Hello school counselors and counseling professionals! We have a new website. We also have a few open board positions. This may be a great opportunity for you to step into a leadership position with this organization. Read through this newsletter for exciting opportunities, giveaways, professional development, membership renewal, and more. We do wish you a wonderful 21-22 school year!

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.

Oakland Counseling Association continues to be dedicated to working with Professional Counselors to provide opportunities for Professional Development.

Despite an unprecedented school year and restrictions that made traditional, in-person events impossible, OCA was able to provide its members with a wide variety of professional learning opportunities in the virtual space. Thank you to the many organizations and individuals who volunteered their time and expertise to present at the OCA virtual events in 2020-2021!

In 2020-2021, the Oakland Counseling Association:

• Hosted or coordinated 13 virtual events that included a total of 640 participants

• Provided a total of 726.5 SCECHs at no cost to all members and participants, including: 274 College, 336.5 Career, 40 Military, and 76 General SCECHs

We are extremely pleased to announce that we will be able to offer FREE membership again next year for 2021 - 22 AND continue to offer FREE SCECHs for Oakland Counseling Association members.

You will be joining a group dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Oakland County by promoting the development of professional counselors, advancing in the counseling profession, and using the profession and practice of counseling to promote respect for human dignity and diversity.

Unlike last year, we do ask that you complete a new registration form so we can update our membership records.

In the upcoming year we are planning to continue holding monthly virtual professional learning events for at least the first half of the school year and are very hopeful to begin offering in-person/hybrid events early Spring.

• Monthly hour long virtual professional learning events (FREE to Members)
• Possible in-person events in the spring (TBD)
• SCECHs (FREE to Members)
• First Friday - gift card giveaway for MEMBERS
• Bringing back our OCA Awards!!
• Mini Grants

Watch for a separate email (from Amanda Gohl) regarding the OCA Membership drawing. If you don't get it by Tuesday, 10/5 - time to renew!!

The Oakland Counseling Association (OCA) had 6 - $250 grants available. Three grants are still available to be used by school counseling programs to support an initiative that directly advances career readiness, academic growth, and/or social/emotional development with students. Grant applicants must have current OCA individual or departmental membership.

The grant application window will be open from June 9, 2021 - October 31, 2021. Grant applications 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 2021-2022 school year. A final mini-grant outcome report is due by June 1, 2022.

2021-2022 OCA Mini-Grant Application (Google Form)
2021-2022 OCA Mini-Grant Final Outcome Report

The recipients that have received OCA grant funds this year include :

• Chippewa Valley High School 9th Grade Center - Positive Message Magnet Project for Lockers.
• Chippewa Valley High School - Incentives for planning for college and career goals.
• Waterford Mott High School - Support initiatives promoting student engagement with trade and technical schools.

OCA is seeking speakers for the 2021-2022 school year who are interested in providing professional learning for school counselors. Our membership includes counselors from throughout Oakland County as well as some of the surrounding areas. This professional learning is intended to help school counselors to grow in their practice of supporting students and families in elementary, middle, and high school.

We have designed a speaker series where we are hoping to enlist community mental health agencies, colleges and postsecondary training programs, businesses and apprenticeship programs, military representatives, and school counselors to deliver professional learning to our OCA members. This can serve as an opportunity for you or your organization to engage school counselors in learning more about your services and available opportunities for students. Most events will be hosted in the virtual space this school year, though we are tentatively planning some in-person events during the 2nd half of the school year.

2021-2022 OCA Virtual Event Speaker Series
2021-2022 OCA Virtual Event Session Proposal
2021-2022 OCA Virtual Event Calendar

Do you work with a counselor that deserves to be recognized! The nomination process for the OCA 21-22 school counselor of the year will open earlier this year. We are planning to open the process in December. The winner will be recognized during our April 2022 PD event.

You opened this newsletter, and you looked through it all! Click on the form for a special opportunity.

Email: oaklandcounselingassociation@gmail.com
Website: www.oaklandcounselors.org
Phone: -----------------
Twitter: @OCACounseling