assist substance abuse counselors working with adult clients who may be suicidal and will help clinical supervisors and administrators support the work of substance abuse counselors.
Part 1 of this installment of the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) series is for counselors and provides the what, why, and how of working with clients in substance abuse treatment who have suicidal thoughts or have attempted suicide. Part 2 offers recommendations for administrators regarding how to advance suicidal thoughts and behaviors as a programmatic issue. Part 3 offers clinical supervisors, interested counselors, and administrators an in-depth online literature review.
ACA Branches and Divisions: Request Your Free ACA Goodie Box!
Have a big meeting or conference coming up? Upon request, ACA will send you a box of materials to distribute and some "freebies." The materials include conference registration materials, publications catalogs, membership brochures and more.
Calendar: ACES and 15 ACA Branch Conferences This Fall
October 14-18
Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
Theme: Transformative Actions -- Expanding Social Respect and Relational Consciousness
Town & Country Resort and Convention Center, San Diego, CA
October 15-17
Wyoming Counseling Association
Wold Physical Science Center, Casper College, Casper, WY
October 21-23
Kentucky Counseling Association
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Louisville, KY
October 30-November 1
Pennsylvania Counseling Association
Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA
November 4-6
Mississippi Counseling Association
Jackson Convention Center, Jackson, MS
November 4-6
All Ohio Counseling Association
Hilton at Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH
November 5-8
European Branch of the American Counseling Association
Flair Hotel Parkhotel, Weiskirchen, Germany
November 7
Wisconsin Counseling Association
Mid-State Technical College Campus, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
November 11-13
Arkansas Counseling Association
Holiday Inn, Fort Smith, AR
November 11-14
Illinois Counseling Association
Hilton Springfield, Springfield, IL
November 11-14
Texas Counseling Association
Sheraton Dallas, Dallas, TX
November 11-14
Virginia Counselors Association
Williamsburg Marriott, Williamsburg, VA
November 13
Oklahoma Counseling Association
Moore-Norman Technology Center -- Penn Campus, Oklahoma City, OK
November 18-20
Alabama Counseling Association
Sheraton Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
November 19-21
Florida Counseling Association
Doubletree Miami Mart, Miami, FL
November 21
MACD Conference on Counseling Arab Americans
Maryland Association for Counseling and Development
Bowie State University, Bowie, MD
November 22-24
Tennessee Counseling Association
Sheraton Read House, Chattanooga, TN
Divisions, Branches, and Regions are valuable sources of learning and professional development. Information on events will be posted approximately 8-10 weeks prior. This information is made available to ACAeNews via the ACA master calendar and the various organization web sites. Send calendar items to dbrown@counseling.org. Please provide the sponsor, dates, site and contact person information. Information posted here is restricted to that sponsored by ACA divisions, branches, regions and related organizations.
ABOUT ACAeNews
ACAeNews is published 24 times annually by the American Counseling Association for the benefit of members across the counseling profession. Any reference to a product, service, activity, or listing of a website in ACAeNews does not imply endorsement by ACA. Any views and opinions are those of the sponsoring organization and may or may not be shared by ACA.
Direct comments, questions, and submissions to fburtnett@counseling.org. All submissions will be subject to review by ACA for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance to the readership and may be edited.
Lynn E. Linde, President
llinde@loyola.edu
Richard Yep, CAE, Executive Director
ryep@counseling.org
Debra Bass, Director of Marketing and Communications
dbass@counseling.org
Frank Burtnett, NCC, NCCC, ACAeNews Editor
fburtnett@counseling.org
Don Kenneally, Internet Development / Production
dkenneally@counseling.org
ACA Website: www.counseling.org
Copyright 2009, American Counseling Association, 5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone: 703-823-9800. Email: fburtnett@counseling.org. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce anything contained in this newsletter as long as the American Counseling Association is identified as the original source of the information.
CONTACT INFORMATION
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Ave. Alexandria, VA 22304
800.347.6647 | 800.473.2329 (fax)
Copyright 2009, American Counseling Association, All Rights Reserved.