Annual Report

MISSION, PURPOSES AND VALUES of the
B.C. ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL COUNSELLORS
MISSION STATEMENT

The B.C. Association of Clinical Counsellors is a society of regulated Clinical Counsellors dedicated to providing the highest standard of professional counselling, consulting, assessment, testing and training services. Members of the society act to enhance mental health by providing responsive, accountable, and ethical counselling, consulting, assessment, testing and training services to individuals, couples, families, and groups.

FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSES

Fundamental Purpose 1
Developing and advocating for the profession of counselling (promoting the self-interest of the profession and the membership).
Fundamental Purpose 2
Regulating the professional practice of registered members (protecting the public interest through entry criteria, peer review and discipline).
Fundamental Purpose 3
Maintaining an operational structure and infrastructure to support the foregoing fundamental purposes.

VALUES OF THE PROFESSION

Registered Clinical Counsellors:

This Annual Report is a reflection of the ongoing evolution and maturity of our profession and our professional Association. The reports contained within represent another very busy and progressive year, highlighting accomplishments, and sometimes, frustrations. The report is a collaborative effort of the many individuals and committees that represent the process of the Board of Directors fulfilling the Mission and Fundamental Purposes of our Association.

The American Counseling Association/Canadian Counselling Association “Annual Convention”, in Montreal, in the Spring, proved worthwhile and provided us an opportunity to return to the CCA/BCACC Steering Committee with a clearer picture of our tasks for Conference 2007.

This large “congress” of some 3,500 delegates, also provided invaluable professional development and networking opportunities, and we were inspired by a dramatic and touching Keynote address by Stephen Lewis. The “Roundtable on the Status of Counsellor Regulation in Canada” focused on competencies and the delegates from the U.S. expressed a good deal of recognition and encouragement for the work that was presented, particularly with respect to the implications for cross-Canada labour mobility (AIT). I was quietly proud to sit back and muse that it is BCACC that initiated the competencies process, and continues to be its driving force (see the Executive Director’s Report).

Our DSTRS Volunteer List continues to grow, with over 400 RCCs signed on. The first Provincial Training Workshop was held in April. In October, I was honoured to present a paper focusing on the “Development and Training of Volunteers to Respond to Disaster Stress Trauma Psychosocial Response Services in B. C.” at the National Information Referral Association conference, in Niagara Falls. Those who attended the session were amazed and impressed at the support from RCCs and wished me to express their appreciation to all.

Regional meetings have been an important discussion item between Regional Vice-Presidents and the Board of Directors. The piloting of shared regional resources by pairing resulted in three very successful and highly-attended workshops in Victoria, Nanaimo and Vancouver. Many thanks to the Regional Vice-Presidents, and Regional Council Representatives, who participated in this year’s events.

Teamwork is exemplified in the work of the Identity Project Team, lead by Duncan Shields and assisted by our international consultant and branding expert, Uri Sanhedrai. Our new brand(s) are dynamic and professional and aptly reflect our contemporary professional Association. Thank you, all.

Glen Grigg, Executive Vice-President and Regulatory Coordinator, working with the Registration Committee, and our Legal Counsel, up-dated our Bylaws regarding Registered Membership and laid out new Registration Regulations. The up-date brings in the reality of competency-based registration. The changes will be reviewed and discussed at the March, 2007 Delegate Council Meeting when they are presented for ratification.

In June, we welcomed Adrienne Mahaffey as Chair, Ethics and Standards Committee, and Barry Williscroft as Chair, Discipline Committee. Barry also Chairs Appeal Panels dealing with either Inquiry or Registration appeals. As a result of our long-standing mediation practices, we have never had a case go to the Discipline Committee.

As our 2006 operational year comes to and end with our Annual General Meeting, we will be seeing changes in two Regions with Dale MacIntyre (Region 1) stepping away from our Board of Directors, and Rob Riddle (Region 6) moving to Chair the Continuing Competency Committee (vacated by Dianne Symonds after a number of developmental years). These Directors represent a talented and dedicated Board of Directors who champion our Mission and Fundamental Purposes in the work that they do year-round. Their thoughtful deliberations have guided our growth and development, and I am honoured to call them colleagues and friends.

Sincerest gratitude and appreciation are extended to Jim Browne and the Victoria Office Team. Responsible for the overall administrative management of our Association, Jim is committed to keeping the Board of Directors and the membership up-to-date with all relevant information, and managing an ever-complex fiscal operation within a budget focused on our Mission and Fundamental Purposes. As the Co-Chair of Conference 2007, he shines as he keeps us focused and moving ahead, through the planning and implementation phases of our National Conference.

As a dynamic professional Association we are the sum of our Delegate Council, Regional Council, Committees, Board of Directors and Volunteers who come forward with their time and talent to assist in every way. To you, we say “thank you”, for, with your services, we are seen provincially and nationally, as Canada’s premier Association of mental health counsellors. Your Board of Directors maintains the highest level of commitment to you, and to serve you with the highest ethical and professional standards that they do. We thank you, our members, for your continued support and encouragement, and we appreciate the opportunity that you have afforded us.

This year has been an exceptionally busy year, for our professional Association, and for the counselling profession.

The exemplary good work of the Identity Project Team, in conjunction with our staff group under the leadership of Michèle Ashmore, came to fruition over the many bases that had to be covered. The movement from a newsletter-come-magazine, to a full news magazine has proven to be a much greater challenge than anticipated as Michèle, Diane Payette, and I were schooled in the art and craft of the publishing domain by our “Task Master”, Uri Sanhedrai. We are still not “there” yet but are moving in that direction. The overwhelming positive comments from our readers, including readers external to our Association, have been gratifying and we all offer our sincerest thanks.

In May, the Task Group for Counsellor Regulation, adopted the Competency Profile for the Counselling Therapist. In October, our Board of Directors adopted the Competency Profile as a base for looking at entry-to-practice requirements for Registered Clinical Counsellors, and as a template for self-evaluation for continuing competency. We are reminded that our Association provided the original impetus and majority financing to initiate the Competency Profile initiative in 2004.

