Public Policy & Legislative Committee (PPLC) Corner

By Pat Dudley, PhD, LCPC, NCC; Frank Gorritz, PhD, LPC; Kendra Bircher, PhD, LPC, NCC 

The Public Policy and Legislative Committee (PPLC) continues to inform the counseling community of legislative changes that will impact students, clients and communities throughout the nation. We encourage you to get involved at the national, state and local levels with advocacy that will create change.

In academia, ongoing efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) services and initiatives are still at large. According to Gretzinger et al. (2025), DEI programs have either been eliminated, shifted in their goals and initiatives or have been closed by relocating former DEI employees around the college. Throughout the state of Florida, at least ten public colleges and universities eliminated their DEI programming, with some of those eliminations including full-time employed positions and funding of up to $5 million in DEI efforts (Gretzinger et al., 2025). 18 public colleges and universities were also impacted by these changes throughout the state of Texas (Gretzinger et al., 2025). These two states are important to highlight given the increased violence towards gender and sexual minorities through legislation that oppresses their existence and well-being (Reed, 2025). With this increase in violent legislation, public universities and colleges are facing barriers regarding educating generations of counselors and health professionals in providing culturally affirming care to gender and sexual minorities.

Recent developments have shocked the nation with proposed cuts to mental health services in public schools across the nation. U.S. public schools and the school counseling profession are a microcosm of society (Washington et al., 2022). Therefore, as we grapple with the inequities happening in the nation, we (school counselors) must realize that these same inequities permeate our schools. School counselors are called to be systemic change agents who observe, protect and act against anti-DEI legislation, policies and practices impacting our nation’s most vulnerable youth (Washington et al., 2022). It is our hope that we value and remember the power and skills we have and continue to fight injustice by standing firm, using our voices and refusing to give in to fear.

Counselors across the profession and the nation are experiencing serious concerns for the clients they serve and possible negative impacts on counseling services. Potential cuts to Medicaid would affect the most vulnerable populations. Counselors can advocate for Medicaid and other critical public policies, such as discrimination and access to healthcare, through ACA’s Action Center. Working together, counselors and policymakers can create a more supportive environment that promotes mental health and well-being for all.

We can advocate at all levels through:

1. Individual Advocacy: Counselors may advocate for their clients by helping them access necessary resources, navigate complex systems and assert their rights. This can include assisting with legal issues, housing, healthcare and education.
2. Community Advocacy: Counselors can work to address broader social issues that affect the mental health and well-being of communities. This might involve advocating for policies that reduce poverty, combat discrimination and improve access to mental health services.
3. Professional Advocacy: Counselors can advocate for the counseling profession itself, promoting the importance of mental health services and working to ensure that counselors receive proper training, support and recognition. Counselors should reach out to their legislators to inform them of proposed policies that would affect their clients. Get involved with your local counseling association to stay informed.

ACA wants to support you at all advocacy levels. Connect with your state counseling association, visit the Take Action page and get involved with ACA for advocacy support. You can contact the ACA team at advocacy@counseling.org, and they will connect you with us!

• Gretzinger, E., Hicks, M., Dutton, C., & Smith, J. (2025, April 28). Tracking higher ed's dismantling of DEI. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/tracking-higher-eds-dismantling-of-dei#texas 
• Reed, E. (2025, March 25). Anti-trans national risk assessment map: March edition. Erin In The Morning. https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/anti-trans-national-risk-assessment 
• Washington, A.R., Byrd, J.A, Williams, J.O. (2022). Decolonizing the Counseling Canon. In C. Holcomb-McCoy (Ed.), Antiracist counseling in schools and communities (pp. 17-31). American Counseling Association.​