NBCC Promotes Equity and Inclusion with Sponsorship of ACES Regional Fall Conferences

As the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s (ACES) five regions prepare to host their annual fall conferences, NBCC is excited to offer funding support to help advance the engagement of an inclusive community of professionals at these events.

Conferences provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas that ultimately are integrated into policy and action across the profession. The ACES regional conferences are powerful incubators of policies and practices for the education and supervision of counselors, and it is critical that counseling professionals with diverse experiences and perspectives be included in these conversations. NBCC intends to support this engagement by providing funding and conference sponsorship.

It is absolutely essential that professionals who reflect the complexity and diversity of the community are engaged in these conferences and that we support a community of scholars who are forging the path to understanding with critical research and scholarship. It is necessary to have scholars sharing the work they are doing that will help the counseling profession better understand how to foster inclusion; expand access; reduce barriers; and advance equitable access to counseling, education, and health services. NBCC believes that providing strategic funding to conference planning teams is one way to help encourage and support the professional community.

Regional conference planning teams may use the funding support in a myriad of ways, including to engage speakers to share their work in the areas of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to provide registration stipends to counselors from typically underrepresented groups, or in ways uniquely designed to engage professionals in their region.

“We believe the professional community can be transformed when all voices are welcome and engaged in the discussions that shape policy, education, and practice,” says Dr. Kylie Dotson-Blake, President and CEO of NBCC and Affiliates. “NBCC remains committed to supporting capacity-building efforts and increased access to these professional development and community-building opportunities for counselors.”

Engaged communities are strong communities, and every voice matters.

To learn more about the different ACES regions, visit their website.