Volume IX Number 8
April 12, 2007
ACAeNews is a biweekly electronic newsletter of the American Counseling Association.
In this edition readers will find:
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~ ACA President Testifies for Nevada Licensure ~
ACA President Marie Wakefield testified on Monday, April 9 before the Nevada State Assembly as did a number of professional counselors, marriage and family therapists and psychologists. The hearing followed a similar Nevada State Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor hearing on the licensure bill (S543) which was the work of a national-level coalition including ACA, AMHCA and NBCC. ACA wants to thank the public policy staff of all three organizations for their tireless work in getting us this far - great job!
~ April is Counseling Awareness Month - A Time to Celebrate Our Work ~
Celebrate the important work of counselors throughout the month of April by engaging in outreach activities in your school, college, agency, organization and the entire community served by the counseling profession. Promote the profession of counseling across all settings and help prospective clients learn more about how counselors can help them grow, develop and address life issues. Visit the ACA web site for tips in how to celebrate this special observance. Counseling Awareness materials such as posters, buttons and bumper stickers will be available for a nominal cost in the ACA bookstore by the time you receive this e-news or very shortly thereafter.
~ It's Time To Update Your Info With ACA! ~
ACA needs current information from our members so we can keep you apprised of all the news, services and products we are bringing your way. Help us build a stronger association, and win great prizes while you are at it. Just go to counseling.org and login using your membership ID number. Go to "Manage Your Membership" at the bottom of the log-in box, and under "Membership Quick Links" go to "Update Your Profile Information." We will know automatically that you have updated your information and you will automatically be entered into the monthly iPod drawing. So far, ACA members Ralph Bremer of Decatur, GA, Nina Martin of Hermitage, TN, Joel Davidson of Novi, MI, Patricia Shaw of Austin, TX, Ugochukwu Uche of Tucson, AZ, Cornelia Skipton of Rockville, MD, and Lisa Taylor-Austin of Milford, CT have all won iPods!
~ Detroit Conference Photos Available Online ~
Photos from the recent ACA Conference and Exposition in Detroit are now available for purchase online. Events from all four days of the conference are available, including the opening party, awards presentations, hula dance, keynote speakers and the Sunday breakfast. Log on today and keep Detroit for posterity!
http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventthumbs?event=Y855005N
~ Ellerbee's Detroit Keynote Now Online ~
Linda Ellerbee is an outspoken journalist, award-winning television producer, best-selling author, a breast cancer survivor, a mom, a grandmother and one of the most sought-after speakers in America. ACA was honored to have her as our keynote speaker at the 2007 Convention & Exposition in Detroit. View her keynote address online here. Requires Windows Media Player or compatible viewer. http://www.counseling.org/PressRoom/NewsReleases.aspx?AGuid=faa52dd9-0230-470d-86c3-a5a545d40505
~ AGLBIC Changes Name ~
The Association for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Counseling voted at the recent convention to change its name to the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC), effective July 1, 2007.
~ ACA - The Counselor's Source of Quality Professional Resources and Tools ~
With the emergence of each new title, ACA secures its position as the "source" of quality resources and tools for the professional counselor. Active practitioners and students in preservice training alike should go to www.counseling.org/publications regularly and do their professional shopping and enjoy the up to 40% off discount that is available to members. You also have the convenience of ordering these materials through the toll free order number (800-422-2648) or visiting the ACA Online Bookstore.
~ Reliable Resource - FAFSA4caster Projects Estimated College Aid ~
The FAFAS4caster, a new Web tool of the US Department of Education, can help students and families plan for educational expenses after high school. Students can calculate an estimated Expected Family Contribution (EFC) by entering their information into FAFSA4caster, a simplified version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA4caster also provides guidance on next steps for applying for admission, applying for federal student aid, and paying for education beyond high school.
Students and families interested in assessing their eligibility for federal student aid can access FAFSA4caster by visitingwww.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov. The links for FAFSA4caster are located in the lower right corner of the home page. A Spanish version of this tool will be available in late April.
