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Keynote SpeakerKim Gorman
The American College Counseling Association is thrilled to welcome Kimberly Gorman as a keynote presenter at the 2026 ACCA Conference. Kimberly Gorman, Ph.D., HSP-P, is Associate Vice Chancellor for Health & Wellness in the Student Affairs Division at Western Carolina University. Her primary research interests are related to collegiate mental health and mental illness stigma in the college population. She has co-authored several papers focused on the impacts of mental illness and its related stigma in college students. She recently co-edited the volume A University-Wide Approach to Changing Campus Cultures of Mental Illness Stigma. She is a licensed psychologist who has worked in the higher education setting for more than two decades. She has served on the governing board of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors and on the advisory board for the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. Keynote Title: Changing the Current: Confronting Stigma to Strengthen Our Communities Abstract: This keynote examines the persistent presence of mental illness stigma within higher education and argues for a comprehensive, community‑based response. After reviewing the current conditions that perpetuate stigma, I draw from personal narrative, national mental health trends, and campus‑based research to demonstrate how stigma, particularly the stigma that individuals with mental illness are dangerous, remains deeply embedded in higher education despite claims of its decline. I will discuss how stigma influences treatment‑seeking behavior, shapes campus responses to distress, and contributes to overburdened counseling centers. The keynote highlights how institutional policies, academic norms, and even clinical language unintentionally perpetuate stigma.. Finally, I call for intentional change across campuses by suggesting we acknowledge our own role in stigma reproduction, reevaluate our policies, reform our language, and cultivate inclusive communities on campus to challenge the stigma and foster a supportive university community where we can all thrive. Learning Objectives:
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Monthly Support Space 2026 ACCA Annual Conference AnnouncementsView the press release on HEMHA's new guide to Animals on Campus Click here to access the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources ACCA joins the 4th edition of Health and Well being in Higher Education: A Commitment to Student Success Please note the addition of the College Counseling & Psychological Services Knowledge Base to the resources page. ACCA Members in the NewsBecca Smith is quoted in the Washington Post article "College mental health centers are swamped. Here's what parents can do." Andrew Lee is quoted in the Inside Higher Ed article on Suicidal Ideation Steffanie Grrossman is quoted in Online Counseling article College Students Diet and Mental Health Janelle Johnson comments on the state of mental services at community colleges. Janelle Johnson on College Counseling” Psychotherapy.net Interview. Follow the link to read the full interview. |
