Professional Counseling Organizations Questions and Answers

Professional Counseling Organizations
Questions and Answers.

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING ORGANIZATIONS, LICENSURE, ACCREDITATION,
AND ADVOCACY -
Chapters 2, 9, 10

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING ORGANIZATIONS -
If professional organizations didn't exist, there would be no:
- licensure
- expectations for ethical practice
- 3rd party reimbursement
- publication and dissemination of evidence-based practices in counseling

THE ACA -
- founded in 1952
- speaks to and for professional counselors across all setting and specialties
- largest organization with 52,000 members
- provides numerous resources for counselors (publications, websites, continued
education, webinars, blogs).

ACA DIVISIONS -
- 19 divisions which allow for focus in specialty areas
- each division elects its own division officer: controls independent activities and is
active voice in national ACA governing council
- Passion vs. Work setting divisions

PASSION DIVISIONS -
- areas of expertise and topics of interest

WORK SETTING DIVISIONS -
- various specialties and specific work settings

PASSION DIVISIONS (EXAMPLES) -
- Association for Humanistic Counseling
- Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender issues in counseling
- Association for Multicultural counseling and development
- Association for Spiritual, Ethical, Religious Values in Counseling
- Association for Creativity in Counseling
- Association for Specialists in Group Work

WORK SETTING DIVISIONS (EXAMPLES) -

, - American Mental Health Counselors Association
- Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
- American College Counseling Association
- American School Counselor Association
- Association for Counselors and Educators in Government
- International Association for Addiction and Offender Counselors
- International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors

AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION (AMHCA) -
- represents clinical mental health counselors
Mission:
- use education, advocacy, licensing, and professional development to improve the
profession of mental health counseling

AMERICAN COLLEGE COUNSELING ASSOCIATION (ACCA) -
- provide service at institutions of higher education and fosters student development in
colleges, universities, and technical and community college settings
- strives to improve college counseling and ethical practice
- goal: enhance college student development and the profession of counseling in the
higher education setting

AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION (ASCA) -
- advocates and expands the image and influence of professional school counselors
- ASCA members work with students, educators, parents, community members to
provide positive learning environment.

ASSOCIATION FOR COUNSELOR EDUCATION AND SUPERVISION (ACES) -
- for counselor educators & counselors who provide supervision
- advocates for quality graduate education and supervision in all settings

ASSOCIATION FOR COUNSELORS AND EDUCATORS IN GOVERNMENT (ACEG) -
- dedicated to counseling clients and their families in local, state, and federal
government or in military related agencies

ASSOCIATION FOR CREATIVITY IN COUNSELING (ACC) -
- newest division
- art and dance to creativity in psychotherapy
- goal is to promote greater awareness, advocacy, and understanding of diverse and
creative approaches to counseling

ASSOCIATION FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER ISSUES IN
COUNSELING (ALGBTIC) -
- fought hard to be recognized by ACA & other divisions as organization
- promote awareness rather than associate based on member sexual orientation
Mission: provide education in an effort to promote awareness, understanding and
equality to those clients and counselors of minority SO.