News Archive for 2013

Dr. David Kaplan, ACA's Chief Professional Officer, was recently interviewed by NBC News for an article about crisis counseling on the one-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. “What you are there for, more than anything else, is to identify those who are having real difficulty," Dr. Kaplan stated.

School Nutrition Magazine recently interviewed the American Counseling Association’s Dr. David Kaplan for a story on recovery after a traumatic event.

Showcase your creativity as an artist, designer, or photographer! Submit an original work representing "the power of counseling in today's world" and you could win an ACA eGift Certificate. ACA will also create a Counseling Awareness Month poster using YOUR winning image!

Richard Yep, Chief Executive Officer of ACA, wrote a byline for eSchool News discussing how professional counselors are using specific platforms to assist in their efforts to reach younger clients.

The following is a heartfelt message from ACA’s Connecticut branch, the Connecticut Counseling Association, about the continued need to support those affected by the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

After the recent tragedy involving Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds and his son, Austin (Gus) Deeds, the American Counseling Association’s Dr. David Kaplan was interviewed by Washington, DC’s FOX 5 News. He shared thoughts regarding access to mental health care and acts of violence committed by suicidal individuals. Dr. Kaplan also explained how professional counselors can help those in need.

The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) have become Co-Presenting Conference Partners at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s inaugural Time To THRIVE Conference – supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

On Tuesday, November 12, the American Counseling Association’s CEO, Richard Yep, was interviewed by CBS’s local affiliate in Washington, DC, WUSA-9. Topics of discussion: the Affordable Care Act, increased access to mental health services through the Act, and how professional counselors are available to help those in need.

This morning, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced final rules for the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act at a mental health conference at the Carter Center in Atlanta with former first lady Rosalynn Carter.

ACA's CEO, Richard Yep, was recently interviewed by Boston radio station, WERS-FM, regarding cyber-bullying. In the segment, “A Safe Place: The new breed of bully,” Yep, along with Katie Davis of MTV’S “A Thin Line” and Felicia Vargas of Boston Public Schools, discuss how technology has transformed bullying.

Richard Yep, ACA Executive Director and CEO, recently explained the vital role professional counselors play in combating cyberbullying. Read his Huffington Post byline, which was featured in the Impact section on October 18, 2013.

On October 12, 2013, ACA participated in a Creating Community Solutions discussion on mental health. Convened by Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, the town hall event was part of a national dialogue to promote solutions to the challenges faced by those with mental health issues. Over 400 participants – students, family members, concerned residents and service providers – joined together at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C. to discuss critical issues on complex challenges relating to mental health issues and services.

CACREP and its corporate affiliate CORE have released the newly adopted Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Standards (ClRC) for immediate use by master’s degree counseling programs seeking to become accredited.

American Counseling Association president, Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji, was recently interviewed by RT-TV America as part of a news story addressing unemployment and suicide. In the segment, which aired on Monday, October 2, 2013, in Washington D.C., Dr. West-Olantunji explains the link between jobs, our identity, and mental health, and provides sound advice for coping in uncertain times.

David Kaplan, PhD, ACA's Chief Professional Officer, spoke to 99.1 WNEW in Washington, D.C. on the 12th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. During the interview, Dr. Kaplan discussed how to help children and communities deal with large-scale traumas and disasters.

Counselors should be aware that 2013 has brought important new changes to HIPAA and that September 23, 2013 is the compliance deadline for many of these new regulatory requirements.

ACA's Art Terrazas, grass-roots advocacy coordinator, recently spoke with a reporter from U.S. News & World Report regarding the recommended student to counselor ratio and the impact of cuts to school counseling programs. "One area that can be impacted by the added burden counselors take on is students' mental health."

On September 25, 2013, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the Teachers College will host a special event to honor the legacy of Albert Ellis in the Milbank Chapel of Columbia University.

On August 23, 2013 Dr. William Glasser died peacefully in his home surrounded by his wife Carleen and his son Martin. He had been in a state of declining health for several years and had been retired for four years.

Cloé Madanes is a world-renowned innovator and teacher of family and brief therapy and one of the originators of the strategic approach to family therapy.

More than 130 ACA leaders spent the day on Capitol Hill meeting with members of Congress and their staff to lobby for legislation in the areas of mental health, school and career counseling, and veterans affairs.

Earlier this year, President Obama called on Americans to start a “national conversation to increase understanding about mental health," and directed the secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education to launch the National Dialogue on Mental Health. ACA is answering the President's call by partnering with Creating Community Solutions, an integral part of the National Dialogue initiative.

The ACA Website Launch Video won a Platinum Award in the Video category and the ACA Website Redesign won a Gold Award in the Website Overall/Association category.

ACA really enjoys paying as much attention as we can to graduate students and new professionals and we need your help to do so.

ACA President Bradley T. Erford has sent a letter on behalf of the association to the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs providing feedback on the first draft of the 2016 CACREP accreditation standards.

American Counseling Association members have consulted ACA staff and leaders regarding the practice of conversion therapy and the 2005 Code of Ethics. For this reason, the ACA Ethics Committee is sharing its formal interpretation of specific sections of the ACA Code of Ethics concerning the practice of conversion therapy and the ethics of referring clients for this practice.

To capitalize on clients’ interest in goal setting at the start of the new year (and throughout) here is a small list of apps that may be useful.

As reported by NBC News, the number of soldiers who died from suicide (at least 177) was higher than the number of soldiers who died in combat (176) over the past year.

As reported by Rolling Stone magazine, Lady Gaga has employed mental health professionals to offer free counseling services to teens who attend her Born This Way Ball tour.

A recent study published in Psychological Science described an easy technique to rid oneself of negative thoughts: write them down and throw them away.

Tell us your story, or about a school counselor you know, who has had a positive impact on the community. Several advocacy stories will be selected and written about in Counseling Today, others will be posted online. Submission deadline is September 15th.