Annual Report 2010
MISSION, PURPOSES AND VALUES of the BC ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL COUNSELLORSMISSION 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:
a) value people, their dignity, integrity and fundamental rights and freedoms;
b) respect the personal beliefs of all people;
c) consider the interdependence among the physical, cognitive, psychological, behavioural, emotional, moral, social and spiritual aspects of human nature;
d) respect the rights of all citizens to receive competent and accountable mental health counselling services of the citizen’s choice;
e) value the right to self-determination;
f) accept the responsibility to practice only in their area(s) of competence;
g) value the process of peer review and discipline within a system of ethical and practice standards;
h) expect fair compensation for professional services provided;
i) value inter-collegial and inter-profession respect;
j) accept the responsibility that continuing education and professional development is an on-going life-long process.
Contents
From Your President ……………………………………………………………………….2
Executive Director’s Report ………………………………………………………………4
Finance Report ……………………………………………………………………………….4
PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS REPORTS …………………………………………………..7
Continuing Competency Committee ……………………………………………………7
Ethics and Standards Committee ………………………………………………………..7
Legislative Review Committee …………………………………………………………..8
Member Services Committee …………………………………………………………..10
Insights Into Clinical Counselling ……………………………………………………..12
www.bc-counsellors.org …………………………………………………………………13
REGIONAL REPORTS ………………………………………………………………………14
Region 1, North Coastal …………………………………………………………………..14
Region 2, Southern Vancouver Island ……………………………………………….14
Region 3, Interior South ………………………………………………………………….15
Region 4, Lower Mainland Northwest ………………………………………………..16
Region 5, Fraser Valley …………………………………………………………………..16
Region 6, Interior North …………………………………………………………………17
REGULATORY PANEL REPORTS ……………………………………………………….19
Office of the Registrar ……………………………………………………………………..19
Registration Committee ………………………………………………………………….21
Inquiry Committee ………………………………………………………………………..21
Discipline Committee ……………………………………………………………………..22
Member Insurance Program ……………………………………………………………23
BOARD & STAFF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES ………………………………………26
REPORT ON NOMINATIONS, OFFICES AND ELECTIONS 2010 ……………….35
THE PROVINCIAL AWARDS PROGRAM …………………………………………….36
Gallery of Presidents ………………………………………………………………………37
From Your President
Duncan Shields
If this is the vision of the future – if this is the direction in which we want to move – the next thing we must consider is how we want to get there, and what obstacles lie in our path. For such a vision is never self-fulfilling. We cannot stand idly by and expect our dreams to come true under their own power. RFK
Enhancing Mental Health All Across Our Province
This Annual Report reflects a year marked by progress made, along with the evolving challenges that must be met as we work towards our goals as a profession and an organization. This report also recognizes the collaborative efforts of our staff and volunteers who serve on the Board, on Committees and in the Regions, ensuring that our Association fulfills its Mission and Fundamental Purposes.
RCCs continue to work diligently to enhance the mental health and well being of all of our communities in BC. This work, and the resulting public trust that our members have built, is reflected in expanding inclusion and recognition of our Association and the RCC designation from the public, community and government partners.
Today, as a result of this work, the BCACC is the largest association of mental health professionals in the province, and provides the most recognized and accepted professional oversight in the province for counselling therapists. Despite the growth of our profession and our record of service, there is still much work to be done and many instances where counsellors’ full skills and training remain underutilized or unrecognized.
Government Relations in 2010
On June 16, 2010, we met the Minister of Health Services, Kevin Falcon and his staff, to discuss our concerns about systemic barriers to access to RCC services, and our proposal for the establishment of a College of Counselling Therapists. During our meeting, Minister Falcon stated that he recognized the important work that counsellors do in BC, and he made a commitment that his legislative staff would investigate how the absence of regulation under the Health Professions Act creates a barrier to access to counsellors’ services across BC.
Government has come to recognize the importance of ready access to mental health services in order to maintain a healthy productive population; recognition expressed in the November release of the long awaited 10-year Mental Health and Addictions Plan. Titled, ‘Healthy Minds, Healthy People’, the Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to: (1) improve the mental health and well-being of the population; (2) improve the quality and accessibility of services for people with mental health and substance use problems; and, (3) reduce the economic costs to the public and private sectors resulting from mental health and substance use problems.