During the Fall, under the facilitation of Dr. David Cane, the Competency Profile was validated, and adopted by Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Currently, the profile is being validated by the cross-Canada membership of the Canadian Counselling Association, in English and French languages.

The planning and preparation for the National Conference 2007 is picking up speed and registrations are flowing in from across the country. What a Conference…! In addition to internationally-renowned speakers, there are 108 presentations addressing Clinical Counselling (40), Connection (27) Diversity Counselling (14), Schools and Young People (12), Career Counselling (11), and Counsellor Regulation (4). The latter block includes a hugely important presentation on “confidentiality” by our own Director, Adrienne Mahaffey (Chair, Ethics and Standards Committee), and George Bryce, BCACC Legal Counsel. Our heartfelt thanks, to Glen Grigg and Mel Loncaric (CCA), for a world-class program. Add to this, the Disaster Stress and Trauma Response Service (DSTRS) Post-Conference Workshop, outlining disasters and where we fit into the BC Emergency Response Management System, coordinated by Bev Abbey, and the Provincial Project Coordinator for Disaster Psychosocial Response (Ministry of Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, and Ministry for Children and Family Development), Heleen Sandvik.

In December we were invited to sit on the new “BC Alliance” – the “British Columbia Alliance for Mental Health and Addiction Services” comprised of the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division; BC Schizophrenia Society; Association of Substance Programs of BC; Pacific Community Resources Society; College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of BC; Psychosocial Rehabilitation of BC; Community Legal Assistance Society; BC Psychological Association; BC Psychiatric Association; John Howard Society; Vancouver Police Department. The Alliance goal is “to ensure that every citizen with a mental health problem or with problematic substance abuse, has timely access to services that reduce harm and provide the best opportunity for recovery and community inclusion”. Chair of the Alliance is Dr. Jean Moore a nationally respected CMHA volunteer. Dr. Fiona McGregor of the BC Psychiatric Association is Vice-Chair. Mr. Ron LaJeunesse, a major architect of integrated mental health services in Alberta, is currently serving as Executive Coordinator.

The vision, professionalism, courage, and focused hard work of our Board of Directors is acknowledged. In the same vein I acknowledge with thanks, the incredible Victoria Team that cumulatively keep our wheels turning: Michèle Ashmore, Aina Adashynski, Julia Burke (on paternity leave), Nicola Lutte, Brandy Zdan, Angela Burns and John Gawthrop.

This year, the panel has taken on the challenge left by the changing landscape of post-secondary education. The core question has been: Is graduate education, or any other academic credential for that matter, a reliable proxy for the competency necessary for the safe and effective practice of clinical counselling? Given that we rely on universities to prepare counsellors for practice, this is a crucial question for a regulator. But how do you even ask the question, let alone answer it?

As a beginning step, the panel commissioned a review of degree quality in Canada, and found that the playing field is anything but level, and that many of the criteria that speak to quality of academic credentials do not speak directly, if at all, to clinical competencies. Given that clinical counselling has often been referred to as a “master’s level” profession, how should we evaluate these master’s degrees? And, if we do evaluate these degrees, then doesn’t that put us in the position of accepting a credential that we, ourselves, have validated? And that raises the further question: What third parties can provide degree quality assurance? And would such assurance be based on academic standards, or professional standards, or both? And if such assurance was available, and we set the bar too high, don’t we become exclusionary, or even elitist? And if we set our standard of quality assurance too low, don’t we risk not meeting the standard needed for public safety? These are tough, crucial questions.

The response to this conundrum that the Regulatory Panel, the Board, and the Registration Committee have provided hinges on the notion of Competency Based Registration. University degrees provide many dimensions of experience, skill, and knowledge. Yet, the concern of a regulator must, before anything else, be the competencies that reduce the risk of harm to the public. Consequently, the Regulatory Panel has taken the initiative to make master’s degrees in relevant disciplines a necessary, but insufficient, condition for registration. The holding of a master’s degree, you might say, is the necessary condition for a further conversation about competency. This perspective allowed the panel to think about master’s degrees more for what they are: academic achievements. This means that quality assurance for these degrees can be much more generic. The third party guarantors of the quality of these degrees are, for Canadian degrees, chartering or designation by a provincial department of education; for American degrees, regional accreditation; and for non-North American Degrees, assessment by an independent assessor of credential equivalence. But a master’s degree is prerequisite, not a basis, for registration.

What, then, is the basis for registration? At the time of writing, an initiative is before the Delegate Council to enact bylaws that will enable the BCACC to register members based on the following steps. First, the applicant must have a relevant master’s degree. Second, the applicant must demonstrate the completion of graduate level coursework in key areas of counselling knowledge and skill. Third, the applicant must demonstrate a history of good citizenship and ethical conduct. And fourth, the candidate must have their practice history evaluated by qualified supervisors against the standard of the current version of the Competency Profile of a Counselling Therapist. This is only a step, but it is a major step, in the direction of competency-based registration. This process, on the surface somewhat similar to what has happened in the past, puts competency closer to the core. It says, in effect, you must have references, a relevant degree, and relevant coursework within or in addition to that degree. But we are also concerned to hear from independent and qualified third parties that you have demonstrated the competencies that protect clients and the members of the public, competencies that define the basic standards of our profession.

The Competency Profile of a Counselling Therapist is a generic document describing the basic abilities--cognitive, behavioural, and affective--that are necessary for all counsellors. In order to take this further, we are now initiating the creation of a Competency Profile of a Registered Clinical Counsellor. We expect that this profile will include the existing Counselling Therapist designation and go on to include some of the higher-level skills, especially those that define the competency to take on independent practice. This is a key initiative that will enable the next evolution of the registration process to move even closer to the ideal of a competency-based registration process.

Developing and monitoring our Operating Budget is a central area of our responsibility in fulfilling our Third Fundamental Purpose: To maintain an operational structure and infrastructure to support the foregoing Fundamental Purposes, that is to develop and advocate for the profession of counselling and the membership, and to regulate the professional practice of members, in the public interest.

