In this issue readers will find:
- Sign of the Times: Growing Numbers of People Living Alone
- Congress Considering Strengthening Pell Grant Program
- Calling All Counselors: Play Therapy with Adults?
- Worth Reading: Overworked UK Workers to Get Even When Recession Ends
- New from ACA: Skill Development Book for Substance Abuse Counseling
- Relevant Research: Link Between ADHD and Propensity for Crime
- Graduate Students Essay Competition: Enter by December 13
- ACA Adds New Podcast on Multiculturalism and Diversity in Counseling
- Fast Fact: 10,000 U.S. Children Died From Abuse and Neglect Between 2001-2007
- Conference Clipping: Graduate Student Scholarships for 2010 Conference
- ACA Graduate Student Ethics Competition Now Open
- Calendar: Branch Conferences Continue Through Fall
Visit our website:
ACA blogs, written by counselors, for counselors:
Like our newsletter? Spread the word.
Sign of the Times: Growing Numbers of People Living Alone
Population statistics for 2006-2008 released by the Census Bureau in late October reflected a jump in the number of people living alone. Families made up 67% of the households in the United States, including both married-couple families (50%) and other families (17%). Nonfamily households made up 33%, of which 27% were people living alone. In some cities and metropolitan communities, the number of people living alone topped 50%.
Government officials and demographers point to the growing numbers of singles living alone as representing all age groups. In some instances they are the older baby boomers wanting to remain situated, but downsizing to address cost of living expenses. Others are Generation Y singles seeking an independent living status in urban and suburban environments. Additional facts about American life will be forthcoming as the 2010 census unfolds.
Census Bureau American FactFinder website...
Congress Considering Strengthening Pell Grant Program
The House of Representatives has passed legislation to significantly increase federal Pell grants to the neediest students by $40 billion over 10 years, growing the maximum award to approximately $6,900 by 2019. The legislation would also help maintain the future value of the grants by adjusting the program's funding to inflation for the first time. The legislation--H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009--was approved on a largely party-line vote of 253-171 in September. The Senate is expected to consider a similar bill soon.
The increased funding would come from eliminating current subsidies to private providers of student loans and establishing the federal government as the direct lender for all student loans, as proposed by President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this change would save roughly $80 billion over 10 years. The Obama administration considers access to high quality education to be a primary driver of economic growth and recovery. The bill would direct half of these savings into the Pell grant program, and most of the rest into a wide range of education initiatives, including creating more community colleges, simplifying the financial aid process, and other initiatives aimed at increasing access to and completion of higher education.
For more information, contact Dominic W. Holt at dholt@counseling.org or by calling 800-347-6647 x242.
Calling All Counselors: Play Therapy with Adults?
Counseling Today is researching the use of play therapy techniques with adult clients. If you are a counselor who has used play therapy in that context and would like to tell us about your experience - from challenges to successes - for possible inclusion in a future Counseling Today article, please contact ct@counseling.org.
The magazine is also gathering information about supportive therapy groups catering to the spouses and family members of people living with long-term mental illness. We want to learn more about the planning process, group style and what results to expect. If you have led or been a part of groups aiming to help those dealing with the diagnosis of a loved one, we would like to hear your story. Please contact ct@counseling.org if you would like to be interviewed for this article.
Worth Reading: Overworked UK Workers to Get Even When Recession Ends
Overworked and stressed United Kingdom employees, according to Forbes.com, are fed up with the demands the economic downtown and recession have had on working conditions and are "dusting off" their resumes as the first step in their quest for improved opportunities. "The Loyalty Deficit," released in late October by the Hay Group, found British workers feeling victimized by employer requests for unpaid overtime and other concessions. Most are waiting for an economic upturn to launch their career moves.
New from ACA: Skill Development Book for Substance Abuse Counseling
Developing Clinical Skills for Substance Abuse Counseling
by Daniel Yalisove
This handbook teaches the basic concepts and skills necessary for effective substance abuse counseling. In Part I, Dr. Yalisove discusses counselor roles and the principles of substance abuse counseling. He then provides a synopsis of several key substance abuse theories as well as his own Building Session Goals and Strategies method and the Eight Stage Process of Counseling approach, all of which are practical, compatible means for learning and mastering clinical counseling skills. Part II illustrates applications of these approaches in clinical situations using experiential exercises, role-plays, and clinical scenario examples. Chapters on group work, counseling clients with dual disorders, family counseling, and working with diverse client populations follow, with a helpful chapter on creating client treatment plans and writing clinical reports rounding out the book. Dr. Yalisove's practical approach to developing critical thinking and counseling skills makes this an ideal supplemental text for addictions courses.
