Benefits of Joining GCCA

Membership & Member Services

Who is eligible to join the Ohio Counseling Association/ Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association (OCA/GCCA)? Ohio boasts a population of over 9000 counselors (mental health and school) working in a variety of professional settings, all of whom are eligible to be members of OCA/GCCA. Membership is open to any person whose primary responsibilities or interests revolve around the area of counseling.

Why join OCA/GCCA?

GCCA is the official local chapter of OCA. The OCA/GCCA offers a variety of benefits to both the individual counselor and the counseling profession as a whole. These benefits include:

OCA/GCCA Member's Access

1. OCA/GCCA members can pose questions, make comments, raise points, and discuss concerns directly to the OCA/GCCA Executive Council by using the OCA and GCCA member only pages.

2. OCA/GCCA members are part of the OCA/GCCA general membership listserv, which keeps members informed of professional growth opportunities, referrals, ethical issues, and conventions.

3. OCA members are invited by the moderator upon joining or renewing to participate in a private Goggle Groups network created as a service to members of the Ohio Counseling Association as a benefit of membership. Here OCA members can pose questions, raise discussions, and share information they feel might be relevant to their OCA colleagues and friends. GCCA has a similar web based discussion board feature for members only.

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Professional Identity

• OCA/GCCA serves as the catalyst that brings together counseling professionals through state divisions and chapters. There are eight divisions and seven chapters.
• OCA/GCCA presents the unified voice of professional counselors to the public
• OCA/GCCA is a state branch of the American Counseling Association, making it the officially sanctioned link to our national organization
• Supports and celebrates diversity and condemns discrimination against members and non-members alike
• Publishes a quarterly newsletter, Guidelines, which keeps members informed of Division and Chapter activities, professional growth opportunities, ethical issues, and conventions.

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Professional Recognition

• Contracts Administrative Consultant to perform duties of maintaining membership, answering correspondence, central telephone and fax facility, overseeing newsletter, monitoring legislative action, representing the association to the public, and other duties to serve members
• Contracts Lobbyist to support legislation promoting professional counseling and the rights of professional counselors to provide services to the public
• Promotes the professional image of all Ohio counselors through pamphlets, brochures, webpage privileges, and other public relation activities
• Provides financial support for regional Chapters to provide service and representation of all counselors.
• Represents Ohio counselors at the Midwest and national ACA conventions
• Serves as liaison with Ohio Counselor and Social Work Board, Ohio Department of Education, and other professional boards
• Enforces Ethical Standards of Practice of OCA/GCCA members
• Recognizes accomplishments of members through annual awards

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Professional Development

• The Ohio Counseling Association co-sponsors annual convention, the All Ohio Counselors Conference, as well as other conferences and workshops enabling counselors to upgrade skills. GCCA co-sponsors an annual conference, the Winter Workshop, with Child Focus, Inc. and Xavier University.
• Approved provider of Continuing Education Units for counselor license and certification renewal
• Provides assistance and coordination to Divisions and Chapters in providing their members with professional development and other quality services
• Provides opportunities for networking among professional counselors across Chapters and Divisions

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OCA/GCCA Divisions

• Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (OACES)
• Ohio Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (OAMCD)
• Ohio Mental Health Counselors Association (OAMCD)
• Ohio Career Development Association (OCDA)
• Ohio Association for Specialists in Group Work (OASGW)
• Ohio School Counselors Association (OSCA)
• Ohio Association for Spiritual, Ethical & Religious Values in Counseling (OASERVIC)
• Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling of Ohio (ALGBTIC of Ohio)

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OCA Chapters:

• Central Ohio Counseling Association (COCA/GCCA)
• Eastern Ohio Counselors Association (EOCA/GCCA)
• Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association (GCCA)
• Miami Valley Counseling Association (MVCA)
• North Central Ohio Counseling Association (NCOCA/GCCA)
• Northwest Ohio Counseling Association (NWOCA/GCCA)
• Southeast Ohio Counseling Association (SEOCA/GCCA)

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Professional Liability Insurance for Students and Professionals:

Professional Liability Insurance is designed to protect your assets and cover your expenses in the event of a suit being brought against you for malpractice. This plan, administered by Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) and underwritten by American Casualty Company of Reading, PA, a CNA Company, is designed to meet the unique needs of today's counseling professionals and students. HPSO has earned the exclusive endorsement of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Counseling Association Insurance Trust (ACAIT). It offers competitively priced coverage with broad plan benefits. This plan provides coverage limits up to $1 million each claim and up to $3 million aggregate, license protection coverage, and 100% payment of covered legal expenses. Professionals can visit the ACAIT site (www.acait.com) for more information on the plan and rates. Students can visit http://www.hpso.com/students/studentindex.php3 for more information on the plan and rates.

Read more about professional liability insurance, providers and FAQs by clicking here.

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When is it time to join OCA/GCCA?

Now is a crucial time in the establishment of our profession and a time for each of us to examine and exercise our commitment to the counseling profession. With the present status of health care in this country changing on an almost daily basis, and with new decisions being made as to the appropriate core providers of these services, the future of the counseling profession looms before us. The need for the profession to present a solid and unified front is of great importance in being able to influence the legislature and the public to entrust us with the responsibility and the privilege of providing needed mental health services. Membership in this professional association, designed specifically to meet the needs of counselors and student counselors, is an excellent way to develop and express your commitment. Ask yourself, why not join? The many benefits of membership will help ensure your professional success!

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Join Us!

Go on line to www.ohiocounseling.org. We encourage you to consider joining your fellow professionals by becoming a member of the Ohio Counseling Association and GCCA. OCA/GCCA is committed to advocating for school, mental health, career, and rehabilitation counselors throughout the state. With ever increasing changes and challenges for all of us in counseling careers, it continues to be critically important to support each other through our professional organizations. OCA/GCCA needs your support to remain strong and vital.

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