The current infrastructure model of zero-based budgeting was introduced in 1994-95, in order to establish a base to pursue statutory regulation. The budget was $213,300.00. Since then, the budget has increased to its current level of $612,000.00, with only two fee increases over the 12-years period. Again, there will be no fee increase for 2007.

We are pleased to report that we met all of our goals and advanced our initiatives successfully over this reporting period. The cost of implementing our total re-branding, professional fees, the Task Group for Counsellor Regulation, and essential adjustments to our support staff component, required us to draw on our unrestricted surplus, as our expenses exceeded our income in the amount of $47,333.00, as shown in the following Statement of Operations. We move into 2007 with targeted fiscal caution, in that, increasingly, we are being driven by external circumstances that are characteristic of a rapidly maturing visible profession and Association.

Our thanks to our accountants, OBARA LEE & CO, for reviewing our financial position and the changes in net assets, operations and cash flow for the 2006 fiscal year. Nothing has come to our accountants’ attention that causes them to believe that our financial statements are not, in all material respects, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Our Association is not a “reporting society” (under the Societies Act) and, therefore our accountants’ review is not expressed as an audit opinion.

I would like to acknowledge the exemplary work of Michèle Ashmore as a central “anchor” in our fiscal operations, along with her support crew of Aina Adashynski and Nicola Lutte. Michèle’s expertise in banking, bookkeeping, accounting, and computer programs, has greatly facilitated our ability to monitor and adjust our operations, on a daily basis, in order to best achieve our Mission and Fundamental Purposes.

The Ethics and Standards Committee is responsible for monitoring and recommending changes to the Code of Ethical Conduct and the standards and guidelines that flow from it.

The Code of Ethical Conduct (the “Code”) is in the process of being modernized and updated, and for this purpose an expert consultant, Dr. Jean Pettifor, has been hired to provide advice. The Chair, Ethics and Standards Committee met with Dr. Pettifor in February to examine different ways of structuring ethical codes and the pros and cons of each. In particular she considered underlying values and the most up to date ethical decision making models, and how these address the various issues that can come up in our counselling practices in British Columbia. Issues considered include those raised or likely to be raised by new technologies and the need for cultural sensitivity. A draft of the new Code is in progress, which will take into account Dr. Pettifor’s commendations. It will be reviewed by committee members, Dr. Pettifor and possibly other in-house experts, revised on that basis, and will then be brought to the Board of Directors for informal discussion and further revision.

A few areas for consideration have been identified by other Committees and brought forward to the Ethics and Standards Committee. These are a need for more specific guidelines around sexual misconduct, guidelines for writing reference letters, appropriate use of disclosure forms, and the use of testimonials in advertising. These items are being addressed as part of the drafting process for the new Code. The intention is to link all standards and guidelines directly to the new Code so that the purpose behind the standard or guideline is linked to values and principles outlined in the Code. Therefore, the second step in modernizing and updating the code will be a standard and guideline review.

The commentary following the Standards for Record Keeping is being revised as of the date this report is written and the new draft is to be reviewed by our legal counsel.

Means of encouraging open discussion of ethical matters between members and the Association.

After years of preparation, our Continuing Competency Program to help our members remain competent to practice is ready for our members. At the Delegate Council Meeting, the details of the program will be presented and Delegate Council Reps will be asked to help with the pilot project. We will trial the program for one year. The members involved in the trial will have an opportunity to give feedback to the committee about the program. We will need other members to help in this pilot project so please consider volunteering to be a part of this exciting venture. If you are interested, contact your DC Rep.

In addition this year, we have continued to examine the possibility of developing online courses. Last fall, an example of a Canadian developed online ethics course was presented to the Board of Directors. The distribution of programs suitable for our members will mean that all our members, regardless of where they live, will have another option as they pursue their educational needs.

2006 was my last year as Chair of the Continuing Competency Committee, although I will remain as a member of the committee. I have enjoyed my 10 years as Chair and on the Board but feel it is time for me to move on. It has been the opportunity to meet others and to share with them in a sense of purpose and vision that has meant the most to me. Thank you to all the Committee and Board members who sat during my tenure. I look forward to our continued friendship and will watch with interest as BCACC moves forward into the future.

MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE
Duncan Shields, Chair

If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counsellor, caution your elder brother and hope your guardian genius.

One of our Association’s main objectives is to develop and advocate for the profession of counselling and the interests of the membership. This end is pursued in a number of different ways and through various parts of the organization. Some member support comes through the work of the Regional Councils – continuing education opportunities being one example of this. Other initiatives are supported by the work of our head office staff (1-800 referral number, web page and insurance for example). Member Services plays a role in supporting the membership through the coordination of provincial initiatives, development of member and corporate resources, as a focal point for special member issues and questions, and through strategic planning.

The past year has been a busy one for Member Services, with a number of activities focusing on advances in three key areas. These highlights speak to hundreds of volunteer hours contributed by our members.

Our logo and brand identity are important parts of how we contact, develop and maintain meaningful relationships with the public, and with our corporate and government partners. As important aspects of the first impression we give, we have made an extensive investment, both in capital and volunteer hours, updating and upgrading the professionalism of the “look” and content of all of our communication pieces.

Starting with the logo itself, Sowelu was retired from service and replaced with two separate visual identifiers, one for the Association and one for the professional designation, RCC. These new logos, chosen and recommended by a team of member representatives from each of the Regions, were warmly received by the membership.

Over the course of the year, our new “look” was applied to our stationery, website, tradeshow booths, and all advertisements and printed material. Finally, Insights was given a new look to increase readability. Member feedback has been overwhelmingly positive for these changes.

The Association appeared at a number of “health and wellness” and special interest tradeshows across the province in 2006. These events, attended by thousands of people, are an opportunity for the Association to boost consumer recognition of the BCACC and RCC designation, and to work to expand awareness of the importance of mental health in a complete definition of wellness. This echoes the World Health Organization’s definition of health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”.

