The mission of IMHCA is to promote the professional well-being of mental health counselors in Illinois through advocacy, education, and support services, and thereby contribute to the good of society.
PURPOSES
IMHCA is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes.
2.1 PURPOSES. The purposes are:
1. Educational: To bring together mental health professionals for educating them about the latest developments in the field. We also seek to educate the public about the need for mental health services and what types of treatments are available.
2. To maintain a website where mental health professionals can research questions and dialogue amongst each other on relevant issues. The Website will provide updates regarding educational opportunities, research questions and results, information regarding recent publications, and important issues to address.
3. To collect and disseminate information regarding best practices in the field of mental health to assist professionals throughout Illinois in understanding developments in the mental health field.
4. To provide a forum to help educate legislators and communities about mental illness and the myths regarding disorders. Experts from all aspects of the field can provide viewpoints regarding various facets including state of the art treatment, research and legal changes. The forum will assist in educating policy makers regarding effective tre
5. Scientific/Research:
a. To generate and disseminate knowledge about effective programs to address the mental health needs of children, adolescents, adults and seniors.
b. To utilize the research process to inform mental health professionals of the best practices in the field.
c. To encourage the development of empirically based program standards and practices.
6. To provide scholarships to students to attend conferences within budgetary constraints.
The IMHCA Board of Directors has unanimously and proudly supported the following statement.
As
professional counselors, we are called in this moment to our highest
ethical ideals and application of our bounty of knowledge as humans,
practitioners, educators, and researchers.
These
are challenging times for our black and brown siblings across the
nation and across our state. We are experiencing two pandemics
simultaneously: COVID-19 and Systemic Racism.
Our hearts go out to all our black and brown siblingswho
have lost their lives and their surviving family members due to police
violence and health disparities. As a profession, we must stand against
these acts of social injustice and advocate for our black and brown siblingsacross the nation and globe.
We stand withICA,ACA,AMCD,SAIGE,CSJ,ACES,ASCAand
the plethora of professional counseling organizations that have
denounced police violence and the systemic and institutional racism
experienced by our black and brown siblings.
We have also compiled multiple resources for you and your clients to engage long-term in the work of antiracism. Please see the link
We will continue this conversation, as spearheaded by the Diversity in Leadership Taskforce.
If you are interested in joining the ICA Diversity in Leadership Taskforce, please completethis FORM.
Look out for our upcoming town hall for further additional action item steps.
In Solidarity and Compassion,
Dr. Tamekia Bell, President
IL Counselor Educators and Supervisors
Dr. Jahaan Abdullah, President
IL Association for Multicultural Counseling
Dr. Nicole Thompson, Chair, Diversity in Leadership Taskforce
President Elect, IL Association for Couples and Family Counseling
Dr. Kristina Wilkerson, Past President
Jim Keck, President
IL Counselors for Social Justice
Missy Lugo, Past President
Gideon Litherland, President
IL Association for LGBT Issues in Counseling
Allison Greene, President
IL College Counseling Association
Laurie Siegel, President
IL Mental Health Counselors Association
Leslie Contos, President
Greta Nielsen, President-Elect
Karolina Hogueisson, President-Elect-Elect,
Association for Child & Adolescent Counseling in IL
ICDA Leadership Board
IL Career Development Association
IASGW
Anna Marie Yates, Immediate Past-President IASGW
IL Association for Specialists in Group Work
