TPC-Journal-V3-Issue3

159 The Professional Counselor \Volume 3, Issue 3 Conclusion There are challenges in the 21st century marketplace for which professional counseling associations can support counselors. Strength can come from counselors’ ability to adapt to external demands (Hodges, 2011), and this can be more easily accomplished when state professional associations collaborate with the professionals they represent and the programs that prepare them. Although there has been tremendous progress in establishing mental health counselors’ professional identity, there remains a need for further advocacy and visibility, since the mental health counseling profession still strives to clearly define and distinguish itself from other mental health professions (Calley & Hawley, 2008; Hanna & Bemak, 1997). Educating members of the counseling profession, other professions involved with mental health, the public, employers, and insurance panels about the differences that exist among mental health professions remains a challenging task (Calley & Hawley, 2008; Mrdjenovich & Moore, 2004). Areas such as reciprocating counselors’ credentials across states (Bemak & Espina, 1999), increasing alliance and unity among counselors (Rollins, 2007), and improving public perception (Gale & Austin, 2003) all merit exploration. Each of these issues can be crucial for state and national initiatives, which call for contributions from professional associations, individual counselors, and counselor education programs to strengthen mental health counseling professional identity. Collectively, the efforts of professional associations, counselors, and counselor education programs represent ways to transmit a strong professional identity in the counseling field. All of these options protect the professional success of mental health counselors; because of their direct connection to employability in the workforce, a common thread of advocacy binds them. From all perspectives, the need to recognize and promote mental health counseling’s identity is paramount to securing counseling’s role as a distinct discipline. References American Counseling Association. (2009). 20/20 statement of principles advances the profession. Retrieved from http:// www.counseling.org/news/news-release-archives/by-year/2009/2009/01/20/20-20-statement-of-principles- advances-the-profession American Counseling Association. (2010). ACA’s taskforce on counselor wellness and impairment: Wellness strategies . Retrieved from http://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/counselor-wellness American Mental Health Counselors Association. (1978). Blueprint for the mental health counseling profession. Alexandria, VA: Author. American Mental Health Counselors Association. (2010a). Health care reform on life support: Urge senators to pass reform and include LMHC Medicare eligibility. Retrieved from http://www.amhca.org/news/detail. aspx?ArticleId=87 American Mental Health Counselors Association. (2010b). AMHCA/ACA/NBCC update: Senate Introduces “TRICARE Mental Health Care Access Act” S. 3371. Retrieved from http://www.amhca.org/news/detail.aspx?ArticleId=161 American Mental Health Counselors Association (2010c). AMHCA/ACA/NBCC update: The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes licensed professional mental health counselors! Retrieved from http://www.amhca.org/news/ detail.aspx?ArticleId=224 Bemak, F., & Espina, M. R. (1999). Professional counseling licensure: Going from state to state. ACES Spectrum , 60 (2), 4–6, 11. Calley, N. G., & Hawley, L. D., (2008). The professional identity of counselor educators. The Clinical Supervisor , 27 , 3–16. College of Psychologists of Ontario. (2009). Self assessment guide and professional development plan: Quality assurance program . Retrieved from http://www.cpo.on.ca/members-of-the-college/quality-assurance/index.