In this edition readers will find:
- Suicide Rate of Active Duty Military Continuing to Rise
- Register for ACA Conference & Exposition by November 30th and Save
- Utah Takes Steps to Improve Counselor to Student Ratio
- ACA Ross Trust Scholarship Nomination/Application Deadline is November 24th
- Relevant Research: An Online Education Explosion
- ACA Seeks Applications for Director, Ethics & Professional Standards
- People to People Counseling Delegation to Visit China and Tibet
- Grants: ASGW to Fund Group Research
- ACA Releases New Book on Suicide Prevention in Middle and High School Settings
- Graduate Students Ethics Competition Deadline: November 30
- Is Career Counseling Your Specialty? ASHA Wants to Know More About You
- Sign of the Times: As Telecommuting Grows So Does It's Problems
- Calendar: Professional Development Opportunities in Virginia and Tennessee
- ACAeNews for School Counselors Released Yesterday: Have You Received Your Copy?
Visit our website:
Website Sections:
Publications
Counselors
Students
Resources
Press Room
Public Policy
Career Center
Conference
Career Center
Divisions / Regions / Branches
Suicide Rate of Active Duty Military Continuing to Rise
Could the suicides of active duty military personnel exceed those of war casualties? As implausible as that might seem, the numbers continue to rise and have become the subject of unprecedented attention by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Institute of Mental Health. The Army has stated that suicide rates have doubled in recent years.
An Associated Press story earlier in 2008 referenced a "watchdog" organization estimate that as many as 20 percent of those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and many are attempting to adjust to continued military service and return to civilian life with insufficient mental health counseling and related services. A number of the issues associated with troop suicide were the subject of an in-depth story on PBS's News Hour on November 9th.
Register for ACA Conference & Exposition by November 30th and Save
Members wishing to save some extra dollars in this challenging economy should use the Super Saver registration rates for the 2009 ACA Annual Conference & Exposition scheduled for March 19-23 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Immediate action is required, however, as Super Saver registrations must be completed online or postmarked no later than November 30, 2008. And if you think that is a good deal, register 5 or more Professional/Regular members from the same organization and take an additional 10 percent off the total registration amount. For details on how to take advantage of the group discount, call 800-347-6647 x222. A complete listing of Education Sessions and pre-conference Learning Institutes is available on the conference area of the ACA website.
Utah Takes Steps to Improve Counselor to Student Ratio
A Utah State Board of Education committee has given preliminary approval to a rule that would require schools in the state to have one counselor for every 350 students in grades 7 through 12. Although it is higher than the ACA and American School Counselor Association recommended ratio of one counselor for every 250 students, state education officials said that it was the best school finances would allow. The full state school board will likely consider the proposed rule next month. Currently, the grade 7-12 ratio is one counselor to every 378 students with some counselors serving more than 500 students.
ACA Ross Trust Scholarship Nomination/Application Deadline: November 24th
Time is running out for member counselor educators to nominate students preparing to work in educational settings. The ACA Ross Trust Scholarship Program offers fifteen deserving student members (ten master's level and five doctoral level) $1,000 plus complimentary conference registration and membership for one year. The deadline for online nomination by a counselor educator and application by the student is November 24, 2008; winners will be announced early in 2009.
Relevant Research: An Online Education Explosion
"Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States, 2008" reports that online postsecondary education in the U.S. is bursting at the seams. The sixth annual report of a collaborative group comprised of the Babson Survey Research Group, the College Board, and the Sloan Foundation, reports that 3.94 students were enrolled in at least one course in 2007, an increase of nearly 10 percent in one year. The new statistics also represent a significant increase over traditional enrollment growth for the same period. One in five college students was enrolled in an online course in 2007.
ACA Seeks Applications for Director, Ethics & Professional Standards
ACA is currently seeking a full time Director of Ethics & Professional Standards to work at association headquarters in Alexandria, VA. This individual will serve as ACA's Ethics Officer and will: provide ethics consultation, direct and monitor the ethical adjudication process, advise and assist the Chair or Co-Chairs of ACA's Ethics Committee as appropriate, maintain accurate and appropriate records, serve as the central resource for inquiries related to state licensure, and will develop materials to assist counselors in the advocacy of the counseling profession. Position requirements include a graduate degree in counseling (state license and/or national certification a plus), experience as a practitioner, and an identity as a professional counselor. Publication/presentation experience in the area of ethics and professional standards would compliment one's application.
The ideal candidate will have knowledge of the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics, plus knowledge of ACA, professional counseling, licensure, and reimbursement issues. Candidates should possess an ability and interest to help professional counselors solve real-world ethical dilemmas, a broad orientation toward assisting professional counselors from all specialties and have excellent verbal and written communication skills, along with superior organizational abilities. The salary is competitive and dependent on qualifications. Send letter of application, vita and complete contact information of three references to Cindy Welch, Chief of Staff, ACA, 5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304; cwelch@counseling.org; fax 703-823-0953. Background checks will be required. ACA is an AA/EOE organization and encourages minorities and women to apply.
People to People Counseling Delegation to Visit China and Tibet
Dr. Jane Goodman, a past president of ACA, will coordinate a People to People Citizen Ambassador Program comprised of counseling professionals to visit China and Tibet, May 25-June 6, 2009. The delegation will combine educational activities and meetings centered on counseling in both China and Tibet with cultural activities highlighting the sights and sounds of each country. Delegates will enjoy insider views of the counseling system in China and experience the culture in ways that most travelers never do, from climbing the Great Wall and seeing the amazing temples in Tibet to observing professional counterparts in their element.
For a registration form, call 877-787-2000 or email professionals@citizenambassadors.org.
