NAMI (National Alliance on Mental illness)

NAMI is a huge resource for both you and your clients. They carry information about different mental disorders as well as a way to find support for your clients when they are not with you. They have websites at the national and local level.

NAMI is not only a resource for you clients and their families. It is also a great networking resource as they have many local events for clinicians. They also host classes on many different topics through their local chapters.

There is also a section for you to volunteer to become a Guardian Advocate as a family member of a mentally disabled person or as their case worker/ social worker/therapist. Below is a description of what that entails: 
A “guardian advocate,” under Florida Statutes Chapter 394, more commonly known as “The Baker Act,” is a court-appointed individual who communicates and collaborates with a patient, his or her attending psychiatrist, as well as the entire treatment team of mental health professionals, to advocate for the best interest of the patient during his or her stay at the State Hospital. This volunteer position is not only a chance to make a difference in the lives of the patients by playing an active role in their mental health treatment, but also an opportunity for you to become acquainted with the mental health system and its inner-workings, which are unfamiliar to most of the public.
While it is a priority for the Hospital and the Courts to appoint a patient’s parents, children, relatives or adult friends as his or her Guardian Advocate, it is an unfortunate reality that sometimes, these options are unavailable or unwilling. For this reason, we need volunteers to serve in this capacity, and lighten the load for our few existing advocates. To become eligible, and certified to serve in the capacity as a Guardian Advocate, you must review a short packet of required material, and successfully complete a self-examination. The course provides thorough information such as responsibilities, ethical considerations, ways to be most effective in the decision-making processes involved, as well as details regarding varying mental health diagnoses, treatment plans and medications thereof.
If you are interested in volunteering as a Guardian Advocate, please contact Gwen Henry, Community Liaison at South Florida State Hospital at (954) 392-3045.


On the bright side you can join NAMI as a professional organization for free. They do have a paid option which is 35$ a year and it dose have a few more perks than the free account.

Here are some links:
Local:http://namibrowardinc.org/page/2/
National:https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Join

All About the ACA

In this field joining a professional organization is a key aspect in your development as a counselor. There are many to choose from. And depending on your specialization, niche, or degree there is an organization that is there for you (or you can always attempt to create your own!). In this blog I am going to describe a few of them to you so you can know their prices and their benefits. To start off we should cover the ACA first.

 

ACA

American Counseling Association

Prices ( for a year):

·         Professional ( Masters graduate with or without a license) $167

·         Regular ( layperson with no degree) $167

·         New Professional ( students who have graduated from an institution within the last 12 months) $95

·         Student ( must be currently attending classes and able to provide proof if needed) $95

·         Journals only ( this option is for those who only want access to the research journals published by the ACA) $35

The ACA is one of the largest professional organizations you can choose to join as it is nationwide. And on the bright side it also offers the option to join one of their divisions the divisions that are currently available are:

Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) AARC promotes the effective use of assessment in the counseling profession.

Association for Adult Development and Aging (AADA) Focuses on adult development and aging issues as well as addressing counseling concerns throughout the lifespan.

Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC) Children and adolescents in a multitude of settings.

Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC) Brings together counselors, counselor educators, creative arts therapists and counselors in training to explore unique and diverse approaches to counseling.

American College Counseling Association (ACCA) Is to foster student development in colleges, universities, and community colleges.

Association for Counselors and Educators in Government (ACEG) Originally the Military Educators and Counselors Association, ACEG addresses the unique needs of clients and families in local, state, and federal government or in military-related agencies.

Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Originally the National Association of Guidance and Counselor Trainers, ACES stresses quality education and supervision for counselors in all settings.

Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC) Provides a forum for the exchange of information about humanistically-oriented counseling practices and promotes the growing body of knowledge about humanistic principles applied to human development and potential.

Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling

(ALGBTIC) ALGBTIC educates counselors on the unique needs of client identity development, and helps counselors develop a non-threatening counseling environment.

Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD) Originally the Association of Non-White Concerns in Personnel and Guidance, AMCD strives to improve cultural, ethnic and racial empathy and understanding.

American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) Represents mental health counselors, advocating for client-access to quality services within the health care industry.

American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) Brings together rehabilitation counseling practitioners, educators, and students who serve people with disabilities throughout their life span.

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Advocates for school counseling professionals who work to improve the personal, educational, and career development of students. ASCA members also work with parents, educators, and community members to provide a positive learning environment.

Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) Originally the National Catholic Guidance Conference, ASERVIC promotes spiritual, ethical, religious, and other human values within the discipline of counseling.

Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) Provides professional leadership and research in the field of group work, as well as establishes standards for professional training.

Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) A community of counselors, counselor educators, graduate students, and school and community leaders who seek equity and an end to oppression and injustice affecting clients, students, counselors, families, communities, schools, workplaces, governments, and other social and institutional systems.

International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC) Originally the Public Offender Counselor Association, IAAOC advocates for the development of effective counseling and rehabilitation programs for people with substance abuse problems, other addictions, and adult and/or juvenile public offenders.

International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC) IAMFC members help develop healthy family systems through prevention, education, and therapy.

National Career Development Association (NCDA) Originally the National Vocational Guidance Association, NCDA promotes career development for all people across the life span through public information, member services, conferences, and publications.

National Employment Counseling Association (NECA) Originally the National

Employment Counselors Association, NECA is committed to offering professional leadership to people who counsel in employment and/or career development settings.

 

 So as you can see there is lots of room for professionals within the ACA to join a division that fits their specialty or interest.

 

Now in order to join a division you also have to pay a fee that is additional to you yearly ACA membership fee and they differ between divisions. The prices are as follows:

·         From the ACA membership Application.

 

 

 

 

Perks that members enjoy from being with the ACA include but are not limited to: Malpractice insurance, certificate of membership, networking events, and discounts. These are all included after you pay the membership fee. Not to mention that this is the same organization that plans and holds the ACA conference every year. Which every counselor should go to one at least once in their career lifetime. I will write more about this topic of conferences later.

I cannot stress to you how important it is that you join and professional development organization. The ACA is a good place to start with when you’re in your masters and depending on where you decide to go with your master’s degree is an equally great organization to continue to stay in long term. It is honestly difficult to describe the many ways that this particular organization is an asset to the growing counselor I would say the best method other than reading the what I posted here is to check it out yourself on their website: http://www.counseling.org/

 

How much should you be reading?

If you enjoyed reading then counseling is definitely a career for you ( because you will be doing a lot of it). Even after you've achieved your masters degree and you're in your registered internship phase you should be reading. However, how much should you be reading?

Respectfully you should be reading at least one journal a week or three chapters of a book on something in  counseling. Even though you don't have your license yet and you're not required to get continuing education credits to maintain your license you should still be keeping current. This is a part of your professional ethics and something that you must maintain in order to remain a competent therapist.

You owe this not only to yourself but you also owe this to your clients. However to make things easier on yourself you can alternate the topics that you read. And example being for every journal or book that you read that is on a topic that you don't really care for ; you can offset the boredom and sleepiness that you may encounter be reading a chapter of something that dose interest you.

Issues in counselor Development: Doubt and client honesty