See the video recording link below for the Step by Step Walk Through of the Illinois Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensure Application Process that occurred on Sat May 18, 2024 from 12:30 pm -2:00 pm:

Video Link

Password: r893@z2x

During this meeting Dr. Hamm and Jay went through the entirety of the 22 page Illinois LPC Licensure Application while also addressing additional pieces of the licensure application process (ex. the NCE exam). You can download/print the IDFPR LPC Application before viewing this video recording in order to follow along. You will click on “Professional Counselor” under Licensee Application Forms: https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/profcounselor.html

Please feel free to reach out to Jay or Dr. Hamm if you have any follow up questions.

Lane County Behavioral Health in beautiful Eugene, OR. – At LCBH, we are dedicated to providing compassionate and effective mental health care to our community. As part of our teams, clinicians will have the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives every day.

Here are some details about the positions:

Clinical Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPC): We are seeking both licensed and unlicensed therapists with experience in individual and group therapy. The ideal candidates will have a strong clinical background and commitment to trauma informed, client-centered care.

Forensic Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPC):  We are seeking both licensed and unlicensed therapists with experience working within the criminal justice system, providing mental health services to individuals who are criminal justice involved. Primary responsibilities will be to conduct assessments, diagnose mental health disorders, and develop treatment plans tailored to the needs of clients who may be criminal justice involved, or individuals involved in court-ordered treatment.

Crisis Response Team (LMFT, LCSW, LPC): We are seeking licensed therapists to play a crucial role in providing immediate mental health and crisis intervention services to individuals experiencing acute psychiatric crises both on the phone and in the community. Working as part of a dynamic team, these individuals will respond to crisis phone calls and conduct remote and on-site assessments to de-escalate situations, provide emotional support, and facilitate access to appropriate mental health services.

If you or someone you know are passionate about mental health, possess the necessary qualifications, and are eager to join a supportive and dynamic team, we hope you to apply. We offer competitive compensation packages, opportunities for professional development including licensure supervision, and a positive work environment where your contributions are valued. We are also currently offering a $4500 sign on compensation package for qualified positions.

To apply for any of these positions, please check out our Lane County jobs website. You will also find attached our Job Opportunity flier with links to all our positions and more information about our organization.

Hiring Flier 5-2024

24-25 Internship Site Approval Deadline Approaching!

The deadline for paperwork in Tevera is approaching! Please check Tevera for any pending forms. If you have not yet received an approval email from Jay Lesenko, your site has not been approved.

• The deadline for completing a new site proposal in Tevera has now passed (Friday, May 10^th)
• The deadline for completing all other forms in Tevera is Friday, May 31^st

In the event that you have not found a site, please consult the internship opportunities posted on CSL News and review this list of sites who recently stated that they are still looking for interns: Internship Sites Still Accepting Applications. Please reach out to Jay or Dr. Hamm if you have any questions or need further support.

Illinois LPC Licensure Application Process

Step by Step Walk Through

Saturday, May 18, 2024

12:30 pm -2:00 pm

https://depaul.zoom.us/j/92921620474

The Office of Professional Practice will be offering a Step by Step Walk Through of the Illinois Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensure Application Process for all counseling students Tomorrow- Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 12:30 pm -2:00 pm. We will be recording this meeting for those who are unable to attend.

We will be going through the entirety of the 22 page Illinois LPC Licensure Application as well as addressing various pieces of the licensure application process (ex. licensure vs certification, the NCE exam, etc.) Please note that this meeting is optional. Although this information may be most immediately relevant to third year students about graduate, first and second year students are more than welcome to attend as well.

If you would like to download/print the IDFPR LPC Application before the meeting in order to follow along, you can click on “Professional Counselor” under Licensee Application Forms https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/profcounselor.html

We will also discuss:

• The difference between licensure and certification
• The types of counseling licenses in Illinois
• The general timeline of how long it can take to obtain licensure
• What to do if you are seeking licensure in a state outside of Illinois
• Taking the National Counseling Examination (NCE) before vs. after you graduate
• The costs involved in applying for licensure

We will define and explain the following terms and their role in the licensure process:

• Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license in IL
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) license in IL
• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
• National Counseling Examination (NCE)
• National Certified Counselor (NCC) Certification

As a licensed professional counselor, counselor educator, behavioral health professional, member of ACES, and a constituent, please ask your representative to consider cosponsoring H.R. 7924, the Advancing Culturally Competent and Equitable and Supportive Services in Mental Health Act or Access in Mental Health Act. 

This important legislation would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 by creating a new grant program to support graduate behavioral health programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges, and other minority-serving institutions by: 

• Providing grants of $10,000 to students who are pursuing a graduate degree in counseling, psychiatry, school-based mental health professions, psychology, psychiatry or substance use disorder prevention treatment at a minority-serving institution.
• Providing grants to HBCUs, tribal colleges, and other minority-serving institutions that can be used for the purpose of establishing, expanding, or improving their graduate programs in the mental health professions.

