Submitted by Donn Marshall, Ph.D.

In ACPA we have Standing Committees. The near equivalents in NASPA are “Knowledge Communities.” There is no Knowledge Community specifically for counseling and mental health services, but NASPA has an active Health in Higher Education Knowledge Community (HHEKC) http://www.naspa.org/kc/hhekc/default.cfm). The HHEKC leadership is now the CCAPS point of contact. I have asked the leadership of the HHEKC to consider whether there should be a subgroup of that KC that focuses on mental health in higher ed, or whether we should lobby for a separate KC that to address issues of interest to CCAPS.

In spite of not having an obvious “home” for addressing counseling and psychological services in the NASPA organization, you probably are aware that NASPA has developed an annual conference addressing mental health issues in higher education. For the last couple of years this conference has been held concurrently with the Alcohol Abuse Prevention Conference, promoting dialog across related disciplines. This year the conference will be held in Boston, January 22-24, 2009. The call for program proposals for these conferences is now out, and I want to encourage CCAPS members to consider submitting proposals. This would be a great way to increase the ACPA/CCAPS profile with this sister organization, as well as helping develop resumes and presentation skills. Full information about these conferences may be found at http://www.naspa.org/programs/mh/sched.cfm.

Finally, I plan to attend the NASPA annual conference in Seattle in March (http://www.naspa.org/conference/index.cfm) and will take that opportunity to interact directly with the HHEKC membership. Between now and then I’d love to hear from the CCAPS membership about what you would like to see in the developing relationship between these organizations. Feel free to be in touch with me directly via email, or (253) 879-3322. 

ACPA Foundation Liaison Report

Submitted by Lynne Reeder, Ph.D.

The ACPA Foundation (a.k.a. the ACPA Educational Leadership Foundation) engages in fundraising for ACPA: College Student Educators International. As noted on the website “The Foundation seeks philanthropic support for ACPA initiatives involving research and scholarship, professional development and leadership programs for student affairs professionals in higher education.”  In 2009, ACPA will be 85 years old and the Foundation will be 15 years old. Stay tuned for Foundation activities to celebrate these important anniversaries.  Also, new on the website is a feature focusing on ACPA’s past leaders. We begin with our first president, May Chaney: http://www.my-elf.org/index.php  . 

The Foundation has several major annual fundraising initiatives including the Diamond Honoree Celebration which honors contributions to the Student Affairs profession, the annual silent and speaker auctions at the Annual Convention and the Annual Campaign which seeks financial donations from ACPA members and other donors.  While donations of money, goods and services to the Foundation are usually fully tax deductible, the amount of the available deduction may vary (consult your tax advisor).

How can the Foundation help you?

In addition to general support of ACPA core values, programs and goals, the Foundation offers a grants program.  Each year, the Foundation awards modest grants currently totaling $10,000. These grants support research proposals that enhance the student affairs profession and disseminate knowledge about college students. The Foundation plans to increase the total grant amount available over the next few years. The application deadline for this year is October 15, 2008.  Follow the link below for additional information and application materials:

      http://www.my-elf.org/grants/index.html

How can you assist the Foundation and ACPA?

Support the Annual Campaign.  If you feel that ACPA has been professionally and/or personally meaningful to you, please consider making a donation to the Annual Campaign.  Members and supporters have the opportunity to contribute by visiting the Foundation website:  http://www.my-elf.org/donate.html . 

Support the Silent Auction and Speaker Auction.  In addition to shopping at the Auction, we ask that you consider making a personal donation of an item or that CCAPS consider donating an item.  Also, consider bidding for speaker services to bring nationally recognized speakers to your campus at very reasonable costs. We were pleased and appreciative to have the assistance of a CCAPS member, Dr. Wayne Griffin, for the 2008 Speaker’s Auction.  Given the interest in managing campus crises, being able to offer Wayne’s expertise was very timely for the Foundation.  If you would like to discuss donating an item for the Silent Auction or offering your services as a speaker, contact via email. 

Support the Diamond Honoree Celebration. Make a contribution to those Student Affairs professionals who have contributed to your development or to that of the larger Student Affairs field.  Also consider nominating someone next spring for consideration for the 2010 class. The names of the next diamond Honoree class which will be formally celebrated at the 2009 Metro DC Convention will be announced shortly.   To view the Diamond Honoree page: http://www.my-elf.org/diamond.html

On behalf of the ACPA Foundation, thank you for all that you do to bring services to our students while engaging in research, service and scholarship in support of the educational process.

ACCCCS Liaison Report

Submitted by Cindy Cook, Ph.D.

The Association for the Coordination of Counseling Center Clinical Services (ACCCCS) annual conference was held May 14-17, 2008 in Seattle, WA with record attendance.  One theme that was the focus of several presentations was the increasing demand by universities for threat assessment and dealing with “students of concern”.  From lessons learned from the VA tech tragedy to the more recent event at NIU, much attention and time was spent exploring how counseling centers can be involved in the process of prevention and intervention in the aftermath of such events.  A keynote by a student affairs professional reminded us that counseling center professionals are not alone in dealing with these concerns and offered ways to partner more productively with our allies in student affairs.

In addition, the conference focused on the continued increase in the clinical needs and demands of students and how counseling centers can meet that pressure.  Programs addressed such issues as different intake systems, managing suicidal clients, returning soldiers with PTSD, and GLBT issues in counseling, among others.

A face very familiar to CCAPS, David Rardin from Illinois State University, was elected as the new chair of ACCCCS for 2008-2009. If you are a clinical director and would like to find out more about how to become involved in ACCCCS, there is information on the website about how to join: www.accccs.appstate.edu.  Our next conference will be held May 13-16, 2009 in Knoxville, TN. 

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