Oakland Counseling Association

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.

Join OCA! 2025-2026 OCA Membership
OCA Membership Perks for September

🏳️‍🌈 September 18th OU LGBTQ+ Event

👉 September 23rd OCC Implicit Bias Training

💰 Apply for an OCA Mini-Grant

🎉 Nominate a Counselor of the Month

More OCA Learning Events Coming in 2025-2026
Professional Development Needs Survey
Join the OCA Board!
School Counseling Support Comparison in Oakland County: OCA vs. Oakland Schools

We are excited to announce that membership for the Oakland Counseling Association (OCA) for the 2025-2026 year is officially open. By joining our vibrant community, you will find valuable resources, a supportive network, and professional enrichment opportunities designed to help you thrive in your career. As a member, you'll gain access to free or reduced-price professional learning events, including all online training offered at no cost, and free SCECH processing for all events. In addition to fostering a sense of solidarity with fellow professional counselors, membership provides unparalleled networking opportunities, robust advocacy for the counseling profession, eligibility for mini-grant funding, and the chance to win awards and prizes throughout the year. We invite you to become part of a dedicated group that empowers counselors and advances our profession in Oakland County and beyond.

2025-2026 OCA membership information is available on the OCA Membership page. Please share with any counselor colleagues who may not be an OCA member yet!

Cost

Individual counselor - $25
Graduate school student - $10
Retired counselor - $10

Other Notes

Membership is valid from September 1 through August 31 each school year
Membership is open to all school and private practice counselors
Membership is welcome for counselors outside of Oakland County

25-26 OCA Membership Info

Free OCA Member Registration!

Title: Supporting LGBTQ+ Clients and Students in Today's World

Presenter: Dr. Clark Ausloos, Oakland University

Date: September 18, 2025

Time: 9:00-10:30am

Location: Online (Zoom)

Cost:

FREE for current 2025-2026 OCA members (renew your membership so you can benefit from the free registration and SCECHs for this event and others during the year!)
FREE for OU staff and students (thank you to OU for bringing us this content!)
$10 for non-members (includes SCECH processing)

SCECHs: 1.5 General

Description:

Presented by the Oakland Counseling Association and Oakland University: This professional learning session will equip school counselors with evidence-based strategies for supporting LGBTQ+ students in today's complex political and social climate. Participants will explore affirming counseling approaches, advocacy techniques, and practical tools for creating inclusive school environments while engaging in reflective discussion about current challenges and opportunities.

Registration:

Further event details and online payment link for non-OCA members can be found on the OCA website: https://www.oaklandcounselors.org/events

Register for 9/18 OU LGBTQ+ Event

Free OCA Member Registration!

Title: Shattered Perceptions: Implicit Bias Training presented by Oakland Community College

Date: September 23, 2025

Time: 12:00-1:00pm

Location: Online (Zoom)

Cost:

FREE for current 2025-2026 OCA members (renew your membership so you can benefit from the free registration and SCECHs for this event and others during the year!)
FREE for OCC counselors (thank you to OCC for bringing us this content!)
$10 for non-members (includes SCECH processing)

SCECHs: 1 General (also counts 1 hour toward require Implicit Bias training for LPC/LLC renewal every 3 years)

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).

Objectives:

Describe how overlapping social identities influence individual experiences and professional interactions in the workplace.
Identify how implicit bias affects decision-making, communication, and relationship-building in counseling settings.
Explore practical strategies to increase cultural awareness and reduce biased responses in daily workplace interactions.

Registration:

Further event details and online payment link for non-OCA members can be found on the OCA website: https://www.oaklandcounselors.org/events

Register for 9/23 Implicit Bias Training

Mini-Grants are Exclusive to OCA Members!

The OCA mini-grant program is back for 2025-2026 and the application is open for OCA members!

The Oakland Counseling Association (OCA) will offer a maximum of eight (8) grants of $250 to be used to support an initiative that directly advances career readiness, academic growth, and/or social/emotional development with students.

To be eligible to receive a mini-grant:

Grant applicants must have current OCA membership for the 2025-2026 school year and provide a detailed application of how mini-grant funds will be used
Preference will be given to applicants and organizations who have not previously been awarded an OCA mini-grant

All grant applications that are submitted before the deadline of October 12, 2025 will be reviewed by the OCA board on a rolling basis as applications are received. Applicants will be notified of application approval within 30 days of submitting the application.

Grant funds can be utilized anytime during the 2025-2026 school year. A final mini-grant outcome report is due by June 1, 2026.

If you're looking for inspiration, check out our June OCA Member Newsletter for highlights from the 2024-2025 mini-grant program to see how your colleagues made use of the grant dollars!

25-26 OCA Mini-Grant Program

In an effort to highlight the remarkable work of OCA counselors, we will be requesting Counselor of the Month nominations each month. This recognition effort will highlight one outstanding counselor each month. Nominees must be a current OCA member to receive the recognition (and potentially a small prize 😊).

Thank you for your nominations!

open_in_new

Nominate a Counselor of the Month for September

OCA has several other professional learning events in the works for the 2025-2026 school year. Here are a few that are already confirmed:

12/5/2025 - Annual Full Day Virtual College Event (virtual)
4/24/2026 - End of Year Event & Counselor Awards (in-person, Walled Lake)

Other experiences are currently being planned by the OCA board. If you have suggestions for future learning topics, make sure to complete the professional learning needs assessment further down in the newsletter.

OCA members enjoy free or minimal registration costs for all events and SCECH processing is included. You can find additional details and registration info as it becomes available on the OCA Events page.

OCA wants to hear from you! Your responses to the survey below will assist with prioritizing learning topics that are of most use to counselors.

Fill it out directly in the web version of the newsletter or use the button below to open it in a browser. Thank you for your input!

open_in_new

Take the PD Needs Survey

The Oakland Counseling Association is only able to function and offer great benefits to our members as a result of our volunteer board members. We are always looking for new faces who would like to contribute to the leadership and continued service of this organization.

2025-2026 Open Board Positions Overview

Middle School Counselor Representative
Elementary School Counselor Representative
Member-at-Large

Please reach out to any of our current board members if you have questions.

OCA Board Member Interest Form

Graphic: School Counseling Support Comparison in Oakland County

This graphic was created in response to counselors frequently confusing the supports, events, and resources available through Oakland Schools vs. the Oakland Counseling Association. This is understandable given counselors often receive communications on behalf of both organizations.

These two organizations often live in the same spaces when it comes to supporting counselors. If you'd like to know more about the history of how the two are related, we would suggest reading the "History of School Counseling Support at Oakland Schools" section of the 2022 State of School Counseling Support in Oakland County report which was published a few years ago.