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2008 AMHCA Awards to Embrace Diversity, Celebrate Achievement

By Gay Bera, LPC
Chair, Member Services Committee

The theme for AMHCA's 2008 Annual Conference, "Embracing Diversity: Relationships Across Cultures and Generations," is a reflection of the AMHCA membership. We are a complex group of professionals differing in gender and sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, culture, age, socioeconomic status, political and religious affiliations, and philosophical preferences. Demographics aside, at the core of our humanity we share similar hopes aspirations, fears, and challenges in both our personal and professional lives.

As counselors, we are as diverse as the clients we serve, with varying talents and strengths that flourish when acknowledged and encouraged to grow. And what better way to highlight the achievements of an individual or an AMHCA State Chapter than by nominating them for recognition by their AMHCA peers? And what better way to inspire and motive others than by focusing on these examples of excellence set by our fellow professionals and by celebrating these accomplishments at an awards ceremony?

The Member Services Committee invites AMHCA members to submit nominations for an individual in one of several categories as well as nominations for AMHCA state chapters (both large and small chapters) that have made outstanding progress in the last year. Awards categories are described below. All nominees must be AMHCA members, with the exception of nominees for Legislator of the Year. Mail all nominations and accompanying documentation to: AMHCA, Attn: Virginia Moore, 801 N. Fairfax, Suite 304, Alexandria, VA 22314. The final deadline for nominations is Wednesday, April 30. Award winners will be announced at AMHCA's Annual Conference in San Diego in July.

• INDIVIDUAL AWARD CATEGORIES

Counselor Educator of the Year: Recognizing outstanding and humanitarian service to others through teaching, training, consulting, supervising, researching, or program development, spending at least 50 percent of his or her time in these activities.

Graduate Student of the Year: Recognizing a student AMHCA member who exemplifies the ideal mental health counseling student through outstanding scholastic and academic performance, outstanding counseling practice, or outstanding writing contributions to the field of mental health counseling. As part of the Donald Mattson Scholarship, a $500 grant accompanies this award.

Legislator of the Year Award: Recognizing the outstanding service of a congressional member. Nominees should advocate for the professional concerns of counselors, AMHCA, and the overall welfare of the community. A legislator nominated for this award need not be an AMHCA member.

Mental Health Counselor of the Year: Recognizing an individual who has provided outstanding counseling service-including consultation-to the public, spending at least 50 percent of his or her time in direct counseling with clients and relevant consulting activities.

Outstanding Community Service Award: Recognizing the outstanding commitment and service by an AMHCA member at the local level to his or her community. Specifically, community service addresses the issues of the counseling profession and stimulates future service to promote the reputation of the profession.

Poster Session Award: AMHCA's Member Services Committee is proud to announce this new award. The Committee, in conjunction with AMHCA's Conference Planning Committee, will recognize an outstanding Poster Session entry with an award to be presented at the conference awards luncheon. In addition, the award recipient will receive a free conference registration for the 2009 conference. All individuals who submit a poster session proposal to AMHCA for the 2008 conference are eligible to apply for this award. However, only poster sessions selected for presentation at the conference will be eligible for the award. Selection criteria for the Poster Session Award will be based on subject originality, presentation clarity, appropriate research design and methodology, and advancement of the profession.

Professional Service and Leadership to a State Chapter Award: Recognizing an AMHCA State Chapter member whose dedication, energy, service, and leadership have strengthened the State Chapter in such ways as membership growth, innovative program development, increased participation in sponsored events, and enhanced membership services. Eligible nominees should promote the goals and missions of his or her State Chapter as well as the mental health counseling profession.

Public and Community Service Award: Recognizing outstanding service at the local, state, or national level that reflects a significant contribution to the professional concerns of AMHCA. Nominees may be nominated for service to AMHCA; work on legislative policy at the local, state, regional, or national level; work on critical mental health issues such as managed care or third-party payments; or development of new programming for consumers.

Researcher of the Year: Recognizing exceptional research in mental health counseling.

To Nominate an Individual

Nominations should include ONLY the following:

1. A letter of nomination (two pages maximum) detailing why this candidate deserves the award and specifying for which award category you are nominating him or her. The nominator must include his/her contact information including a phone number, mailing and e-mail addresses.
2. A letter (on State Chapter letterhead) from your AMHCA State Chapter endorsing the nominee. If your state does not have a chapter, please submit a second nomination letter.
3. A brief resume (three pages maximum) from the nominee.
4. For the research award, a copy of the published research article must be included.

Failure to submit the required information by the April 30 deadline will jeopardize consideration of your nominee.

• STATE CHAPTER AWARD CATEGORIES

In order to recognize the work of both large and small AMHCA chapters, two awards will be given in each State Chapter Award category. Large chapters are those with 500 or more members.

Membership: Greatest membership growth during the 2007 calendar year.

Service to Consumers: Outstanding activities directed at providing service to consumers.

Service to Members: Outstanding activities directed at providing service to members.

Outstanding Chapter Website Award: Recognizes a State Chapter that has created and maintains an outstanding website that supports or advances the purposes and principles of AMHCA. Websites are evaluated based on their design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, navigation, and ease of use.

Outstanding State Chapter: Outstanding activities directed at building a stronger State Chapter.

To Nominate a State Chapter

AMHCA plans to recognize winners in both large and small State Chapters (large chapters are those with 500 or more members). To nominate your State Chapter for one of the awards listed above, please send a letter of nomination (two pages maximum) detailing your State Chapter’s accomplishments, and why you feel the Chapter deserves this recognition. This letter should be on State Chapter letterhead or from a State Chapter officer or representative. Include any supporting documentation. The nominator must include his or her contact information including a phone number, mailing and email addresses.

Failure to submit the required information by the April 30 deadline will jeopardize consideration of your nominee.

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