ACA News

President Signs Law Funding Mental Health Programs for 2019

On Sept. 28, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 6157, a measure to fund the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and other federal agencies for fiscal year 2019. The bill includes funding for many important ...

House Introduces Improved School Counseling Bill

For more than 60 years, ACA has been at the forefront of supporting the establishment and enhancement of school counseling programs that provide students with the skills to face life’s challenges, deal with bullying, practice a respect for ...

SAMHSA Provides Child-Informed Trauma Resources

High-profile tragedies involving children and youth—such as natural disasters and mass shootings—happen far too frequently in contemporary America. In addition, less publicized and non-publicized traumatic events affect children in every ...

Red Cross Issues Call for Mental Health Volunteers for Florence Response

Although now a tropical depression, Florence has devastated the Carolinas, dumping more than 30 inches of rain in some communities, causing catastrophic flooding. More than 19,000 people are living in temporary shelters and it will be some time before ...

Help Wanted: HRSA Presents a Virtual Job Fair for Professional Counselors

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is hosting a virtual job fair for behavioral health professionals on Oct. 17. The virtual job fair, an online event, enables mental health professionals located throughout the nation to interact ...

SAMHSA's Childhood Trauma Awareness Day

Coming soon

Expanded Tax Exemption for Higher Ed Expenses Stumbles in the Senate

A plan that would expand tax exemptions to include savings designated for the education needed to obtain a postsecondary credential or a professional license did not make it into the final version of the 2019 Defense, Labor, and Health and Human ...

Senate Approves Bill Expanding Training Support for School-Based Mental Health Professionals

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.

One More State Bans Conversion Therapy, Another Runs Out Of Time

Delaware is the 15th state to ban the discredited method referred to as conversion or reparative therapy from being used on minors—and Massachusetts lost its bid to become the 16th state to do so, after a last-minute approval didn’t make ...

Legislation Pending to Protect Student-Loan Borrowers from Losing State-Issued Licenses

Americans are more burdened by student-loan debt than ever. Today, 70 percent of college students graduate with significant loan debt, according to a CNBC report. More than 44 million borrowers owe more than $1.5 trillion in student loans, according ...

VA Issues New Qualification Standards for Professional Counselors

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued important new qualification standards for licensed professional counselors on April 3, a step the American Counseling Association has been pushing the agency to take for many years. The revised standards ...

ACA Opposes Ohio Bill Requiring Teachers, Counselors to ?Out? Transgender Kids to Parents

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.

ACA Asks White House to End Forced Family Separations at U.S. Border

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 ...

Conversion Therapy Bans Become Law in Three More States

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R), Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) and Hawaii Governor David Ige (D) recently signed into law in their states measures that ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors. The new laws impose fines, or license ...

New Hampshire, Maryland Conversion Therapy Bans Become Law

ACA Supports the New Laws The governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu, and the governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, recently signed into law measures that would ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors. The bills would impose fines or license ...

Gun Violence Trauma: ACA Offers Free Resources for Counselors

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

New Bill Authorizes Medicare Reimbursement for Counselors as Part of the Fight Against Opioids

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) introduced a bill April 17 that takes a multi-pronged approach to combatting the opioid epidemic and includes language that would allow mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to participate in the ...

Maryland Legislature Passes Conversion Therapy Bill

The Maryland State Legislature recently passed a measure that would ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors. The bill now goes to Governor Hogan for his signature. The legislation would impose fines or license suspension or revocation on ...

Get Ready. April is Counseling Awareness Month!

Each year, the American Counseling Association designates April as Counseling Awareness Month. The celebration, first held in 2002, was created to recognize the important work done by professional counselors and to draw attention to the many ways ...

ACA Member Support Helped to Significantly Increase Funding for Student Mental Health Programs

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! The American Counseling Association (ACA) thanks its members for supporting ACA efforts to increase funding for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant Program (SSAE). You heard our call. With support from ...