These events are coordinated by the Regional Marketing Coordinators and Provincial Tradeshow Coordinator, and staffed by members who volunteer their time to promote the Association and educate the public about RCC services and the importance of counsellor regulation. A “thank you” goes to our volunteers for their diligent hard work in this area.

Consumer recognition has also been pursued through advertising in various publications, through yellow pages listings throughout the province, and with a radio campaign during mental health awareness week.

On Vancouver’s north shore, the Canadian Mental Health Association collaborated with the Association and member volunteers to provide counselling services to otherwise under-serviced client groups. This initiative received high praise from participants and counsellors alike and raised the profile of the RCC designation with consumers and other health professionals in the area. This project serves as a template for possible expansion of the service to other areas of the province.

“Corporate” refers to the Association’s business partners in private and public industry, employee assistance, insurance, service organizations and other professional groups. “Recognition” includes both awareness and acceptance of the BCACC’s legitimacy and standing as the largest association of regulated mental health professionals providing services in the province of British Columbia.

The Associations updated “look” had its first public reveal at the BC Human Resources Management Association (BC HRMA) annual conference in Victoria last April. This conference for executive decision makers and human resources professionals also attracts key BCACC partners in the extended health insurance and employee assistance industries. With our new booth and a brochure specifically targeting this audience, experienced members promoted the Association as a resource and ally for business in supporting employee resiliency, health and productivity. This message was reinforced with ongoing ads in “Peopletalk”, the professional publication of the BC HRMA for business and for their membership, Certified Human Resources Professionals (CHRP designation). These contacts are key to our expanded inclusion in extended health insurance plans.

The Association also promoted the membership and the RCC designation with ¼ page listing in medical and legal resources across the province.

Member Services continues to write letters on behalf of individual members and clients to appeal extended health coverage decisions. These appeal letters have been successful in some cases and have resulted in the inclusion of RCC services in several employee extended health insurance plans.

In providing counselling services, it is important to assess progress at times to ensure that approaches used are resulting in gains for the client. Similarly, when following a course of “treatment” for the Association’s position and image, it is important to assess realized gains. Although this process is more complex than with our clients, there are two indicators that may shed light on whether we are on the right track.

1. Referral line call volume. Our 1-800 referral line operated by our head office staff, which we promote in all of our informational material, allows callers anywhere in the province to receive a referral to an RCC working nearby in their area. Our staff are diligently logging caller statistics on this service so that we can begin to use this information to make ongoing assessments of the effectiveness of our promotional activities.

2. Third party coverage. As I wrote in the last issue of Insights, as of January 2007, RCCs are now approved providers under the extended health plans of all employees belonging to the BC Public Service Agency (BC PSA).

There are a number of unions representing employees in the BC PSA. BCGEU (BC Government Employees Union) covers all "non-professional" employees of the provincial government. PEA (Professional Employee's Association) covers "professional" employees within the same ministries. Coverage extends to employees working in all provincial government ministries, including more than 30,000 people across BC working in more than 100 job streams.

This recognition and inclusion of RCC services for provincial government employees is as important breakthrough for the Association.

We have made inroads with most of the major insurance carriers who provide employer extended health benefits and many now include RCCs on the "menu" that employers select from when negotiating their plans. These are only selectable at contract renewal time that occurs every few years. As a result, while some employees covered under Blue Cross (for example) may have access to RCCs today; employees in other companies with Blue Cross coverage may not have access to RCCs until the renegotiation of their contract. Thus, although real progress may be made in this area it may only become visible to the membership several years later. Nevertheless, current changes, like the inclusion of RCCs as approved providers of counselling services to the BC public service, reflect positive movement in this area.

These indicators suggest that the work done by the Association today, founded on the contributions of members in the past, is paying dividends. Member Services will continue to endeavour to elevate the profile of our Association by emphasizing relationship building and spotlighting the valuable contributions made by our members to our communities through service and public education.

All coastal regions of the province north of the Sechelt Peninsula up to and including Powell River, and the northern portion of Vancouver Island which is past but not including Chemainus, including Gabriola Island.

In 2006, the RCC brand continued to make its presence felt on the North Coast – Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast. As of October 2006, there were 127 members in Region 1. Here’s a breakdown of where we live and work:

With such a diverse collection of communities, getting together for professional development and mutual support will always be a challenge in Region One. But it is something we value so our regional operations continued in 2006 to reflect this goal: to facilitate more face-to-face contact with one another - for mutual support, both personal and professional. We will also promote public education of the designation Registered Clinical Counsellor.

Some highlights from 2006:

· On April 8 Region 1 hosted a workshop at Edgewood Treatment Centre in Nanaimo. Entitled Topics on Addiction, it was presented exclusively for Registered Clinical Counsellors. Financial support from the Edgewood Foundation made it possible to offer this workshop free of charge to members.

· We offered two regional meetings in Nanaimo and one in Courtenay, all on Saturday afternoons. Two meetings were held on Thursday evenings in Parksville.

· Susan Butler (Nanoose Bay) represented our region at the first Disaster Stress and Trauma Response Services (DSTRS) Workshop in Vancouver in April.

· Esther Kane (Courtenay) represented our region on the BCACC’s “identity project” that gave us a fresh new professional public image.

· Krisanna Jeffery (Nanoose Bay) continued to be the welcoming voice to new members in our region.

· Current Members of the Regional Council are: Marie-Josée Piché (Powell River), Susan Butler (Nanoose Bay), Brien Dolan (Campbell River) who are the Delegate Council Representatives; and Monika Grünberg (Comox) and Irene Champagne (Parksville) are the local representatives.

· Members of Region 1 on the BCACC’s Standing Committees: Member Services – Irene Champagne (Parksville) and Monika Grünberg (Comox); Continuing Competency - Mary Dolen (Port Alberni), and Registration – Joan Campbell (Nanaimo).

· Toward the end of 2006, Susan Warner and Faye Schwab found it necessary to resign their positions on the Regional Council. We offer thanks to these and other colleagues who offer their time, energy and skills to the work of the BCACC in our region.

