Session 4: Where Advocacy Lands: Understanding How Government Works and Where Counselors Can Engage

Presenter: Katherine Bacon, PhD

Learning Objectives

Learners will describe the structure and function of federal, state, and local government systems, including how laws and policies move through legislative and regulatory processes and where advocacy efforts most often “land.”
Learners will identify specific points within government systems where professional counselors can observe, engage, and apply advocacy efforts to support client welfare, professional practice, and systemic change.
Learners will demonstrate the ability to follow a counseling-relevant bill or policy issue from introduction to outcome using legislative timelines, observation strategies, and advocacy tools introduced during the session.

CE Credit: 1.5 NBCC Hours; 0 CRCC Hours; 1.5 WA Hours; 0 APT Hours; 0 NAADAC Hours; 1.5 NY Hours; 0 Ethics Hours

Dr. Katherine Bacon, PhD, LPC-S, NCC

Katherine Bacon is a distinguished leader in counselor education, advocacy, and nonprofit management, bringing more than three decades of experience advancing mental health access, professional excellence, and social equity. As a former foster care youth who aged out of care, she carries a deep personal understanding of systemic inequities—an experience that continues to inform her work in policy, governance, and community-based support. She holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, and a Nationally Certified Counselor. Katherine serves as a Trustee for The Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD, the largest local mental health authority in Texas, where she contributes her expertise in policy, ethics, and behavioral health governance. As Executive Director and founder of The Parris Foundation, she leads a mission-driven nonprofit providing free counseling, advocacy, and educational support to underserved communities. Her leadership has secured millions in grant funding for trauma-informed services, crime victim advocacy, and pre-college educational programs that create pathways to opportunity. Her statewide and national impact is further reflected through her service as Legislative Liaison to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and as Past President of the Texas Counseling Association. In these roles, she has testified before legislative bodies, trained hundreds of counselors in advocacy, and influenced mental health policy reforms. As a university professor, Katherine teaches Advanced Ethics and Law, guiding counselors in understanding how governance intersects with professional counseling through business and family law, professional practice standards, and the study of board rules designed to protect clients. Her teaching emphasizes the connection between ethical decision-making, policy awareness, and effective advocacy. In the ACA Advocacy in Action series, Katherine facilitates “Everyday Advocacy: Big and Small” and “Understanding How Government Works,” empowering counselors to transform insight into impact through ethical, informed, and practical advocacy.