Go to this link to fill out the Voter Voice response which can then send a message directly to your US Representative.

Action Center (votervoice.net)

Greetings,

I hope this message finds you well. As part of ongoing research at Penn State College of Education, we are exploring the influence of sociocultural factors on critical consciousness and engagement in anti-racism activities among students and instructors in Counselor Education. This research is crucial for shaping effective curricula and policies, and your insights will be incredibly valuable.

Study Details

•  What:An anonymous survey examining the influence of sociocultural factors on critical consciousness and anti-racism
•  Time Commitment: Approximately 20-30 minutes
•  IRB Approval: This study has been approved by Penn State University IRB (Approval #23984).

Why Your Participation Matters:

Your insights will help the researchers advocate for the development of inclusive curricula and teaching strategies, helping to shape future generations of counselors. This is a chance to make a meaningful impact in our field.

As a thank you for your time, we will be holding a drawing for over fifteen (15) Amazon gift cards valued at $25, $50, and $100. After completing the survey, you will have the chance to enter the drawing. Raffle winners will be drawn and notified via email once data collection is complete.

We greatly appreciate your time and are eager to learn from your experiences. You can begin the survey by clicking on this link: https://tinyurl.com/psu23984

Please also consider forwarding this email to at least two peers or colleagues who would also have valuable insights to share. The more voices we hear, the deeper our understanding will become.

For any inquiries or further information, you’re welcome to contact the primary investigator, Dr. Aiesha Lee, at alee@psu.edu.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to contribute to our field’s growth and understanding.

Internship Opportunity – Essentially You Counseling and Wellness Services

Essentially You Counseling and Wellness Services has one remaining internship opening for 2024-2025. Interested students should reach out to Kelly McCauley at  kellymccauley@essentiallyyoucounseling.com for more information.

Thrive Counseling Center has a current internship opening in their Youth Services program for the 24-25 year. Below are the requirements for the Youth Services internship:

• 20-25 hours per week
• Caseload average 12-15
• Evenings (close at 8pm)
• Saturdays 9am-2pm
• Wednesdays 1pm-3pm mandatory for group supervision and trainings
• Intern training/onboarding week August 12-16 (9am-5pm)

Please contact Daisy Rios at drios@thrivecc.org to learn more.

Semillas Counseling PLLC currently has an internship opening for the 24-25 year. See info below:

• Our clinical emphasis supports adults, couples and families over the age of 16
• The practicum and internship placement will provide students an opportunity to expand their individual and couples counseling skills utilizing a co-therapy model with their site supervisor.
• We provide a hybrid of in-person and telehealth options for our clients, with locations in River North Chicago and North Center Chicago
• Students are required to be in person, and fully vaccinated, as we require this of all our clients who attend for in-person appointments.
• Student would intern a minimum of 24 hours each week throughout their practicum and internship experience, with a general schedule of 10am-7pm.  The practicum and internship dates are August 1, 2024 through June 13, 2025.

Students who are interested in our practice should email their cover letter and resume to info@semillascounseling.com.

Don’t Forget: Spring into Action Webinars – There is still time to join our call-to-action webinars to hear how ISAC can support students and families with free assistance, through the summer and year-round, as they navigate this delayed FAFSA cycle. Learn more about the latest updates to the FAFSA, best practices for navigating the corrections and verification processes, and ISAC resources available to you and your students. Take action to ensure students have the assistance and support they need. To register, visit the Professional Development Calendar. For questions, contact isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.  Webinar dates are:

• Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 12 – 1 p.m. (CT)
• Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m. (CT)
• Tuesday, May 28, 2024, 10 – 11 a.m. (CT)

In addition, please share ISAC’s new webpage – https://www.isac.org/connect – to help connect students with ISAC free services and assistance, including asking real time questions via text messaging in English or Spanish.

More May FAN Events Announced – ISAC helps sponsor Family Action Network (FAN) events, which are always free and open to the public. FAN curates a high-quality speaker series on a variety of topics relevant to our work. Please visit the FAN website to register for these upcoming events and see the attached flyers for more details:

• The Algebra of Wealth: Achieving Economic Security – Tuesday, May 13, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. (CT) – on Zoom
• The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder – Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 7 p.m. (CT) – on Zoom
• Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (And Why That’s a Good Thing) – Monday, May 20, 2024, at 7 p.m. (CT) – on Zoom
• Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory’s Power to Hold on to What Matters – Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 7 p.m. (CT) – on Zoom
• Thinking with Your Hands: How Gestures Shape Our Thoughts – Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 7 p.m. (CT) – on Zoom
• A Fatal Inheritance: How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Deadly Medical Mystery – Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at 7 p.m. (CT) – on Zoom

If you’re not able to participate in a live FAN event, all events are recorded. Visit the FAN website’s Past Events page to view the library of past event topics and their recordings.

Click on the links below for more information about each of the webinars linked above:

• The Algebra of Wealth
• The Friction Project
• Brave New Words
• Why We Remember
• Thinking with Your Hands
• A Fatal Inheritance