Dear ACCA Colleagues-

Under the leadership of Dr. Kevin Gaw we had a tremendously successful 2008-2009 year. We updated our strategic plan and you voted to approve our new mission statement. We initiated a community college task force and solidified our role within the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance to strengthen our advocacy efforts for our members.

We have an exciting year planned including using technology to more effectively to serve members and generating position statements and monographs on existing and emerging issues within college counseling. In addition, we are preparing for our biannual conference next October.

College counseling is about the whole person. College mental health practitioners, be us social workers, medical practitioners, therapists, counselors, clergy, career counselors, psychologists, or personal counselors (just to name a few), are all invested in student development and student success. With the increase in the severity of presenting concerns on college campuses today, we must all work together to provide excellent and comprehensive services for our students. In fact, one critical issue for us professionals (and our administrators) is to not forget the importance of the student development work we do, as we prepare for and respond to clinical crises.

As your incoming President, I want to thank you for your confidence in me. We have an exciting year ahead of us and I look forward to serving you and representing you. Never hesitate to contact me or any of the Executive Council members – we are here to serve you and the Association!

Sincerely,

Greta A. Davis, Ph.D., LPC, NCC

ACCA President