Study Finds College Degrees are Worth the Effort

A new national survey of recent alumni at 2- and 4-year colleges has resulted in higher education achieving a very positive report card. The survey, commissioned by the American Council on Education (ACE), indicated that 90% of recent college graduates believe getting their degree was worth the energy, time, and expense. ACE surveyed graduates earlier this year using a national sample of 25-39-year-olds and then followed up with institution-specific surveys at 22 colleges and universities around the nation.

Although career preparation has become a higher priority these days, a number of the traditional, altruistic objectives continue to hold a place of prominence. When questioned regarding the most important role of the college or university today, the top responses were:

Teach to learn and think critically: 31%
Prepare for employment: 28%
Prepare to solve problems facing the country: 14%
Prepare to be responsible citizens: 11%

The survey also found more than eight in ten (85%) working alumni reporting that their education has prepared them for current career positions and nearly as many (80%) stating that if faced with the decision again—they would enroll at the same college or university.

VA Can Now Start Hiring Counselors

In late September, the Department of Veterans Affairs released new occupational standards for positions as "licensed professional mental health counselors" (LPMHCs) within the agency's health care facilities. The ink is barely dry on the new standards and there are additional issues related to implementation which need to be addressed, but thankfully, VA headquarters staff have indicated that VA facilities can begin using the new standards—and hiring counselors—immediately.

LGBT Teen's Mental Health Aided by Accepting Parents

According to a recent study by the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco University, family acceptance of LGBT youth results in positive outcomes in their mental health, self-esteem, and overall health status. Based on interviews with self-identified LGBT young adults, researchers found that family acceptance seems to protect against suicidal thoughts and behaviors, as well as depression and substance abuse. The study also found that adolescents from supportive families had self-reported higher levels of self-esteem and self-worth. The study is published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing.

Suffering from Counselor Burnout? We Have the Cure!

In the News: Are the Unemployed Destined to be the Unemployable?

A recent New York Times story has economists and policymakers musing about how the most influential economic downturn since the Great Depression may be affecting the long-term employment prospects of those currently unemployed. The article, citing how cyclical unemployment can become structural unemployment, addresses the stigma associated with resume gaps and the beliefs by some employers that individuals unemployed for long periods of time begin adopting negative lifestyle and work habits.

New Book by Dr. Gladding: Bringing Art and Science Together for Counselors

In The Creative Arts in Counseling, Dr. Samuel T. Gladding offers a detailed examination of the expressive therapies in counseling. Dr. Gladding demonstrates how music, dance, imagery, visual arts, literature, drama, and humor can be used as effective strategies with clients. Combining history, theory, and application, he provides a rationale for using each art form with how-to strategies for working with clients of all ages and diverse cultural backgrounds to promote positive change and growth. This fourth edition includes Creative Reflection sections that give readers an opportunity to ponder their own creativity and, for greater ease of use, a new chapter that briefly describes each of the 117 exercises found in the book.

2011 | 308 pgs
Order #72909
ISBN 978-1-55620-314-5
List Price: $48.95
ACA Member Price: $29.95

Relief Efforts in Gulf Oil Spill Disaster Continue

CACREP Announces Research Funding for Counselor Education Students

The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) announces a research funding opportunity for students. Individual students or groups of students at the master's or doctoral level are invited to submit a proposal for funding by CACREP. There are no deadlines, so applications can be made at any time during the year. Applicants must be enrolled in a CACREP program and the research must be related to CACREP in some way.

Elimination of Soft Drinks, Junk Food From Schools: One Step Closer

President Obama has signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, authorizing increases in funding for child nutrition programs by $4.5 billion over 10 years, and reauthorizing (revising) until 2015 related programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Passage of the bill sets the stage for the elimination of soft drinks and junk foods from schools nationwide. The bill, S. 3307, authorizes the first increase in school meal reimbursements since 1973, and requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update national nutrition standards for all foods sold, including through vending machines, on school campuses throughout the school day. The legislation makes it easier for qualified children to receive free school meals and it extends after-school meals to more at-risk children.

On the Lighter (or Possibly Heavier) Side: Changing Male Roles in the Kitchen

Beginning with Thanksgiving and thru New Year's Day, the television screens of the nation are tuned to football games with legions of men situated comfortably on a couch in their family room with the remote control in hand. What's wrong with this picture?

According to the Pew Research Center, this stereotype may be outdated, as men today are just as likely to be off in the kitchen preparing or helping to prepare the holiday meals—and enjoying every minute of it. Research conducted in 2006 by Pew found nearly the same percentage of men (32%) and women (35%) saying they "enjoy cooking a great deal." In 1989, women (39%) were more likely than men (25%) to make this claim. The report also address questions such as "Are we eating more these days, or less? Do we enjoy it as much? Is there a correlation between stress and eating?"

AACE Seeks Editor for MECD

The Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education (AACE), an ACA Division, is seeking applications for the position of editor of Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development (MECD), a national, peer-reviewed journal with a readership comprised of counselors, educators, and other professionals interested in providing leadership, training, and research in the creation, development, production, and use of assessment and diagnostic techniques. The MECD mission is to promote and recognize scholarship, professionalism, leadership, and excellence in the development and use of assessment and diagnostic techniques in counseling. The editor serves a 3-year term beginning July 1, 2011.

Calendar: Branch Conferences Scheduled in ID, MD, ND, NC, and OK in Early 2011