News Archive for 2018

We are deeply saddened by the horrific anti-Semitic violence carried out at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 27. We grieve for those who were directly impacted.

The American Red Cross has asked ACA and their other mental health partners to issue a call for disaster mental health volunteers who are not currently in the Red Cross system to respond to those affected by Hurricane Michael.

A $10 million training program for school-based mental health support is included in the fiscal year 2019 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill that was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate on the evening of Aug. 23.

The American Counseling Association strongly opposes H.B. 658, a measure in the Ohio General Assembly that would require professional counselors and teachers to “out” transgender children and youth to their parents.

The American Counseling Association called on the Trump Administration to immediately end its practice of separating children from their families at the international border and ports of entry. The practice, part of the Administration’s new “zero tolerance” policy, has separated more than 2,000 children from their families and placed them in facilities at multiple sites throughout the United States.

ACA members—and all professional counselors—are fully prepared to assist anyone in need of support following an episode of trauma.

The American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) are pleased to announce a new collaborative relationship that will support continued growth of both organizations as we continue to serve the best interests of school counselors nationwide. As of April 1, both organizations will operate independently and autonomously – a formal recognition of the existing relationship, which was voted on by the ACA Governing Council on March 21, 2018. ACA and ASCA will continue to work together on common advocacy issues that strengthen the work of school counselors to support children and adolescents.

The American Counseling Association recently adopted a resolution calling for more school counselors to support children affected by gun trauma.

On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the Executive Committee of the American Counseling Association adopted a resolution supporting and highlighting the role that school counselors play in addressing the anxiety, stress, and trauma students experience after a school shooting. The resolution underscores the vital role that school counselors play in helping students cope with adverse conditions.

The American Counseling Association and the American Counseling Association Foundation are pleased to announce the 76 winners of their annual awards competitions for professional counselors and counseling students.

Heather Trepal, Licensed Professional Counselor and Board-Approved Supervisor (LPC-S, Texas), will begin her term as ACA President-Elect on July 1, 2018, and will begin serving as American Counseling Association President on July 1, 2019.

The American Counseling Association is saddened by the tragedy in South Florida and holds the Stoneman Douglas High School Community in its thoughts.

Nearly five months after Hurricane Maria upended life for everyone in its path, Puerto Rico remains in critical condition. Power has not been completely restored to the island—and some areas are not expected to have power until May. An estimated 200,000 people have left the island for Florida. Those that remain face a broken infrastructure, food shortages, power shortages, and unrelenting stress.

Late last month, the White House proposed new rules that would make it easier for small businesses, sole proprietors, and individuals to group together in “association” to buy insurance in the large group market. These association plans, as they are known, would be exempt from many of the consumer protections—including required mental health coverage—that are mandated by the Affordable Care Act, which now provides coverage for some of the same types of customers.