The plan explicitly articulates an “upstream” policy shift that seeks to expand preventative initiatives, identify at risk individuals earlier, and increase access to early intervention. This shift presents a critical opportunity for RCCs and a proposed College of Counselling Therapists. We believe that creating such a College is in alignment with the direction of the Plan. A College would significantly increase system capacity by including counsellors within a full continuum of services and it would reduce costs to the public purse as interventions move upstream and counselling becomes more accessible through private extended health insurance plans.
Three days after the announcement of the 10-year Plan, Premier Gordon Campbell resigned, effectively sending the good news announcement into the shadows. This development, and the subsequent resignation of Minister Falcon from the Health portfolio underscores the tenuous nature of progress and the need to unfalteringly educate successive Ministers and staff on these issues.
HST
Shifting political sands in 2010 have also made progress difficult with regard to the HST. Letters were written to the Premier, the Minister of Health Services, and the Minister of Finance to express our concern about the 7% tax increase on counselling services created by the HST.
The response received from Minister Hansen did not address our concerns. The Minister confused counsellors with psychologists and directed us to regulatory information regarding psychologists. The letter also reiterated government’s position that the HST is a good tax and that additional tax revenue generated will be used to fund health services. This response entirely missed the point of our concerns and the fact that although recognized as health care professionals, counsellors are the only health care providers not exempted from this tax.
Despite the announcement of the 10-year plan, this tax policy translates into additional tax for users of upstream health services, justified by a claim these revenues will help fund downstream services. This is clearly not an intended policy implication given that government is actively investing in and removing barriers to upstream interventions. We have continued to correspond with government to point out this policy contradiction and request that counselling services be exempt from the HST.
Your Association continues its advocacy work on behalf of clients and the membership every day. We have a vision for the future of counselling within this province and beyond. We understand how counselling can enrich and sustain people during both ordinary and extraordinary times. We know that barriers exist to increasing access and use of our services, whether through stigma, lack of professional recognition or public policy. We are committed to tirelessly pursuing the social change necessary to leverage the talent and caring of our membership for the people of BC.
Committee Reports
Our staff and volunteers are working diligently to build recognition of the skills and contribution of RCCs in our communities. The individual Committee reports that follow speak to these efforts.
I continue to be grateful for, and inspired by the contributions and talent of the members who volunteer their time to our Association. They serve as Board members and Regional Council Representatives; provide specialty advice on various topics; sit on national working groups for professional mobility; collaborate on committees to address continuing competency and regulatory matters; and, organize popular professional development opportunities and public education events for our members. Without the support of these member volunteers, our Association could not be what it is today.
The Association also benefits from an engaged and effective staff in our head office. Our thanks go to our Executive Director Jim Browne, Executive Assistant Aina Adashynski, to administrative support staff, Carly Bisset-Covaneiro, Andrea Curran and Donna Knee, Senior Consultant Michèle Ashmore, and to our Registrar, Angela Burns, and Deputy Registrar, John Gawthrop. They continually go “above and beyond” in effectively managing the many details of a large and growing association. It is an honour and a pleasure to work with them.
It is a privilege to serve as your President.
I thank you all again for your continuing support, and wish you the best through the coming year.
Executive Director’s Report
Jim Browne
One of the key things that we do for our membership is to seek responsible opportunities for professional visibility (preferring “visibility” to “marketing”).
“Direct” application examples include our evolving website, currently undergoing an enhancement under the watchful eye of Aina Adashynski, Lida Izadi, Lee McLeod, and Sheldon Bilsker; newsmagazine development, including mailings to family practice physicians; journal advertising (BC Medical Journal); magazine advertising (People Talk – Human Resource Management Association) and BC Business; Douglas College Recreation Calendar; UVIC Commerce Student Yearbook; UBC OT & PT Yearbook; membership in the International Counselling Association; and, sponsoring conferences (Human Resource Management Association and CMHA Bottom Line – Workplace Mental Health).
“Indirect” examples include the Public Presentation Project-Skills for Mindful Living Series, lead by Lida Izadi with great success. This project, currently piloting in Region 4 could work effectively in other regions of the province.
President Shields, as you have seen in his reports in Insights into Clinical Counselling, is kept on the go with government liaison, BC Alliance for Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addictions Services, the Community Action Initiative, Task Group on Mental Illness and Addictions in the Workplace, and the Task Group for Counsellor Regulation in BC.
The infrastructure that supports the aforementioned is anchored in our Victoria Office overseen by the exemplary good work of Aina Adashynski and her outstanding staff of Donna Knee, Carly Bisset-Covaneiro, and Andrea Curran, supported by “20-year veteran” Michèle Ashmore (Senior Consultant). Another “20-year veteran”, Angela Burns, anchors our Regulatory operations, along with Deputy Registrar John Gawthrop (who also runs our Member Orientation Workshops).
