CACREP (2016) Leadership & Advocacy Competencies:

a.  theories and skills of leadership

b.  leadership and leadership development in professional organizations

c.  leadership in counselor education programs

d.  knowledge of accreditation standards and processes

e.  leadership, management, and administration in counseling organizations and other institutions

f.  leadership roles and strategies for responding to crises and disasters

g.  strategies of leadership in consultation

h.  current topical and political issues in counseling and how those  issues affect the daily work of counselors and the counseling profession

i.  role of counselors and counselor educators advocating on behalf of the profession and professional identity

j.  models and competencies for advocating for clients at the individual, system, and policy levels

k.  strategies of leadership in relation to current multicultural and social justice issues

l.  ethical and culturally relevant leadership and advocacy practices

Artifacts 1-9 demonstrate my involvement in professional counseling and student organizations. These artifacts address the following competencies: b, c, d, e, f, h, i, j, k, l

 

1. ACA Membership

I have been a member of the American Counseling Association since 2015. Founded in 1952, the ACA is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession.

(https://www.counseling.org/about-us/about-aca, 2023)

2. ACES Membership Letter, ACES Advocacy Proposal, & Scholarship Application

The Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) is the premier organization dedicated to quality education and supervision of counselors in all work settings. Attached are copies of my ACES Membership Letter, Advocacy Proposal, & Scholarship Application.

(https://acesonline.net/aces-information/, 2020)

3. Chi Sigma Iota

I have been a member of CSI since 2020. CSI is an international honor society that values academic and professional excellence in counseling. CSI promotes a strong professional identity through members (professional counselors, counselor educators, and students) who contribute to the realization of a healthy society by fostering wellness and human dignity.
(https://www.csi-net.org, 2020)

4. Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling

I have been a member of ASERVIC since 2019. ASERVIC is an organization of counselors and human development professionals who believe that spiritual, ethical, and religious values are essential to the overall development of the person and are committed to integrating these values into the counseling process.

(https://aservic.org/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/ , 2023)


6. American Counseling Association CE Certificate

Ethical and Multicultural Issues in Counseling Research

9. VACES Proposal

Centering Prayer: A Mindfulness-Based Practice for PTSD Symptomatology

Artifacts 11-14 demonstrate leadership & advocacy through gaining and upholding appropriate licensure standards for the professional practice of counseling. The artifacts address the following competencies: a, b, c, d, h, i, j, k, l.

 

11. National Certified Counselor (NCC)

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC) is the premier credentialing body for counselors, ensuring that counselors who become board certified have achieved the highest standard of practice through education, examination, supervision, experience, and ethical guidelines.

https://www.nbcc.org/about

 

12. Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHC)

“The North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors’ mission under NC GS Article 24 90-329 states that, it is declared to be the public policy of this State that the activities of persons who render counseling services to the public be regulated to insure the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.”

https://www.ncblpc.org

 

14. School Counseling Licensure (Practitioner School Service)

“The office of educator licensure and preparation is responsible for the issuance of all Tennessee educator licenses, and approval of educator preparation programs.”

https://www.tn.gov/education/licensing.html

Artifacts 15-18 include a group advocacy presentation, my personal philosophy of leadership, a social justice action plan, and a leadership interview for COUC 860 Leadership & Advocacy in Counselor Education. This was one of the first classes that I took in the PhD program. These artifacts demonstrate where I was at developmentally and provide a basis of comparison to how I have grown throughout my coursework. I earned a letter grade of an A for this class. These artifacts demonstrate the following competencies: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l.

 

15. Advocacy Presentation

The purpose of this assignment, Scholarship and Research in the Classroom, was a group advocacy project to give us experience with planning and implementing counseling advocacy initiatives at the program, department, and/or the institutional level, incorporating principles of leadership and advocacy. This assignment was intended to give us experience with disseminating our advocacy project in class.

16. Personal Philosophy of Leadership

The purpose of developing a personal philosophy of leader as a future counselor educator was to learn to develop advocacy and leadership skills for myself to carry over to future clients and groups. A personal action plan was developed that included specific steps for accomplishing leadership goals.

17. Social Justice Action Plan

The purpose of this assignment was to increase self-awareness and to develop a proactive action plan to become a more effective agent of advocacy and social justice. The aim was to explore attitudes and beliefs surrounding social identity, social group status, power, privilege, oppression, strengths, limitations, assumptions, values, and biases.

18. Leadership Interview

The aim of this assignment was to choose a leader in the counseling profession that I wanted to know more about to explore how I view leadership and to develop better leadership skills.