· We had a first in our region in 2006: a large dump of snow bullied us into cancelling our November regional meeting in Courtenay.

Irene Champagne agreed to step back in as Regional Marketing Co-ordinator and member of the Regional Council, relieving Faye Schwab of those responsibilities. Irene will also take over as the new Region 1 Vice-President at the 2007 AGM.

All regions of the island south of and including Chemainus, and the Gulf Islands south of but not including Gabriola Island.

Leila Paul, Richard Nevin and Monica Kingsbury have stepped forward to volunteer on our Regional Council this year! They bring with them enthusiasm, new ideas and a commitment to help provide services to our members. In addition to these new members, Michelle Morand, Eli Chambers and Mélodie Dupuis continue to serve on the Regional Council.

We have been busy with many activities. Here is an overview of what we were involved in during the year 2006.

In addition to these events, we have worked on organizing a trauma workshop for our members on March 10^th. This workshop was organized after sending out a questionnaire to our members re: what they would like in further continuing education opportunities. We have over 80 people coming to the workshop from all parts of our province! We have also offered to have our members volunteer at a CCA hosted event for students at the University of Victoria. The students will be those interested in pursuing a career in the counselling field and we will cover topics such as EAP work, professional ethics, marketing and other important topics. Our plan as we continue to move into 2007 is to work towards large continuing education events for our members, in order to provide the best continuing education opportunities as possible and to bring our members together from all regions. We will also continue to explore building a working relationship with CCA in order to best share our resources.

Bounded on the north by a line drawn between, but not including, Hope, Westwold, Chase, east to arrowhead near the Alberta border; south to the United States border; west up to but not including Hope. This region encompasses the Okanagan and the Kootenays.

At this writing (February 18, 2007) there are 126 members in our Region. That number is slightly less than last year at the same time. This is mainly due to members moving to other Regions (including Kathy Lauriente, Chair of the registration Committee), one death (David Galeski), a few not renewing their membership for various reasons, and the fact that there were fewer applications.

The Regional Council continues its efforts and commitment to support the members and to promote the Association. One of the ways it does this is in seeking opportunities to maximize the use of the BCACC booth in promoting the BCACC and RCCs’ services. It is also involved in providing Continuing Education venues, which in turn provide opportunities for RCCs to network more frequently.

The regular networking meetings in Vernon, which started off every second month have been cut back to twice per year (contact Suzan at suzanmilburn@telus.net for dates and times). The first of these was held on Monday, October 16^th. This writer was present and took the opportunity to show the new BCACC Display to the members present. Two of the things discussed were feedback about the new logo/brand and the new format and glossy paper of Insights.

Counsellors wishing to participate in an informal study group have been encouraged to contact Sam Reimer, or Leora Splett (our Regional Marketing Coordinator); she welcomes all suggestions and requests for the use of the BCACC Booth in our Region.

Significant news from the Kootenays came from Barry Williscroft: There was major concern re the mine accident in Kimberley, which took four lives on May 17th. Barry spent two days there as part of the crisis response, and there were at least two other RCCs also responding. * It needs to be noted that Barry was also appointed in this time as the Chair of the Discipline Committee and sits as such on the current Board of Directors.

Leora and this writer set up the portable booth and had opportunity to promote the Association via the typical means to the attendees of the Annual Valley Wide Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Meeting from 5 – 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17^th; it was a celebration of the 100 year anniversary for the Chamber; this took place at the O.U.C. Campus in Kelowna.

Then on Saturday, May 27^th, John Gawthrop presented the Member Orientation Workshop in Kelowna. This is the third workshop held in Kelowna, and again it seemed to be appreciated by all those attending, some coming from as far as the Lower Mainland.

There was minimal activity in our Region over the summer. One of the most significant things for this writer in that time was the production of new business cards with the new BCACC brand printed on them. This has provided many more opportunities to be talking about and to be promoting the Association. It has also provided a tangible means to be encouraging other RCCs in the Region to be doing the same with their business cards.

There was only one Regional Meeting last year. We were privileged to have Bev Abbey join us at that meeting; she enriched the discussions with relevant updates and info as well as answering various questions from the participants. It was coupled with a 2-day workshop organized by Barry Williscroft (providing information mainly for RCCs and other Mental Health professionals) on the topic of “Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse”).

Discussions between Rob Riddle and this writer took place regarding a combined effort to organize other significant workshops for the RCCs in Region 3 and Region 6. (These discussions and plans will continue with the new V-P of Region 6 this year.)

The position of Regional Council Rep in the South Okanagan remains open with regular appeals being sent out. All other areas of the Region have either a committed RC Rep or a committed active assistant involved. Everything seems to be going smoothly; I base this comment on the fact that I have not been made aware of any issues, concerns or complaints, from members in the Region or from the Regional Council. So I remain optimistic that good things attached to our responsibilities within the Association and specifically within Region 3 will continue to be created and experienced by all members.

Should you desire more personal involvement with any of the Regional Council, please do not hesitate to contact us:

This region includes Vancouver, Burnaby, North and West Vancouver, Richmond, Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, New Westminster, all regions up to and including Whistler, and the Sechelt Peninsula.

The current list of Regional Council Representatives for Region 4 includes the following members: John Fraser (Vice-President), Jerry Arthur-Wong, Geoffrey Ayi-Bonte, Allison Bates, Marilyn Beloff, Nancy Downes, Lida Izadi, Sara Kammerzell, Eva Merriam, Betty Rainford, Diana Romer, Elaine Roth, Jennifer Scott, and Jo-Anne Weiler. Region 4 has been allocated a total of 18 Regional Council Representatives so there is still space for 4 more reps. In this respect, we are still looking for more volunteers to help organize and facilitate regional events. If you are interested in becoming a Regional Council Representative or would like further information regarding this volunteer position please feel free to contact John Fraser at (604) 602-0890 (office), (604) 648-9976 (fax) or at johnfsi@telus.net (e-mail).