2010 | 232 pgs
Order #72895
ISBN 978-1-55620-307-7
List Price: $44.95
ACA Member Price: $29.95
Relevant Research: Link Between ADHD and Propensity for Crime
Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health reported in the September edition of the Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics that children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are more likely to engage in criminal behavior as adults. The study of 10,000 young adults found those with ADHD had a propensity for participation in crimes such as burglary, theft and drug dealing. The study concluded that the targeting of and evaluation of intervention programs could be a wise investment.
Graduate Students Essay Competition: Enter by December 13
Entries are now being accepted for the ACA Foundation's Graduate Essay Competition and the Ross Trust Graduate Student Essay Competition for Future School Counselors. Both competitions are open to ACA members who are counseling graduate students currently enrolled at an accredited college or university. Ross Trust entrants must be pursuing studies toward a career as a school counselor. Entry in either competition requires submission of a short essay (600 words or less) in response to one of the five essay subjects.
Prizes have been significantly increased for this year's competitions. Each essay competition offers a top award of a $2,500 scholarship grant, essay publication in Counseling Today, and free ACA Conference registration plus three nights hotel accommodations in Pittsburgh next March. There are four runner-up awards for each competition consisting of a $500 scholarship grant, publication in Counseling Today and free ACA Conference registration. The entry deadline for each of the competitions is midnight, December 13, 2009.
Full details, rules, essay questions and online entry forms (only online entries are being accepted this year) are available at the ACA Foundation website (
ACA Adds New Podcast on Multiculturalism and Diversity in Counseling
Courtland Lee, counselor educator, author and association leader, is the guest presenter on Podcast HT103 - Multiculturalism and Diversity, the newest program in the popular ACA "member only" service. Dr. Lee is recognized for his body of work in multicultural counseling and men's issues and uses the podcast to advance the notion of cultural competence in the profession. In the course of the program, he addresses the following questions:
- What is the difference between the terms "multiculturalism" and "diversity?"
- Why is it so important to emphasize cultural differences in counseling? Isn't counseling...counseling?
- The term "cultural competency" is widely discussed in the multicultural literature. What is it and why is it important?
- Can counselors from one cultural group really hope to be effective with clients from another cultural group?
- Where is the discipline of multicultural counseling headed in the next decade?
ACA publications by Dr. Lee
Fast Fact: 10,000 U.S. Children Died From Abuse and Neglect Between 2001-2007
More than 10,000 children died from abuse or neglect in the United States from 2001 through 2007, according to a report by the Every Child Matters Education Fund, a non-partisan advocacy group. Based on data from the Department of Health and Human Services, the report finds that three-quarters of the children who died from abuse or neglect were younger than 4. The number of child deaths rose from 1,300 in 2001 to 1,720 in 2007, the most recent year for which figures are available. In that period, 10,440 abuse and neglect deaths were reported.
Conference Clipping: Graduate Student Scholarships for 2010 Conference
The ACA Foundation has traditionally helped bring numerous counseling graduate students to the ACA Annual Conferences through the awarding of scholarships to cover registration costs. For the ACA 2010 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh March 18-22, the Foundation has expanded the program thanks to the new Gerald and Marianne Corey Graduate Student Scholarship Fund. In addition to awarding free registration scholarships for at least twenty graduate students, there will also be a Grand Prize of free conference registration plus three nights accommodations at one of the conference hotels.
The scholarship competition is open to all ACA members currently doing graduate work in counseling at an accredited college or university and who will be attending their first conference. The simple online entry form requires a short essay (300 words or less) addressing the subject of "How Will Attending the ACA 2010 Annual Conference Benefit Me?"
The entry form and entry rules are available on the ACA Foundation website (
The Foundation is also asking established counselors to help the Scholarship Fund allow even more graduate students to benefit from Conference participation. Tax-deductible donations can be made through the ACA Foundation website (
ACA Graduate Student Ethics Competition Now Open
The sixth ACA Graduate Student Ethics Competition is accepting registrations through November 29, 2009. This popular student activity has both a Master's Degree level and a Doctoral Degree level competition and is open to teams of students in counselor education nationwide. Registration must be completed by November 29 and submissions will be accepted until December 13, 2009.
This is a competition in which university counselor education teams analyze a hypothetical ethics case in order to create an appropriate ethical decision and a plan to respond to that decision. Teams of three or four students participate in either a Master's level or Doctoral level competition. There will be four winning teams at each level. The competition is limited to one team per institution. Winning entries - along with the winning team members and institutions - will be highlighted in Counseling Today and at the ACA annual conference.
Calendar: Branch Conferences Continue Through Fall
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 13
Minnesota Counseling Association
Zuhrah Shrine Center, Minneapolis, MN
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
5999 Stevenson Ave. Alexandria, VA 22304
800.347.6647 | 800.473.2329 (fax)
Copyright 2009, American Counseling Association, All Rights Reserved.