A Presidential Initiative by Christine Suniti Bhat, ACA President, 2024-2025 ACA invites you to take part in an essential, virtual training series led by field experts, addressing the counseling and evidence-based treatment (EBT) needs of children and youth. Created to support the professional development of ACA members and advance the quality of youth counseling nationwide, these sessions will provide the knowledge and skills needed to address a range of pressing issues impacting children and adolescents today. Upon completing all eight virtual sessions, participants can earn the ACA Certificate in Counseling Interventions and Evidence-Based Treatment for Specific Issues with Children and Youth. Why Register? In a rapidly changing environment marked by unique challenges, including cyberbullying, trauma, and discrimination, this certificate series emphasizes the importance of evidence-based approaches to demonstrate positive counseling outcomes. Special attention will be given to the needs of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ children and youth, who face disproportionate challenges due to recent legislative changes. Certificate and CEs Earn 1 CE per session Who Should Register? This program is for counselors, educators, and mental health professionals committed to enhancing their skills in addressing the complex issues facing today's children and adolescents.

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This training is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of racial trauma, along with practical tools for its assessment, conceptualization, and treatment. Through a combination of theory, case studies, and evidence-based practices, participants will learn to identify the signs and symptoms of racial trauma, explore the systemic and psychological impacts of racism, and develop culturally responsive treatment strategies. This training will enhance professionals' capacity to support individuals affected by racial trauma while fostering a more inclusive and culturally responsive approach to care.

Black hair has been denigrated and deemed unattractive and unmanageable, since slavery. Slaveowners required Black women to cover their hair or straighten it to emulate White women in order to be considered acceptable in public spaces. As early as 1786, the Tignon Laws prohibited Black women from displaying excessive attention to their appearance and forced them to cover their hair. Until 1976, wearing natural hair such as an Afro in the workplace could lead to workplace termination due to a lack of protection under the Civil Rights Act. However, despite the Civil Rights recognition, Black hair in its natural state continues to be implicated in bias and discrimination but professionally and socially. States like California, New York, and New Jersey have enacted the Crown Act which makes it illegal to discriminate against someone in the workplace, schools, and public places based on their hair, however, natural Black hair remains at the center of social and political controversy, marginalization, and sanctioning. Although wearing chemically straightened hairstyles is associated with upward mobility in professional settings, by making Black women seem more mainstream and Eurocentric. Chemical straighteners have severe health implications and are the leading cause of breast cancer in Black women. For Black women, hair is rooted in both personal appearance, and political warfare. Similar to other aspects of life, White cultural norms influence the evaluations and expectations placed on Black women and their hair. Therefore, hairstyling has been used to communicate social conventions about gender, race, sexual identity, and social status. Mental health professionals often underestimate the value of hair in the daily lives and well-being of Black women. Negotiating what style to wear has been implicated in racial trauma, colorism, self-image, and self-worth. Black natural hair affects all aspects of Black women’s lives including social settings, and intimate relationships, Black women spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking about, styling, and caring for their hair in comparison to women of other racial and gender groups. Black hair is also a symbol of resistance and empowerment. Hairstyles such as cornrows have historical relevance, the designs, and patterns enabled Black slaves to hide grains in their hair and to encrypt messages and maps to aid in their escape. This presentation will focus on the sociopolitical history of Black hair and provide clinicians with the tools to promote racial healing, self-acceptance, and celebration of natural hair.

Now that licensed professional counselors are eligible to enroll as Medicare providers, many are finding themselves overwhelmed by confusing rules, outdated information, and a lack of clear guidance. This training is designed to cut through the noise and provide counselors with a practical, easy-to-understand roadmap for getting started with Medicare. You’ll learn how to enroll, bill correctly, avoid common mistakes, and get paid without the stress. Whether you're planning to go in-network or simply want to understand your options, this session will empower you to move forward with clarity and confidence.