ACA Professional Development Award

ELIGIBILITY, RULES AND CRITERIA

The nominee must have engaged in a history of professional development efforts that:

• Have been concerned primarily with the profession in general, while recognizing that a discrete component of the profession may be a focus.
• Have strengthened, expanded, enhanced, improved or extended the horizons of the profession, such as by broadening applications of and opportunities for the profession; influenced other professions; identifying needs of the public and providing services to meet these needs; or enlarging the potential clientele for the delivery of services by the profession.
• Have included substantive work beyond the call of duty to improve professional practices and demonstrate diligence, skill and effectiveness in applying principles and concepts to achieve professional goals. These efforts may include the following:
  • the development of methods, techniques, materials, books and/or models;
  • exceptional efforts to obtain support for the profession;
  • sustained efforts in professional education, through providing training, workshops, providing supervision to or teaching counselors or counselors in training;
  • efforts to create and improve opportunities for all individuals to realize their full potential, as evidenced by work performed in professional organizations, work that has affected the lives and careers of many, or other activities that demonstrate sensitivity to the problem in general of human growth and development and relate to improving the interaction of people with their environment.
• Nominations must come from an ACA member.
• The awardee must be an ACA member.
• An individual can only be nominated for one award per year.

NOMINATION GUIDELINES

The total submission package for this award cannot exceed 16 pages in length. All nomination materials must be combined into one document (all formats accepted), with the nomination letter first.

Nomination letter: In the letter, identify the nominee and the specific award. Explain why you believe the nominee should receive the award by responding to the specific criteria outlined in the nomination guidelines. Keep in mind that the awards reviewers are relying on the information you provide to choose the most deserving recipient for the award. Please address each nomination guideline and make sure your nominee meets the award criteria and requirements. Brevity, clarity and specificity are most important here.

In your nomination letter, briefly:

• Describe the nominee’s contributions to the intentional strengthening, expansion, improvement, enhancement or extension of the profession.
• Describe the nominee’s history of substantive, sustained work beyond the call of duty to improve professional practices or achieve professional growth.
• Describe the nominee’s history of extensive effort to create and improve opportunities for all individuals to realize their full potential.

Supporting materials: Include a nominee biography and a maximum of two letters in support of the nomination from others familiar with the nominee and her or his accomplishments. If there are additional materials (news reports, journal articles, etc.) that you feel help support the nominee’s achievements, please include a copy of them. You may also include a copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae (CV) or resume of no more than four pages, highlighting the nominee’s relevant accomplishments, if available. Keep in mind that the total submission cannot exceed 16 pages in length.