ACAeNews is a biweekly electronic newsletter of the American Counseling Association.
In this edition readers will find:
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~ Dr. Colleen Logan Elected ACA President-Elect ~
The ACA election ballots have been counted and Dr. Colleen Logan is the member's choice as President-Elect beginning July 1, 2007. Dr. Logan is the Chair of Counseling Programs at Argosy University in Arlington, Virginia. Congratulations to Dr. Logan and thanks to the other candidates competing in the 2007 election. ACA is stronger for your participation and contributions.
~ Answers to ACAeNews Black History Month Quiz ~
The ACAeNews Black History Month Quiz in the last edition drew more than 100 responses and Dorothy McGuffin, LPC from St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley was selected from a pool of individuals answering all three questions correctly. Ms. McGuffin will receive a copy of ACA's Multicultural Issues in Counseling, Third edition as her prize. Answers to the 2007 quiz follow:
- The founding president of the Association for Non-White Concerns in Personnel and Guidance, now the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development was Samuel H. Johnson.
- The African Americans to serve in the US Senate since Reconstruction were/are: Edward Brooke (R-MA), Carol Mosley-Braun (D-IL) and Barak Obama (D-IL).
- The first African American male to serve as ACA President was Dr. Courtland C. Lee.
~ Compromise Breaks Logjam on Mental Health/Substance Abuse Parity ~
On February 14th, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee approved landmark legislation which would dramatically strengthen federal requirements for private-sector health plan coverage of mental health and substance abuse services. The bill—S. 558, the "Mental Health Parity Act of 2007"—was approved by an 18-3 vote. The wide vote margin reflects the hard work of the bill's sponsors, Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Mike Enzi (R-WY) in fashioning the bill. For over a year, the Senators had spearheaded negotiations with a group of mental health organizations and business interests, after earlier attempts to push mental health parity legislation stalled due to opposition from business groups.
The new legislation closes several big loopholes contained in the current federal parity law, which was first enacted in 1996. Under S. 558, health plans would be prohibited from applying any cost-sharing requirements or treatment limitations on mental health and substance abuse services which are more restrictive than those used for substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan. The law would not apply to businesses with fewer than 50 employees (or individual policies), and would not require that health plans cover mental health and substance abuse services. Those that do, though, would have to use the same general coverage policies used for other medical benefits. Importantly, the legislation would apply to both mental health and substance abuse treatment services.
ACA encourages counselors to call their Senators to ask them to cosponsor and vote for S. 558, to help end discriminatory insurance coverage of mental health and substance abuse services. All Senate offices can be reached by calling 202-224-3121, and asking for a specific Senator's office.
~ Countdown to Detroit ACA Convention - Some Final Travel Details ~
Detroit, Michigan---Motor City, USA---is revving its engines in anticipation of the thousands of ACA members who will be participating in the ACA Annual Convention and Exposition, March 21-25. Thousands of professional counselors have already registered for one of the greater professional development experiences ever assembled by ACA! Many pre-convention Learning Institutes are also still available. For additional details, go to: http://www.counseling.org/Convention/
Airport Transportation Service
ACA has selected Golden Limousine as the exclusive provider of airport to hotel transportation via luxury shuttles. Here are a few details to help you plan your transportation.
Shuttle Service: Rotating every 30 minutes
Fare: $25 one-way; $40 round trip. (This fare is available in advance and onsite on March 22 and March 23)
When: Airport to hotel service will be available on the ACA "peak" days of March 22 and March 23 from 9:00 am - 8:00 pm. Return trips from the hotel back to the airport will be available March 25 from 6:00 am- 8:00 pm.
You may reserve in advance: Although it is optional, we recommend that you reserve in advance through the secure ACA web portal at http://goldenlimo.com/aca.html or by calling (800) 300-5151, 24/7. Please note: If your flight is delayed but you have made advance online reservations, Golden Limousine will track your flight and be available to pick up and transport you at whatever time you arrive into Detroit.
For groups of 3 or more traveling together, when shuttle service is not available, Golden Limousine offers limousine, sedan or SUV service at a special ACA discounted rate. Limousine service is available 24 hours a day at a special ACA rate. Make your reservation for ground transportation through the secure ACA web portal at http://goldenlimo.com/aca.html, or call 800-300-5151.For information on taxi service, visit the ACA website.
See Motown: Detroit Tours Available
Don't miss this opportunity to see The Henry Ford Museum, The Ford Rouge Factory, the Wright and the Motown Historical Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Detroit Historical Museum. Treat yourself to an evening of fun in Detroit's Greek Town Dinner & Casino adventure on Saturday or Sunday night from 6pm 11 pm. Check out all the tours and reserve now. To register for the tours, please contact ACA Member Services at 800-347-6647 x222, Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 7:00 pm (ET).