The Counsellors’ Café has continued to be a very successful event. The Cafés provide an excellent opportunity for BCACC members and other colleagues to present on their skills and areas of expertise. They are also a wonderful opportunity for BCACC members to network in a relaxed and informal setting. The Cafés are held approximately once a month at the residence of Nancy Downes. Further information regarding upcoming Cafés will be provided through e-mail broadcasts and can also be found in Insights. Since the Cafés are held at a personal residence numbers have to be limited. Anyone interested in attending a Café is therefore encouraged to register early so as to assure yourself a seat. Currently, the Region has one Café in the Vancouver area. If you are interested in facilitating a Café in your area you can contact Diana Romer at (604) 290-6407 or deromer@shaw.ca (e-mail) or John Fraser at 604 602-0890 or johnfsi@telus.net (e-mail). Diana Romer has been coordinating the Cafés for quite some time now and has lined up a great list of speakers through June 2007. Diana is currently looking for someone to take over the coordination of the Cafés so if you are interested in this position please contact either Diana or John Fraser.

Over the course of 2006, Region 4 has provided 2 full-day training events. A workshop on Emotionally Focused Therapy was presented by Yolanda von Hockauf on April 29^th, 2006, and an Introduction to Somatic Experiencing was presented by Ian Macnaughton, M.B.A., Ph.D., RCC on October 14^th, 2006. Both of these workshops were very well received. The next scheduled Region 4 training event is on Saturday April 14^th, 2007. The topic is, A Deliberate Balance: Relational Ethics and the Therapeutic Relationship, presented by Darien Thira, MA. Further information regarding this training event will be provided through e-mail broadcasts and can also be found in Insights.

Region 4 is currently in the process of setting up a committee to explore and devise a means whereby BCACC members may better access peer support. It is the aim of this project to meet the peer support needs of new and old members alike. The goals of this project could possibly involve such things as:

This project could involve such things as making it easier for members to form peer support groups and attend networking meetings. Another idea is to provide an opportunity for members to be part of a network of professionals who are willing to share some of their time and expertise on a 1 on 1 basis. In return, members of this ‘network’ would also be able to draw upon the skills and expertise of fellow network members. New members or members without any clearly defined expertise to share could reciprocate by volunteering to help operate the Project. If you are interested in joining this committee to help get this project off the ground, please contact John Fraser at johnfsi@telus.net or 604 602-0890.

This region is composed of Surrey, Delta, White Rock, Langley, Clearbrook, Agassiz, Mission, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and Maple Ridge, and all smaller communities within these boundaries including Hope.

As the first year of my role as Region 5 VP, I must express my admiration and respect for my colleagues, fellow Registered Clinical Counsellors, as well as my Regional Council Reps. The latter are an amazing amalgamation of various forms of expertise, skills, and talents. I would like to thank Cliff Holloway, Muzaffar Syed, Charlaine Avery, James Logan, Elizabeth Morris, and Gerry Bock – for their dedication to BCACC and the goals of our Region.

During this past year we have had Brian Grimes speak of working with Learning Disabled Children, which gave all of those in attendance insight into the struggles of youngsters with Learning Disabilities and an understanding of their specific needs.

We had hoped in November to have our own Regional Council Rep – Muzaffar Syed – to speak about his first hand experience of the earthquakes in Pakistan as well as his involvement with trauma work while there. Unfortunately, our weather rearranged our agenda. We hope to have Muzaffar speak of his experience in early June, as I understand it is a topic of significant interest to many of our members.

Many of our region members have noticed that there are fewer evening meetings. That is due to a change of our focus. Our aim is to have two full-day workshops during the course of the year, with possibly two evening workshops. We have found that our members are interested in full-day workshops which can assist them with their continuing competency. If any of our members have suggestions for presenters, topic areas, etc., please email me – Pauline Fitzgerald at connectionscouns@yahoo.ca. We would love to hear your input of topics and presenters of interest.

Our recent presenter was on Feb 24, with Maureen McEvoy’s very well received, very informative and extremely well presented topic of Counsellors going to court. All of the reasons for a counsellor’s court appearance were listed. As well, strategies for how to address tactics of opposing counsel were demonstrated. Maureen is a gifted presenter, who can make a complex and what many would perceive to be a dull topic interesting, thought provoking and fun. Many of our workshop attendees expressed interest in having Maureen present again for our Region. As our first full-day workshop, it was a great success.

Includes the rest of the province north and east from a line drawn between Hope, Westwold, Chase, to Arrowhead near the Alberta border.

Region 6 activity in 2006 has been mostly maintenance of the changes from the previous year and the membership numbers continued to fluctuate up and down over the year. I attended the Disaster Response (DSTRS) training in late April and hope in the future to work with Nikki on further training at the Regional level. We continue to keep a list of members in our region who have volunteered to assist in the event of a disaster. We attempted to have a local meeting in Kamloops in the Spring but there was not enough response to proceed.

Most of the activity in the Region in the Fall was getting prepared for the Member Orientation Workshop (MOW) in Kamloops in November. We had a good turnout of new members and some of the older members as well. Quite a few members came to the MOW from outside of Kamloops.

I resigned as Regional VP of Region 6 effective January 1^st, 2007 to take on the Chair of the Continuing Competency Committee (CCC) for BCACC. I have been Regional VP of Region 6 and also represented the Region on the CCC, except for a few years, since the early 1990’s. With the Region being so spread out geographically and with the smallest number of members, it has been a challenge but I have seen a greater awareness and understanding over the years by the Board of the unique challenges of this Region. I leave feeling that things are in better shape now that we have most of our members connected electronically.

We also have set up a Regional Council of four representatives with two in the northern part and two in the southern part of the Region, have had one MOW in Prince George in ’05 and now one in Kamloops in ‘06 and are now working on conjoint Continuing Competency / Professional Development Events with other regions, a new direction for BCACC. Representing the northern part of our region on the Regional Council, Brian Joyce, in Prince George, has stepped down this year and Ralph Wright continued in the Williams Lake area. Greg Scriver and Nikki Pawlitschek continued on as the Regional Council representative in the southern part of our region. Now Nikki has become Regional VP and she will be looking to replace Brian and herself on the Regional Council.