The “glue” in our ever-growing professional Association is the dedication and hard work of our exceptional Board of Directors, lead by President Duncan Shields.
Sincere thanks and appreciation to all.
Finance Report
Jim Browne
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.
We are pleased to report that we met all of our goals and advanced our initiatives successfully over this reporting period. The cost of professional fees, the Task Group for Counsellor Regulation, essential adjustments to our support staff (employee) component (based on a review by Association Management Consultants), supporting the B. C. Alliance for Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addictions Services, and sponsoring the 2010 HRMA Conference, did not require us to draw on our unrestricted surplus, as our revenue exceeded our expenses in the amount of $42,863.00, as shown in the following Statement of Operations. We move into 2011 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, and challenging economic times.
Our thanks to our accountants, OBARA & CO (Cheryl Jenkins), for reviewing our financial position and the changes in net assets, operations and cash flow for the 2010 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 Aina Adashynski, and Michèle Ashmore. Aina has become our resident HR specialist and led the drafting of a new Personnel Policy 2010 (adopted by the Board of Directors in October 2010). Their 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. Thanks also to our Board of Directors who review and monitor our Operating Budget, on a monthly basis.
B. C. ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL COUNSELLORS
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010
March 25, 2010
PROJECTED ACTUAL
REVENUE 829,000 902,825
EXPENSES
Office Expense 182,060 179,298
Human Resources 372,192 412,888
Meeting Expense 126,800 92,314
Committee Expense 51,500 83,333
Publication Expense 67,500 84,157
Task Group 20,000 7,972
GST /WCB on Contracts 11,306 In HR
TOTAL EXPENSES 831,358 859,962
Surplus of Revenue over Expenses (2,358) 42,863
BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
Revenue & Expenses
January 1 – December 31, 2010
REVENUE Comments
Application Fees 43,035
New Members’ Fees 61,921
Miscellaneous Income ——–
Interest 2,041
Advertising Revenue 14,778
Renewing Fees 764,559
Total Revenue 902,825
EXPENSES
OFFICE EXPENSES
Rent 20,717
General and Office 30,510 (includes supplies)
Insurance 1,887
Postage and Courier 7,288
Professional Fees 36,696 (legal and accounting fees)
Telephone and Fax 8,602
Yellow Pages Advertising 37,887
Travel 5,665
HUMAN RESOURCES
Employee (x5) Wages & Benefits 209,059
Contract Staff (x3) 153,821 *Below fair market value (Association Management Consultants)
EI, CPP, WCB 14,258
Editor, Insights 7,500
Directors’ Reimbursement 28,250 (conf. and meetings reimbursement)
MEETING EXPENSES
AGM, DC, Board & Committee 92,314 (includes regional meetings)
COMMITTEE EXPENSES
Awards Program 367
Member Services 46,783 Incl. advertising in legal and medical directories, BC Medical Journal, People Talk, & BC Business magazines.
PUBLICATIONS
Insights (3 issues) 84,157 (Incl. art/graphic design, publishing, printing 44 pages, and mailing)
TASK GROUP 7,972 (net of expenses)
PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS REPORTS
Continuing Competency Committee
Rob Riddle
The Committee has continued its work on three projects this past year: approving financial assistance for Continuing Education events in the regions; working together with the Inquiry and Ethics and Standards Committees on issues of common interest; and, developing an implementation plan for the Continuing Competency Program that was approved by the Board in October 2010.
Most of our work has focused on the last of these projects and the Committee has worked very hard to analyze all the aspects involved in implementing the “Voluntary with Incentive” Continuing Competency Program. We spent some time in the fall reviewing information passed along to us from the Registrar about a program in Colorado, and have been able to incorporate some useful ideas into our plan. Though some wording still needs to be done to have clarity about the voluntary nature of this program and the costs of implementation still need to be determined, we hope to have enough completed to seek further feedback from some Delegate Council Representatives and the Board before finalizing the plan in June 2011 and hope to submit it to the Board in October for implementation in 2012. This represents a six year project and I wish to acknowledge all those members of this committee, past and present, for their hard work.
I also want to acknowledge the contributions of one of our long time Committee members, Elizabeth Morris from Region 5, who retired from the Committee in October 2010.