Watch ACAeNews for updates.
Grants: ASGW to Fund Group Research
The Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) has set aside $1,000 for professional research and will be making grants of up to $500 to increase understanding of group leadership, group membership, group processes, or training in group work. Open to professional and student members of ASGW, the research grant program will be administered by the Research Committee. Proposals must be received by January 30, 2009. A call for proposals is available from Deborah Rubel, ASGW Research Committee Co-chair at: deborah.rubel@oregonstate.edu.
ACA Releases New Book on Suicide Prevention in Middle and High School Settings
In this new ACA release, Suicide Prevention in the Schools: Guidelines for Middle and High School Settings (Second Edition), author and past ACA President David Capuzzi, encourages suicide prevention in schools through the use of a clear and effective crisis management plan designed to identify and serve at-risk youth. His concise, step-by-step framework provides essential information for school counselors, administrators, and faculty on suicide assessment, faculty roles and responsibilities, and instructions on how to implement a building- or district-wide prevention program that includes faculty training and preparation of crisis teams. Key elements in the 120-page book include:
- Discussion of risk and protective factors
- Specific components of school- and district-wide prevention programs
- Content for faculty training and preparation of crisis teams
- Postvention after a suicide attempt or completion
- Legal aspects of youth suicide prevention
- Parental education
- Classroom lesson plans
- Instructor PowerPoints for each chapter
Order #72884
ISBN 978-1-55620-285-8
List Price: $29.95
ACA Member Price: $24.95
Graduate Students Ethics Competition Deadline: November 30
Attention All Graduate Students!
This is your last chance to register for the annual ACA Graduate Student Ethics Competition! Craft your responses to tough ethical scenarios to win prizes and acclaim... One team from each school may enter in each of the doctoral and master's levels. Complete rules and scenarios are available via the ACA website at http://www.counseling.org/competition/. Inquiries about the competition may be sent to ethicscomp@counseling.org. Registrations must be submitted by November 30th, so assemble your team now!
Is Career Counseling Your Specialty? ASHA Wants to Know More About You
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) invites you to participate in a short survey about your career counseling experiences and resources. In appreciation, ASHA will provide you with a free executive summary of the study results. The survey will be open thru December 5th.
Sign of the Times: As Telecommuting Grows So Does It's Problems
Jack Nilles, designer of space vehicles and telecommunications systems for NASA and the U.S. Air Force, coined the terms "telecommuting" and "teleworker" in the early 1970s. He, along with most Americans, have watched these phenomena grow dramatically, spurred on by greater flexibility in attitudes about productive work environments, rising fuel prices, and the infrastructure costs associated with sustaining large workplace environments.
Estimates of how many individuals perform their full or partial career roles remotely vary greatly with some figures suggesting there could be more than 50 million teleworkers by mid century. When asked years later to identify the greatest challenges to telecommuting, Nilles cited security issues associated with the technologies and the difficulty in managing and supervising individuals working remotely.
Calendar: Professional Development Opportunities in Virginia and Tennessee
The following conferences and meetings offer unique professional development and renewal experiences for practicing counselors, counselor educators, and students.
November 20-22
Virginia Counselors Association
Hotel Roanoke and Convention Center, Roanoke, VA
Contact...
November 22-25
Tennessee Counseling Association
Memphis Hilton, Memphis, TN
Contact...
ACA divisions, branches, and regions are valuable sources of learning and professional development. Information on events will be posted approximately eight weeks prior. This information is made available to ACAeNews via the ACA master calendar and the various organization web sites. Send calendar items to dwilliams@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.
ACAeNews for School Counselors Released Yesterday: Have You Received Your Copy?
The first issue of ACAeNews for School Counselors, the newest addition to our series of Special Focus enewsletters was released by ACA yesterday to all members for whom we have an email address. If you did not receive it in your Inbox, please check to be sure we have your correct email on file. Upon logging in at www.counseling.org, click on 'MANAGE MEMBERSHIP' at the bottom of the orange 'Membership Info' box to update your demographic information. The other three Special Focus titles are:
- ACAeNews for Counselor Educators
- ACAeNews for Counseling Students and New Professionals
- ACAeNews for Mental Health, Private Practice and Community Agency Counselors
If you did not see yesterday's issue, you may view it here.
These special focus electronic newsletters are a free service for ACA members only. To ensure that all members are aware of each title in the series, we will send the first two issues of each enewsletter to all members for whom we have an email address. Upon receipt of the second issue of each title, you will be provided directions to opt-in to receive further issues. If you do not wish to receive a title after the second issue, no action is required on your part. All ACA members will continue to receive the regular biweekly ACAeNews.
ABOUT ACAeNews
ACAeNews is published biweekly by the American Counseling Association for the benefit of members and the counseling profession. Any reference to a product, service, activity or listing of a web site 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 to meet space parameters.
Colleen Logan, President
clogan@argosy.edu
Richard Yep, CAE, Executive Director
ryep@counseling.org
Debra Bass, Interim Director of Marketing
dbass@counseling.org
Frank Burtnett, ACAeNews Editor
fburtnett@counseling.org
Don Kenneally, Internet Development / Production
dkenneally@counseling.org
ACA Web site: www.counseling.org
Copyright 2008, 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.
UNSUBSCRIBE INFORMATION
You have received this message as a service of your ACA membership. If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please visit http://www.counseling.org/EmailRemoval or email acamemberservices@counseling.org with the subject line "REMOVE". Please allow 72 hours for removal.
CONTACT INFORMATION
5999 Stevenson Ave. Alexandria, VA 22304
800.347.6647 | 800.473.2329 (fax)