Counselors Named Essential During National Emergencies

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has named counselors as essential to the critical infrastructure of the United States of American during national crisis.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has the responsibility of ensuring essential critical infrastructure workers have the ability to work during COVID-19. CISA works with a variety of federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the private sector to issue an advisory list of essential personnel.

The purpose of the list is to provide state, local, tribal, and territorial officials an essential services list to ensure communities continue to function during disasters, including public health and safety, as well as economic and national security. Though states are not required to adhere to the list provided by CISA, it is clear that counselors are an integral part in supporting the countries needs in a time of crisis.

CISA’s most recent list includes a variety of professionals including counselors that work in, or fall into the following categories:

• Rural Health Clinics
• Community Mental Health Clinics
• Federally Qualified Health Centers
• Residential and Community-Based Providers
• Religious Nonmedical Health Institutions
• Crisis Counselors
• Domestic Violence Counselors
• Behavior Specialist
• Substance Abuse-Related Counselors
• Peer Support Counselors
• Telehealth Services
• Guidance Counselors
• Mental Health Professional (Education)

The list provided by CISA is advisory only, and not a federal directive. The list is also not an exclusive list of critical infrastructure sectors. The American Counseling Association (ACA) has worked with CISA to educate them on the role of the counseling profession. It is important that counselors are aware of this development, you are part of the essential personnel needed during this crisis.