I wish Nikki every success in continuing and improving on these efforts and I will continue to serve you in a different capacity. I have seen BCACC grow in so many positive directions and take the leadership, even on a national scale, to promote the profession of counselling and so I am fortunate to be continuing my involvement with this organization. I encourage all of you to become active in BCACC, either provincially or regionally.

I became Registrar on April 1^st, 1991 – back when BCACC had 331 members. On December 31^st, 2006 BCACC had 1649 members – a net increase of almost 500%! BCACC is continuing to grow and to attract highly skilled professionals. More and more applicants are reporting that employers and contractors are requiring that their professional staff become registered with provincial regulatory bodies – BCACC being a respected recommendation.

The duties and responsibilities of the Registrar are the administration of the Regulatory functions of BCACC. The regulatory arm of BCACC is concerned with protection of the public. The two main areas of responsibility assigned to the Office of the Registrar are Registration and Inquiry in conjunction with the appropriate standing committees of the Board of Directors of BCACC. In 2006 the Office of the Registrar was expertly staffed by Michèle Ashmore, Julia Burke, Aina Adashynski, Nicola Lutte and John Gawthrop, Deputy Registrar. As Registrar, I also work closely with the Chair of the Inquiry Committee, Shirley Halliday, and the Chair of the Registration Committee, Kathy Lauriente. I am honoured to continue to work with all of these dedicated professionals.

This year 8 members joined BCACC under the principle of Criteria Equivalence. These individuals were members in good standing from national and international regulatory bodies whose criteria for membership meet or exceed those of BCACC. This method of entry facilitated speedy registration for qualified, seasoned practitioners who have already been vetted by rigorous regulatory boards.

BCACC suspended the Criteria Equivalence entry method when our legal counsel pointed out that this process was ultra vires the Bylaws. The Registration Committee has been working with legal counsel to determine whether we will continue to offer this method of entry to BCACC.

This past year has been one of tremendous evolution for the Registration Committee in many different ways. We have continued to see large numbers of applicants gain membership with the BCACC and, as always, we’re impressed with the quality of these new members and the incredible diversity and wealth of knowledge they bring to our profession. It remains very inspiring.

Last year, the Committee went through a significant period of transition as our constellation of members changed dramatically. Four of the six Committee members were new and we had to cover a lot of ground to get everyone up to speed and well informed about the workings and responsibilities of the Committee. I’m happy to report that our new team gelled very quickly and, through the hard work and commitment of everyone, we quickly began to function like a well oiled machine. Our new members also brought with them fresh insights, ideas and energy for the work at hand.

In retrospect, it seems that much of the change and transition last year was preparation for the work the Committee would be called to accomplish this year. It has been an abundant year in terms of productivity and I want to acknowledge the hard work and talent of our Committee members; Sam Reimer, Chuck Montalbetti, Helen Huang, Joan Campbell and Mario Testani.

Last year, the Regulatory Panel and the Registration Committee, along with Jim Browne acting as a policy consultant, identified areas of our registration process that needed to be addressed to move us into alignment with the BCACC’s direction of eventual regulation. Specific areas we needed clarification on included degree relevance, acceptable degree-granting educational institutions and supervisory requirements. The Board of Directors responded by establishing an Ad Hoc Institutional and Program Review Committee, which began to address these areas.

Through this process, it became apparent that things needed to be reworked right from the bottom on up so as to ensure cohesiveness and continuity throughout. To this end, the Committee, and the BCACC as a whole, are greatly indebted to Glen Grigg, who took the proverbial bull by the horns, and spent a tremendous amount of time and energy reworking the bylaws, policies and procedures that speak to the registration process. Glen, with the assistance of George Bryce (BCACC legal counsel), produced a wonderfully comprehensive and cohesive first draft, which provided the Registration Committee with a great platform to workshop these changes.

In December, the Committee, along with Registrar Angela Burns and Deputy Registrar John Gawthrop, gathered for extraordinary meetings to workshop this first draft. Our task was to take the draft document, go through it with a fine-toothed comb and discuss and evaluate how each piece would translate in the practical workings of the Committee. Glen and George joined us on the second day to help clarify, answer questions and participate in these discussions. This workshop greatly helped refine our purpose and the draft document itself.

In January, the Committee gathered for a second workshop following our regularly scheduled meeting to make suggested revisions to the first draft to reflect the outcome of our December workshop. Aina Adashynski joined us as our fearless scribe and together, we revisited the document down to the smallest detail. In the end, the collective efforts of Glen, George, Angela, John and the Registration Committee created a much improved set of bylaws, policies and procedures which certainly reflect a quantum step forward towards a defendable and comprehensive competency-based registration process. It was a monumental task and one which we can all be very proud to have participated in accomplishing.

In February, the motion to accept these changes and bring forward the recommended bylaw changes to the Delegate Council for ratification in March 2007 was passed by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Board of Directors.

In summary, the reworked bylaws, policies and procedures address, in much greater detail and with clear guidelines, the following specific and key elements of our registration requirements:

I believe it’s a bit of an understatement to say this piece of work has been a very delicate balancing act. The Board and the Committee are committed to ensuring a fair registration process that speaks to the basic requirements for standards of practice accountability. At the same time, there is also a commitment to inclusivity in a field defined by competencies rather than a specific degree. While we still have more ground to cover as we move towards regulation, this is ground breaking work. I think a great round of congratulations and thanks is in order to all who worked so diligently on this significant task.

