In this edition readers will find:
- Children with ADHD Prone to Depression and Attempted Suicide as Teens
- ACA Approves Association for Child & Adolescent Counseling as New Organizational Affiliate
- Register for New Orleans Conference by November 30 to Enter Drawing
- Studies Point to Unique Mental Health Needs of Veterans
- SAMHSA Launches Redesigned Website
- World Health Organization Tackles Mental Illness Globally
- New Guide for Helping Clients Cope with Loss and Grief Available from ACA
- Private Practice Consults Available to Members at ACA Conference
- In the News: Mental Health Courts Experiencing Positive Results
- ACA Podcast Series Grows and Now Available for Continuing Education Credit
- Quotable Quotes of Notable People: Carl Rogers on Learning
- ACA Insurance Trust Offers Group Benefits Programs for Members
- On the Lighter Side: Cell Phones Becoming Regular Bed Partners
- Inside the Winter JCD: Relevant Articles for Mental Health, Private Practice, and Community Agency Counselors
- About ACAeNews for Mental Health, Private Practice, and Community Agency Counselors
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Children with ADHD Prone to Depression and Attempted Suicide as Teens
A study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, has found that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the 4-6 age group were at increased risk for meeting DSM-IV criteria for depression and for attempting suicide through their adolescent years. Researchers followed 125 children with ADHD for as long as 14 years and compared them with a similar cohort without ADHD.
Their research found 39% of the children with ADHD experienced depression during adolescence, as opposed to 8% in the control group. Further, the ADHD sufferers are four times more likely to attempt suicide by age 18. NIMH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics estimate 4.4 million U.S. children suffer from ADHD, a disorder that is linked to academic and social difficulties, employment problems, and—in some situations—criminal behavior later in life.
ACA Approves Association for Child & Adolescent Counseling as New Organizational Affiliate
The ACA Governing Council approved the bylaws of the Association for Child & Adolescent Counseling (ACAC) as the newest organizational affiliate during its October 28-29 meeting in Alexandria, VA. Approval as an organizational affiliate is the first stage in achieving full division status. The new group will focus on the counseling and human development needs of children and adolescents and how professional counselors in varied settings respond to those needs. Watch ACAeNews (biweekly edition) in the coming weeks for information about ACAC.
Register for New Orleans Conference by November 30 to Enter Drawing
The ACA Conference & Exposition, March 23-27 in New Orleans, LA offers mental health, private practice, and community agency counselors hundreds of Education Sessions and dozens of Pre-conference Learning Institutes where professional knowledge can be garnered, skills enhanced, and information exchanged.
Pre-conference Learning Institutes
Browse titles in the 33 categories of
ACA Academy Certificates
Attendees can also earn an ACA Academy certificate while in New Orleans. There are 19 to choose from including Best Practices, Mental Health/Private Practice, and Wellness. By attending at least 6 approved sessions within the same Academy, you can receive a frameable certificate that acknowledges your specific expertise.
Win Free Hotel Accommodations
Want to win a free 3-night hotel stay in New Orleans? Register by November 30 and you will automatically be entered into a drawing for a free 3-night stay during the conference. Already registered? Then you are in the drawing.
Studies Point to Unique Mental Health Needs of Veterans
Two studies featured recently in the media examine the unique mental health needs of veterans. In the first study, reported in HealthDay News, researchers studied data from 329,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and learned that female veterans are more likely than males to have diagnosed depression.
A recent New York Times (Sunday edition) story addressed military findings that veterans are prone to engage in high-risk, thrill-seeking acts, behaviors that could result in death. Wary of the behavior, but lacking data as to the extent to which it exists, the Army and National Institute of Mental Health will launch a five-year study this fall of 90,000 active-duty soldiers and all future Army recruits.
SAMHSA Launches Redesigned Website
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website has been redesigned to correspond to the agency's eight Strategic Initiatives, including:
- Prevention of Substance & Mental Illness
- Trauma & Justice
- Military Families
- Health Care Reform
- Health IT
- Public Awareness & Support
- Data Outcomes & Quality
- Housing and Homelessness
Designed from the user's perspective,
World Health Organization Tackles Mental Illness Globally
Mental health disorders affect nearly 14% of the world population, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the healthcare arm of the United Nations. Specifically, WHO estimates that 154 million people globally suffer from depression and other state of well-being influences that restrict their ability to cope with normal life stresses, work, and contribute to their community. This lack of attention to mental health is particularly acute in the poorer nations of the world. Although the incidence of mental health problems is growing, WHO estimates that most of the affected—75% in the poorest countries—do not have access to the treatment they require.
To call attention to the need for treatment and prevention, WHO's mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) recently released a 100-page clinical guide, the Mental Health GAP Intervention Guide, aimed at helping healthcare workers in assessing and treating clients suffering from a range of symptoms, including anxiety, delusion, memory loss and suicidal thoughts. mhGAP also wishes to dispel the misconception that mental health is a luxury feature of the world healthcare agenda.