~ Relevant Research - Career Patterns of Older Workers Changing ~
The formula of working a set number of years and getting a gold watch at a retirement luncheon has fallen to mixture of ways older Americans are moving in the latter stages of their careers. New findings by the Vanguard Center for Retirement Research point to six paths to retirement for those age 55-69. The paths include downshifting, but continuing to work, stopping early, waiting until later to stop, participating on a lighter schedule and stopping, then returning. To learn more about these paths to retirement, go to: https://institutional.vanguard.com/VGApp/iip/Research?Path=PUBRR&File=RetResSixPaths.jsp
&FW_Activity=ArticleDetailActivity&FW_Event=articleDetail&IIP_INF=ZZRetResSixPaths.jsp
~ Timely Tip - Parents Can Accompany College Visitors Free on Amtrak ~
All aboard! Spring is right around the corner and many high school students are identifying the colleges they wish to visit as soon as spring weather arrives. A parent or guardian accompanying high school juniors and seniors on those college visits can travel free on Amtrak and siblings, ages 2 to 15, can ride along at half fare. For additional information, go to: www.campusvisit.com/amtrak.
~ ACA Keynoters and Best Selling Authors to Hold Detroit Book Signings ~
Meet the ACA convention keynoters and best selling ACA authors "up close and personal" at the book signings that have been scheduled for Detroit. See the following schedule:
Thursday, March 22
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
ACA Author Signing: Patricia Arredondo, Craig Cashwell, Gerald Corey, Janice DeLucia-Waack, Sam Gladding, Richard Hazler, Barbara Herlihy, Courtland Lee, Mark Pope, Garry Walz, Jane Webber, and J. Scott Young
Friday, March 23
10:30 a.m.
Keynote Speaker: Linda Ellerbee - Take Big Bites
Friday, March 23
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
ACA Author Signing: Laurie Carlson, Suzanne (Hobson) Dugger, Sally Gelardin, Jane Goodman, Jeffrey Guterman, Norm Gysbers, Richard Halstead, Patricia Henderson, John and Rita Sommers-Flanagan, and Richard Yep
Saturday, March 24
10:00 a.m.
Keynote Speaker: Ken Tucker - Animals Inc: A Business Parable for the 21st Century
~ Grants, grants, grants - Surplus Computers as Gifts ~
Computers for Learning (CFL) places computers in classrooms in order to prepare our students to contribute and compete in the worlds they will enter. The CFL website connects the registered needs of schools and educational nonprofit organizations with computer equipment made available free of charge from government agencies and the private sector. To learn more: http://www.computers.fed.gov/Public/aboutProg.asp
~ Reliable Resource: Tips on Fund Raising for Agencies, Schools and Nonprofits ~
Has your agency, school or nonprofit organization contemplated online fundraising to garner support for new or existing services? If yes, you might want to check out the ten best online fundraising resources selected by the Gilbert Center. Topics like "Ten Ways to Fail at Email" and others may help you from reinventing the fundraising wheel. Go to: http://news.gilbert.org/Top10FR2006
~ Medical Insurance for Counselors from ACA/ACAIT ~
Aon's Affinity Insurance Services is pleased to offer ACA/ACAIT members Medical Insurance Benefits for both Individuals and small groups (2 - 50 lives). Looking for medical insurance for your employees, yourself, or your family can be a time-consuming and sometimes confusing process. Contact Aon's Affinity to learn about your options or to request a quote, Go to: www.affinityhealthinsurance.com or call 1-888-470-2121.
~ Mixing Cycling and College Visits: Interesting Feat for Fit Counselors ~
Those school and college counselors fit enough to peddle 500-600 miles across Minnesota and Iowa this coming June and July may wish to join a group of counselors who are preparing for a fifth year of healthy exercise combined with opportunities to visit a mix of colleges and universities along the route. Costs are influenced by lodging and meals offered by the host institutions. Counselors who have the time, interest and physical ability should contact Taylor Smith at smitht@episcopalhigh.org by March 1st to learn additional details and participate in the summer bike trek planning process.
~ ACAF Announces Student Essay Competition Topics ~
Topics for the 2007 American Counseling Association Foundation's Graduate Student Essay Contest have just been announced by ACAF Chair Jane Goodman. Grad students can compete for a top prize of a $500 grant, plus ACA membership, and more, by submitting a 750-word essay on one of these topics:
- Is it an advantage or a limitation to have counselors choose a specialty - family, career, addictions, etc. - early in their training?
- Are today's counseling students receiving adequate training to address the counseling issues related to the growing diversity of this country's population?
- Discuss what it means to be a "professional counselor" and how you plan to contribute to the growth and maturation of our profession.
All winning essays will also be posted on the ACA web site and the first place winner will be published in Counseling Today. Complete competition rules will be posted on www.counseling.org on or about February 20, 2007. The deadline for essay submission is April 27 2007.
~ Celebrate Counseling Awareness Month this April ~
The important work of counselors in educational, mental health and countless related settings is celebrated annually by ACA in April, designated by the association as Counseling Awareness Month (CAM). It is a time when counselors can call public attention to the counseling needs of people and the roles which professional counselors play in helping children, youth, adults and seniors. To assist in organizing a formal CAM celebration, ACA has created a special online guide that includes celebration strategies, sample VIP proclamations and related resources. Go to: www.counseling.org and you can access this list of ideas. Celebrate your work. Make the 2007 observance of ACA Counseling Awareness Month the best ever!
~ Events - Maine and South Dakota Conferences Coming ~
April 2-3, 2007
Maine Counseling Association
Samoset Resort, Rockport, Maine
Information: http://www.maineca.org/conference/index.php?c1=Conference
April 12-14, 2007
South Dakota Counseling Association
Sheraton Hotel, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Information: http://www.sdcounseling.org/reservation.asp
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 ~
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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.