Oakland Counseling Association
March 2022 Newsletter
The Oakland Counseling Association is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession.
Mission
The mission of the Oakland Counseling Association is to enhance the quality of life in
Oakland County by promoting the development of professional counselors, advancing the
counseling profession and using the profession and practice of counseling to promote respect for human dignity and diversity.
We made it through the winter months and the sun is starting to shine on the counselors in Oakland County (as much as the sun shines in Michigan that is). Counselors continue to be an incredibly vital part of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students and clients in our schools and agencies. We are so proud of our OCA members for the service you provide to our communities! You are invaluable!
Much like flowers breaking through the soil to greet the world again, we are looking forward to opportunities in the near future to re-aquiant with one another in a physical space. We have a few more virtual events this school year and we are incredibly excited to host an IN-PERSON, half-day event to wrap up our year together. See below for more info on those upcoming events as well as other updates from the Oakland Counseling Association.
Book Summary: The Resilient Teen by Dr. Sheela Raja
Summary by OCA board member, Jennifer Wilson:
The Resilient Teen; 10 skills to bounce back from setbacks and turn stress into success by Sheela Raja, PhD is an excellent read for teens and anyone who supports teens. This book has tremendous capacity and potential to really impact the lives of students and their futures. The skill, habits, mindsets and routines that are suggested and taught throughout the book are things both teens and adults can practice to support lifelong wellbeing and resilient responses to life’s challenges. The book has a whole person approach and does a great job breaking out resilient and wellbeing practices into four categories: caring for physical health, caring for mental & emotional health, finding meaning, joy and purpose & engaging in the world around you every day. This book has depth of content and skills written for teens. Throughout the book there are applicable scenarios and storylines. A great resource for a book club or SEL group. See the graphic below for the topics and skills discussed within each category.
Upcoming Professional Learning Events
ONLINE, FULL-DAY EVENT: College Admissions Counseling for School Counselors
Date: April 27, 2022
Time: 8:00am-3:30pm
Location: Online Event
Cost: $10 for OCA Members ($20 for non-OCA members)
Description:
Join us for a FULL day virtual event! Presented by the Oakland Counseling Association: College Admissions Counseling for School Counselors: Tips to Make Your Time with Students more Efficient and Effective.
Speakers: Common App, Wow Writing Workshop, Campus Pride, College Essay Guy, Various College Admissions Reps
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2022, 08:00 AM
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Implicit Bias Training for K-12 School Counselors (presented by Oakland Community College)
Date: May 17, 2022
Time: 9:00-11:00am
Location: Online Event
Cost: Free!
Description:
Presented by the Oakland Counseling Association and Oakland Community College: Participants will receive implicit bias training required by Michigan Public Health Code General Rules (R 338.7004) for licensed counselors (LPC or LLPC). This training is specific to K-12 school counselors.
Objectives:
- Encourage participants to acknowledge and evaluative their identities
- To understand implicit biases and how they shape our behavior and perceptions
- Discuss strategies and the impacts on client experiences
- Discuss research related to psychotherapy services
Speakers: Kristina Marshall and Mary Thomas from Oakland Community College
Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 09:00 AM
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IN-PERSON, HALF-DAY EVENT: Samaritas - Effective Adolescent Substance Use Treatment
Date: May 20, 2022
Time: 8:30-11:30am
Location: In-Person Event, Orchards Children's Services, Southfield
Cost: Free for OCA Members ($10 for non-OCA Members)
Description:
In this training, we will discuss current trends in adolescent substance use. We will highlight changes in our culture and world and how this has impacted the cognitions and behaviors of youth. We will discuss the different stages of substance use discussing markers of progression of use. The training will provide strategies to engage adolescence in meaningful dialogue and self-reflection on use and will provide an overview of holistic adolescent substance use treatment.
Speakers: Anthony Muller from Samaritas
Friday, May 20, 2022, 08:30 AM
Orchards Children's Services, 24901 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48075, USA
Resources from Completed OCA Events
Oakland Community Health Network - Early Identification, Screening Tools, and Access to Services
We had 39 counselors in attendance to receive some great information about a number of programs available through the Oakland Community Health Network. Some great resources (including the slides) were shared and are available in the shared Google folder linked below:
Oakland Community College - Career Now: Short-Term Training Programs
We had 51 counselors in attendance to receive tons of information on upcoming cohorts in OCC's short-term training program. Some great resources (including the slides) were shared and are available in the shared Google folder linked below:
Mini-Grants
2022-2023 Mini-Grant Program
We hope you will consider how a few extra dollars might support your counseling program's activities and goals.
OCA Membership
OCA Member Giveaways!
January Newsletter Raffle Gift Card Winner!
February OCA Membership Gift Card Winner!
March OCA Membership Gift Card Winner!
April OCA Membership Gift Card Winner!
Oakland Counseling Association
Email: oaklandcounselingassociation@gmail.com
Website: www.oaklandcounselors.org
Phone: ------------------------
Twitter: @OCACounseling