ACAeNews is a biweekly electronic newsletter of the American Counseling Association.
In this edition readers will find:
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~ Corporate America Addresses Partner Abuse ~
A study released by the Justice Department and Centers for Disease Control in 2000 reported that nearly 25 percent of women, and about seven percent of men said they had been raped or assaulted by a current or former partner. Partner violence is believed by many to have increased and is seen as having significant mental health consequences, including many that have reached into the US workplace.
The May 6, 2007 edition of the Washington Post includes a "Life at Work" feature reporting the efforts of corporate entities like Liz Claiborne, Kaiser Permanente, State Farm and Verizon to establish policies and practices that are protective of their employees. ACAeNews readers can access this feature at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/05/AR2007050500019.html
The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV), established to address partner abuse issues, is also a valuable source of information and statistics on this subject. Go to www.caepv.org and learn more about policies and practices in corporate America.
~ New Ways to Pay When You Renew or Join! ~
Now when you renew your ACA membership, you can choose to pay in three installments over a 3-month period. You can also renew for two years and lock in the existing membership rate. Or, choose automatic renewal and cut down on paperwork and reminder notices. You can do all of this online at counseling.org or by calling ACA Member Services at 800-347-6647 x222.
~ Are You Ready to ROAR? ~
ACA kicked off its new membership campaign Reach Out and Recruit (ROAR) membership at the annual conference in Detroit and we're waiting for you to sign up! Show your pride in the profession of counseling and in ACA by sharing the experience with your colleagues who are not yet ACA members - and we will recognize your efforts with rewards such as ACA publications and gear, gift certificates, free memberships, conference registrations, and the grand prize - a state-of-the art laptop. Go to counseling.org/ROAR to sign up now and get ready to ROAR!
~ New! ACA Conference to Include Advanced Programs ~
Based on feedback from members and support from ACA President Elect Brian Canfield and the Governing Council, the 2008 ACA Conference & Exposition will now include Advanced level programming. Programs are being sought in two levels-Introductory and Advanced-for the March 26-30 conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Special program slots have been reserved for these advanced programs, as well as for sessions that have a strong research base, in order to meet the needs of experienced counseling professionals who wish to extend their knowledge, skills and competencies.
Proposals for the 2008 Conference Education Sessions and Learning Institutes must be submitted online by June 4, 2007. http://www.counseling.org/Conference/
Contact Debbie Beales at dbeales@counseling.org if you have any questions.
~ ACA and People to People Ambassador Program Announce Egypt Forum ~
ACA, the counseling profession's designated sponsor to People to People Ambassador Programs, has announced the opportunity for school counselors to participate in the US - Egypt Education Forum, November 26 through December 2, 2007. This educational and cultural exchange has both historic and contemporary relevance and is certain to be a rich experience for delegation members. Kelly Duncan, Executive Director of the South Dakota branch of ACA, will serve as the delegation leader. For additional information and a preliminary itinerary, go to: http://www.ambassadorprograms.org/upcomingprograms/education/kelly-duncan.asp
For your information, an ACA and People to People delegation to Vietnam and Cambodia is planned for 2008. ACAeNews will report additional details as they become available.
~ Relevant Research - Child Safety Number One Parent Concern ~
In a poll taken before the recent Virginia Tech catastrophe,Edutopia magazine found student safety to be the greatest concern of parents. Other matters identified in the survey included bullying, student apathy, Internet safety and high stakes testing. ACAeNews readers can find a summary of the responses at: http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=Art_1859&issue=apr_07
~ Thousands Use ACA Job Center Site ~
Since the inception of the ACA Job Center in August 2006, over 63,458 job searches have been conducted and more than 1,555 applications submitted. Your personal job search can be made easier by using the filtered screening process for counselors that is a feature of the ACA Job Center, powered by CareerBuilder.com. To use this member service in exploring your future job, click on: http://www.counseling.org/CareerCenter/TP/JobCenterIntro/CT2.aspx
Service users will need to log on first with their ACA member ID and password. Call ACA Member Services at 800.347.6647, Ext. 222 if you need a password.
~ Reliable Resources - Information for Counselors Helping the College-Bound ~
The most recent newsletter from the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis (CHEPA) features information on Individual Development Accounts, facts about college costs and enrollment, counselor resources and recent publications by the Center that examine access issues for college-bound students. School counselors should check out this newsletter and consider becoming a subscriber. To access the current edition, go to: http://www.usc.edu/dept/chepa/pdf/Navigator_Spring_07.pdf
~ FYI - Information on Student Aid Fraud and Identity Theft ~
A new resource from the Office of Student Aid of the US Department of Education may be just in time for college-bound students about to graduate. The new brochure, a blend of several existing tools, examines financial aid fraud and identity theft. Students and counselors can take a look at the first draft at: www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov/newpubs
~ Events - Mental Health Counseling Week and Mental Health Month ~
For more than fifty years, Mental Health America and the mental health movement in the US have celebrated Mental Health Month each May. May 6-12 this year has been specifically designated as "Mental Health Counseling Week."
Community education and outreach efforts have helped to raise awareness of the importance of mental wellness for the overall health and well-being of the nation everyday and in times of crisis. The counseling community is encouraged to join the public and other mental health professions in observing Mental Health Month under this year's theme, "MIND Your Health," which calls attention to the important message that mental health is fundamental to overall health.
Download free tip sheets for posting in your workplace, doctor's office, or place of worship. Ask your co-workers and local community leaders to sign Mental Health America's "Vision for Change" petition and join the growing movement of Americans who call on Congress to make mental health a national priority. To access the above, go to: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may
~ Events - Schizophrenia Awareness Week ~
ACA has joined The National Schizophrenia Foundation as a co-sponsor of Schizophrenia Awareness Week May 20-26. This was created as a vehicle to raise public awareness of the disease, hoping that it is possible to realize recovery to shatter the stigma surrounding schizophrenia. For more information, go to www.NSFoundation.org.
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.