Michael P. Chaney, Jr., PhD, LPC, ACS

Candidate Statement:

ACA has been my professional home for over 25 years. This association shaped who I am as a counselor and educator, grounded my ethics, and deepened my love for this profession. Running for the Board of Directors is my way of giving back, not just in title, but in service and showing up to do the work that moves the counseling profession forward. I am running because I believe our profession is at a defining moment. Workforce shortages, challenges to the legitimacy of counseling as a profession, licensure portability gaps, reimbursement disparities, and rapidly evolving technology are not distant concerns. They are a daily reality for counselors, clients, and students. ACA needs governance that gets ahead of these challenges, not just responds to them as they emerge. We need to be proactive, not reactive, and I want to be part of that. My focus will center on three priorities. First, ACA's voice needs to be amplified in federal and state policy conversations around licensure portability, reimbursement equity, and equitable access to mental health care and addiction treatment. Counselors deserve a seat at every table where decisions about our profession are made because we are a legitimate profession. Second, I will make sure ACA serves counselors at every career stage and in every setting, from students and school counselors to seasoned educators, supervisors, and clinicians. Third, financial sustainability that supports responsible, mission-aligned growth that keeps ACA strong, independent, and positioned for the future. If elected, my job is to serve ACA's mission, not to advance a personal agenda. Every decision I make will be guided by what is best for our members and the communities we serve. I believe access to counseling is a human right. That conviction will anchor every vote I cast and every conversation I lead.

Candidate Biography:

Michael P. Chaney, Professor and Doctoral Program Coordinator in the Department of Counseling at Oakland University, holds licensure as a Professional Counselor in Michigan and Georgia and is an Approved Clinical Supervisor. He earned his Ph.D. in Counseling from Georgia State University in 2004 and has been an active ACA member since 1999. Mike’s leadership within ACA reflects a sustained commitment to the profession. In 2024, he was elected to ACA’s Governing Council representing SAIGE. He currently serves on the ACA Ethics Revision Task Force and co-chairs a task force examining ethical issues related to Conversion Therapy and Sexual Orientation Change Efforts. He contributed to ACA and SAIGE being recognized in the APA amicus brief in the Chiles v. Salazar case before the U.S. Supreme Court and has advocated for mental health and substance use parity with legislators in Washington, D.C. His prior roles include Past-President and Secretary of SAIGE, co-chair of the ACA Human Rights Committee, Bylaws Committee, and Gender Equity Task Force, member of the ACA Ethics Committee, and Board Trustee for Counselors for Social Justice. In 2023, he was named an ACA Fellow. His scholarly work centers on LGBTQ+ issues, substance use and compulsive behaviors, affirming counseling practices, and social justice, with an extensive publication record advancing these areas. Mike also serves on several ACA-affiliated editorial boards. At his core, Mike believes access to counseling is a human right. He is driven by a commitment to human rights advocacy, social justice, and mentoring the next generation of counselors and educators. Having served across virtually every level of ACA, and understanding the needs of its diverse membership, from students and mental health counselors to school counselors, educators, and supervisors, he is prepared to serve the full breadth of the ACA community with insight, integrity, and dedication.