New Guide for Helping Clients Cope with Loss and Grief Available from ACA
Based on contemporary understandings of the nature of personal and interpersonal loss and the ways in which people integrate loss and grief into their lives, Counseling Strategies for Loss and Grief, by Keren M. Humphrey, focuses on tailoring effective interventions to the uniqueness of the griever's experience. In Part 1, Dr. Humphrey discusses a variety of death- and non-death-related loss and grief experiences, offers conceptualization guidelines, outlines selected psychosocial factors, and describes intervention based on two contemporary grief models. Part 2 provides detailed therapeutic strategies organized according to focus or theoretical origins along with suggestions for implementation and customization to client uniqueness. Specific chapters include cognitive–behavioral and constructivist strategies, emotion-focused strategies, narrative therapy, solution-focused therapy, and adjunctive activities. The final chapter focuses on counselor roles and recommended professional and personal practices. 2009 / 260 pgs
Order #72887
ISBN 978-1-55620-246-9
List Price: $48.95
ACA Member Price: $35.95
Private Practice Consults Available to Members at ACA Conference
Bob Walsh and Norm Dasenbrook wear multiple hats in the private practice arena—they each have a full private practice, write extensively on private practice issues, and serve as ACA consultants to those interested in starting or growing their own private practice. Once again, they will be scheduling free Private Practice Consults at the ACA Conference & Exposition in New Orleans. Watch for a formal announcement and opportunity to sign-up for a consult in December. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about ways to start or strengthen your private practice. Meanwhile check out our
In the News: Mental Health Courts Experiencing Positive Results
A Reuters Health news story in early October reported special courts designed to direct the mentally ill away from the traditional criminal justice system toward community treatment programs are achieving the desired results. A study of the alternative approach by Policy Research Associates points to lower recidivism and reduced jail time by offenders.
The analysis of four mental health courts determined that participants had fewer arrests and days of incarceration 18 months after completing mental health court-ordered treatment than those going through the traditional court system, affirming that public safety outcomes could be achieved using this alternative system. Approximately 250 mental health courts function in the U.S. currently.
ACA Podcast Series Grows and Now Available for Continuing Education Credit
ACA Podcasts that are 45 minutes or longer are now eligible for continuing education credit. Click
A recent addition to the ACA Podcast series, "Cyberbullying: Recent Cases, What Counselors Need to Know" marks the 24th program available in this popular free series for ACA members.
Quotable Quotes of Notable People: Carl Rogers on Learning
"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn...and change."
Carl Rogers (1902-1987), counselor and one of the founders of the humanistic, person-centered approach to counseling.
ACA Insurance Trust Offers Group Benefits Programs for Members
The ACA Insurance Trust, Inc. (ACAIT) sponsors the Group Benefits Program underwritten by Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company. Buying insurance can be stressful; ACAIT's goal is to make the process easier and result in peace of mind. ACAIT has negotiated programs that provide valuable benefits at reasonable rates. ACA members and their families can consider term life, disability, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance programs.
ACAIT is working with Hartford to deliver hassle-free insurance plans to best suit the needs of counselors at affordable rates. For further details, call 800-821-7303, or visit
On the Lighter Side: Cell Phones Becoming Regular Bed Partners
Data released earlier this fall by the Pew Research Group indicates that nearly two out of three Americans (65%) have slept with their cell phone on or right next to their bed. Young adults top the cell-phone-in-bed claimants: 90% say their phones are close by at night. Additional findings about cell phone use patterns and attitudes can be found at the following link:
Winter JCD: Articles You Don't Want to Miss
Mental health, private practice, and community agency counselors may find the following articles in the Winter edition of the ACA's Journal of Counseling and Development (JCD) of particular interest:
- Relationships Among Personality, Expectations About Counseling, and Help-Seeking Attitudes by Regina Kakhnovets
- Strength in the Face of Adversity: Resilience Strategies of Transgendered Individuals by Anneliese A. Singh, Danica G. Hays, & Laurel S. Watson
- Promoting Self-Esteem in Adolescents: The Influence of Wellness Factors by Jane E. Myers, John T. Willse, & José A. Villalba
- What Is Missing in Counseling Research? Reporting Missing Data by William R. Sterner
- Analyzing Anti-Asian Prejudice From a Racial Identity and Color-Blind Perspective by Eric L. Kohatsu, Rodolfo Victoria, Andrew Lau, Michelle Flores, & Andrea Salazar
- Journal of Counseling & Development Publication Patterns: Author and Article Characteristics From 1994 to 2009 by Bradley T. Erford, Emily M. Miller, Hallie Schein, Allison McDonald, Lisa Ludwig, & Kathleen Leishear
- Posttraumatic Stress in U.S. Marines: The Role of Unit Cohesion and Combat Exposure by Patrick Armistead-Jehle, Scott L. Johnston, Nathaniel G. Wade, & Christofer J. Ecklund
- Attachment, Coping, Acculturative Stress, and Quality of Life Among Haitian Immigrants by Lonette S. Belizaire & Jairo N. Fuertes
- Spirituality in Counseling: A Faith Development Perspective by Stephen Parker
- Key Considerations for Using No-Harm Contracts With Clients Who Self-Injure by Rebecca S. Hyldahl & Brent Richardson
About ACAeNews for Mental Health, Private Practice, and Community Agency Counselors
ACAeNews for Mental Health, Private Practice, and Community Agency Counselors is one of four electronic newsletters that are published three times per year each by the American Counseling Association for the benefit of members working in these unique settings. It is disseminated as an opt-in subscription enewsletter and is a free benefit of ACA membership.
The other three special focus enewsletters are:
- ACAeNews for School Counselors
- ACAeNews for Counselor Educators
- ACAeNews for Counseling Students and New Professionals
Any reference to a product, service or activity or listing of a website in this publication 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 Frank Burtnett. All submissions will be subject to review by ACA for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance to the readership and may be edited.
Marcheta P. Evans, Ph.D., President
Marcheta.Evans@utsa.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 2010, 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
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