The Committee, which you know, as a standing committee of the Board of BCACC, is responsible for

complaints made against the practice of a member of BCACC. The focus of the work of the Committee continues to be with complaint resolution. Complaint resolution is a distinct philosophical and practical approach different from a focus on discipline. This continuing focus on complaint resolution has served BCACC well over the years. The organization has yet to have a case go the route of a Disciplinary Hearing. This is an incredible achievement for a professional group. The Committee is also concerned with contributing to the creation of procedures and operational policies that support the process of the work of the Committee. One example of this over this past year has been a broadening of a previous Board approved policy regarding standards for Custody and Access activities for members of BCACC; the broadening part had to do with inclusion of any report that an RCC does (C&A being one example) that is used in court proceedings. I described this in some depths in the latest edition (Winter 2007 Volume 18 #3) of Insights.

At this time (writing this in February 2007) the membership of the Committee consists of Jocelyn Harris (Region 2), Jane Goranson-Coleman (Region 4), Tom Schroeder (Region 5), and myself (chair; Region 4), ably supported by the BCACC office staff of the Registrar (A. Burns) and Deputy Registrar (J. Gawthrop), and Regulatory Administrative Support person (A. Adashynski). J. Burke, our previous Administrative support person began a maternity leave in December 2006. And, of course, in the background when legal assistance and guidance is required, the legal counsel for BCACC. Richard Routledge (Region 2) has withdrawn from the committee, and I have started the process of finding two more members. Notice about this opportunity for serving on the Committee was sent out to the regions in January.

The year 2006 saw BCACC receive twelve (12) new complaints. The types of allegations in the new complaints relate to issues of competency, respect/dignity, confidentiality, informed consent, and reports in the area of custody and access, and other reports done by RCCs that found their way into court proceedings. Some of these cases had to compete their way through the legal system before we could look at them, hence there were some ‘delays’ before the Committee received these complaints. Some of these complaints have been made by third party persons, in that the person making the complaint is not the person who received services provided by an RCC. Needless to say the process of sorting these out is important and can take considerable time.

As of December 31, 2006, the case status of the Committee can be summarized as follows:

The Appeals Panel reviewed four cases this year.

These cases have raised important issues relevant to the processes, bylaws and purpose of our Association.

We have brought these issues forward and have made recommendations for some to be addressed by the Board of Directors, and others which can be most easily addressed through our procedures. As all the appeals are not yet concluded and the final written reasons have not yet been released I will not address those points in detail here.

We are in the process of redesigning how we process appeals with a view to making them easier to understand, documenting them more clearly to currently accepted standards and to make the process of writing “reasons” easier.

This will lead to developing a training program to make it easier in the future to get disciplinary panel members acquainted with their roles and responsibilities and to follow the latest standard in professional regulation. Using a trained cadre model will be part of this process. There will be recommendations coming from this project to improve the training offered other regulatory panels within our Association to meet this same standard.

We are reviewing our policy regarding confidentiality of past appeal cases with the goal of developing a non-identifying case reporting system so that we may benefit from a library of past appeal decisions. This will make it easier to look up cases with similar themes and avoid duplication. This is especially important as we enter a time of increasing demands for accountability and transparency in our decision-making. Once this is finished reviewing past cases will become a much easier part of our appeal process.

We are especially appreciative of our legal counsel George Bryce, and our Executive Director, Jim Browne, and Victoria Office staff member Julia Burke for their assistance, as well as to Glen Grigg and the Board as a whole for their assistance and engagement.

It is clear that we are entering a new level of complexity and challenge in the issues we will be called on to deal with. I am confident we can meet these challenges in a progressive, thorough, and exemplary manner.

In July, we announced the updated bc-counsellors.org website. BCACC’s website got a fresh face as part of BCACC’s identity update. We have received rave reviews about the site’s updated, polished, and professional look.

In mid-July, we announced the new Private Practice Referral List, powered by IRM (the new membership database we installed in Fall 2005). The ROL offers several new features and benefits to our members:

Potential referrals are able to email RCCs by email by clicking an icon in their profiles. (Members’ email addresses are not visible to the sender.)
Map Quest link to help clients find an RCC’s private practice office.
New members' names will be identified for 45 days after joining the Association.

The change brought forth a lot of great feedback from our members, which we compiled and reviewed to see where we could begin to make the most impact for everyone.

The first thing people see when they visit www.bc-counsellors.org is a HUGE notice in the middle of the home page: “Looking for a Counsellor? Search our Private Practice Referral List.”

We analyzed our data to find the categories most requested by members of the public when they are looking for a referral to a Registered Clinical Counsellor. We streamlined the overwhelming and often redundant list of over 3000 areas, to a focused list of just over 30 counselling categories.

We implemented the new category list with the 2007 Membership Renewal and aim to complete updates to the online list by early Spring.

When we originally posted the list, members were limited to a maximum of three categories, plus a listing for wheelchair access, Crime Victims Assistance Program certification, and any languages spoken.

We implemented this change with the 2007 Membership Renewal and aim to have all updates online by early Spring.

Bev is a clinical counsellor in private practice holding international certification as a Bioenergetic Therapist, and has completed second level training in EMDR Somatic Experience and Bodynamics. Bev is a founding team member of the Provincial Disaster Stress & Trauma Response Services (DSTRS) and currently sits on this advisory committee.

Bev has been a member of our Association since 1988, holding several key positions on the Board of Directors. She has been instrumental in developing and monitoring our financial infrastructure, providing leadership and direction for two Strategic Plans, playing a central role in the development and implementation of our Framework for Regional Operations, serving as a Regional Vice-President an Executive Vice-President, creating our Human Resources Policies and Procedures, and providing the vision and impetus to lead the Board of Directors in the adoption of the Board Governance Policy model created by John Carver. The Association acknowledged the exemplary work and dedication of Bev with the 1996 Volunteer of the Year Award and in 2003/4 Bev was honoured with an Award of Distinction in recognition of sixteen years of excellence in vision and in leadership.

Bev takes great pleasure in representing our profession and our Association to the public, visiting members in each region annually, attending the CCA Annual Conference and AGMs of our related associations.

Bev is married to Bob Drummond (who has also been a major volunteer contributor to our Association as a financial advisor). They have a blended family of seven children and twelve grandchildren. Bev enjoys music, travel, walking, the opportunity to play with their grandchildren,