This week’s post continues with counselor quotes on how they feel about CACREP…including a call to action if you would like to get more information and become more involved.
Recently in ACA Connect, a listserv for ACA members, there have been some very interesting conversations regarding CACREP:
- ~ “I am hopeful that we will have a direction now and a group who can lobby and speak out productively against this CACREP grab for power (in reference to the website listed below). I believe fully that it IS a grab for power.” (Jane Williams)
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~ “They (CACREP) advocated for non-CACREP affiliated counselors to be forever excluded from working with “OUR VETERANS” or from being reimbursed by TRICARE. That is inexcusable at a time when CACREP programs exist few and far between the Northern and Northeastern Mid-Atlantic Regions of the United States. There are superior Ivy League Universities, such as, Harvard, John Hopkins, and the University of Pennslyvania to name but a few. There are numerous, excellent & rigorous counseling programs in this area that have worked diligently to follow the CACREP Model and the 8 essential areas of study to becoming a counselor.” (Carol Ann Robinson)
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~”My main concern with this issue is that counselors are paying membership dues in an organization (American Counseling Organization) that does not work in the best interest of counselors who did not graduate from CACREP programs. Those counselors should threaten to pull membership to include dues.” (Jerlinda Anderson)
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~”I spoke to the head of the counseling department at my alma mater, XYZ University several years ago. XYZ’s counseling program is not yet CACREP accredited. She mentioned the possibility of a class action suit in 2012. The subject we were talking about was Tricare and Medicare. I am not sure what we need to do, but as a huge group of caring professionals, we need to get in somebody’s ear. Perhaps we can start with a petition. Where do I sign?” (Victoria Rush)
and, ironically:
- ~ “Just learned the other day from a counselor at LinkedIn that a number of counselors in his group, Veterans Counseling Veterans, can’t work at, or for, the VA. Turns out the counseling programs provided at their base or online were from non-CACREP programs.” (John Burik)
Want more? Check out the website concernedcounselors.org. This website summarizes the concerns, provides a link to many different articles, and has an email discussion list.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barbara LoFrisco