~ Fast Fact - Stay-at-Home Parents Number 5.5 million ~
According to the US Census Bureau, the United States had an estimated 5.5 million "stay-at-home" parents in 2003 - 5.4 million moms and 98,000 dads. Go to http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/003118.html where you will find family and relationship information and the Census Bureau' s first-ever analysis of stay-at-home parents, a statistic they have vowed to keep examining.
~ ACA Online Library Opens to Positive Reviews ~
Responses to the ACA Online Library, a new member service, have been extremely positive. The Internet based library offers access to a collection of professional materials developed by ACA to meet the needs of counselors. Library users may search all holdings or narrow a search by choosing a particular collection. Members also have the option of emailing the ACA librarian for individual assistance. Current collections include VISTAS, ERIC Digests, ACA Archive (including policy statements), and a series of Special Topics developed for counselors.
And this is just a beginning --- library holdings will continue to expand as new material becomes available. The online library also provides links to a database of ACA journal abstracts and Counseling Today issues. Take a moment to investigate this valuable new resource at and let us know what you think. Go to www.counseling.org, log in and visit "Library" in the "Resources" section.
~ Relevant Research - Closing the Hispanic-White Achievement Gap ~
The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics urges that Hispanic children become enrolled in high quality education programs as early as possible in order to make more rapid progress in closing the Hispanic-White achievement gap. Hispanic children, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, continue to lag behind non-Hispanic Whites on measures of school readiness and school achievement, including in reading and mathematics.
Information about the "lessons learned" in the education of Hispanic children, including those that address the language challenges are contained in the full report that can be accessed at http://www.ecehispanic.org/
~ May 23, 2007 - Important Date for Counselors Who Accept Third Party Reimbursement from Managed Care and Insurance Companies ~
If you or your practice accepts third party reimbursement from managed care and insurance companies, May 23, 2007 is the deadline for obtaining your National Provider Identifier (NPI). The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandated the adoption of a standard unique identifier for health care providers. Go to the HIPPA web site at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/Welcome.do to download an application and obtain additional information. Additional private practice information is available at http://www.counseling.org/Counselors/ Click on Private Practice Pointers (Note: This is a members-only section)
~ Grants, grants, grants - Web Site Links Educators to Grant Support ~
Counselors working in education can track the availability of grant dollars by way of www.grantwrangler.com, a web site dedicated to keeping educators and schools abreast of government grant programs, as well as private philanthropic giving. While the majority of postings are related to instruction and teaching, the site does post frequent grant prospects that could be tied to counseling and student services. Check them out!
~ Events - New Jersey and Connecticut State Conferences ~
April 22-24, 2007
New Jersey Counselors Association
Sheraton Hotel, Eatontown, New Jersey
Information: www.njcounseling.org or njcounseling2@yahoo.com
May 4, 2007
Connecticut Counseling Association (CCA)
A Day of Enlightenment and Revitalization for Counselors
Rocky Hill Marriott, Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Information: http://www.ccamain.org/servlet/DeRedirect/
ACA divisions and branches are valuable sources of learning and professional development and ACAeNews readers will find relevant future meetings and conferences posted here regularly. Information of this nature will be posted approximately 8-10 weeks before the conference is held. This information is made available to ACAeNews via the ACA master calendar and the various organization web sites. Additions to that calendar should be directed to JMacdonald@counseling.org and fburtnett@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.
~ Tell a Professional Colleague about ACAeNews ~
ACAeNews is disseminated by subscription only. If you believe a colleague would like to receive this newsletter, they can send an email to listserv@listserv.counseling.org and leave the subject blank. In the body of the email type the following: Subscribe aca-enews First Name Last Name
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 or 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.
Marie A. Wakefield, President
mawakefield@counseling.org
Richard Yep, Executive Director
ryep@counseling.org
Brandt Heatherington, Director of Marketing
bheatherington@counseling.org
Frank Burtnett, ACAeNews Editor
fburtnett@counseling.org
ACA Web site: www.counseling.org
© 2007, 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.