Ethics and Standards Committee
Adrienne Mahaffey
Ethics & Standards completed a lengthy and comprehensive review of the Standards of Clinical Practice and Guidelines for Registered Clinical Counsellors in 2010. There were a number of small changes to be made, and one or two major revisions to bring some of the standards and guidelines up to date, as well as a few new potential standards and guidelines.
The following standards were amended and approved by the Board of Directors on October 16, 2010:
• Informed Consent to Clinical Counselling and the Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
• Payment for Clinical Counselling Services
• Standard for the Content of Clinical Records
• Standard for Promoting and Advertising Services
Ethics & Standards proposes to revise the Child Custody and Access Assessments and Reports standard. Legal counsel completed a discussion paper on Planning for the Unexpected, which is posted on the BCACC website, and will be incorporated into a Standard for closing one’s practice.
Proposed guidelines include:
• Guideline for Assessing and Responding to Criminal Behaviour
• Guideline for Ethical Practice with Diverse Populations
• Managing Dual Relationships
• Guidelines for Pro Bono Work
July 1, 2010, marked the introduction of new Supreme Court Rules, some of which deal with expert reports. The general principles are still valid but among other things the court more explicitly expanded the use of experts by the court itself, as well as changing timeframes around when expert reports must be prepared and served in civil litigation. (Criminal court rules have not changed.) At year end, legal counsel was nearing completion of a Guideline on expert reports, taking into account the new Rules, with input from the Chair of Ethics & Standards.
To comment on the above or any other Ethics and Standards initiative, please email hoffice@bc-counsellors.org with your comments and put “To Ethics and Standards” in the Subject line.
Legislative Review Committee
Glen Grigg
Legislative Review
In a professional world that is moving quickly toward statutory regulation that will necessarily comply with Canada’s labour mobility standards, there is a three-step linkage for the Board’s legislative reviewer. The first step is to oversee the bylaws of the organization. The second step is to bring the BCACC perspective on professional regulation to the provincial level through the Task Group on Counsellor Regulation. The third step is to work with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association’s Working Group on Labour Mobility to craft definitions and standards for a nationally connected profession.
Working Group on Labour Mobility
This Working Group (WG) is now well into the second phase of its work to establish the necessary and sufficient conditions for bringing the emerging profession of counselling therapy into harmony with the Agreement on Internal Trade. The group meets several times a year for two-day meetings in Ottawa, and every second week by teleconference. Between these events there is a steady stream of activity, and the group has produced two major reports, a national symposium, a national survey, and will hold another National Symposium on April 6th and 7th of 2011.
This work is being carried out in phases. In the first phase, definitions of professionalism were agreed upon, and, crucially, the old issues of credentialing versus competencies and protection of scopes of practice versus protection of titles have been put behind us. The WG established a 12-member working group, along with a community of approximately sixty involved leaders of the profession who have agreed to act as national stewards of the profession and to use their networks of affiliations and memberships to enact a national communication strategy.
Since then, the WG met in Ottawa on June 26th and 27th to draft a definition of counselling therapy as well as a scope of practice statement. This work was taken to a national validation process through a survey being made available to all BCACC members, as well as other similar associations and colleges across Canada. Details of the survey results will be available at the 2011 symposium, but for now we can say that a relationally-based definition of professional counselling and psychotherapy, and a broad scope of practice founded on social justice were given very strong support by a wide variety of practitioners and organizations from every part of Canada.
Here is the WG’s definition of Counselling
Counselling is a relational process based upon the ethical use of specific professional competencies to facilitate human change. Counselling addresses wellness, relationships, personal growth, career development, mental health, and psychological illness or distress. The counselling process is characterized by the application of recognized cognitive, affective, expressive, somatic, spiritual, developmental, behavioural, learning, and systemic principles.
Here is the WG’s scope of practice statement:
The counselling profession:
• is attentive to and responds to diversity and inclusiveness;
• works in the best interest of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, communities, and the public-at-large;
• works in the domains of cognition, emotion, expression, somatics, human development, behaviour, learning, and interactive systems;
• promotes mental health by developing and enhancing:
- personal, relational, sexual, career, and spiritual growth and well-being,
- personal awareness and resources,
- decision-making and problem-solving;
• remediates or provides treatment for disorders in cognitive, behavioural, interpersonal, and emotional functioning;
• applies specific and recognized evaluation and assessment methods;
• may also include supervision, education, training, consultation, research, diagnosis, and referral.
Regulation Panel
The Regulation Panel brings together Registration, Inquiry, and Discipline as a single panel to work through issues that relate to public safety and the practical work of maintaining and enhancing professional standards. Questions before the Panel are many right now. In a time of change from credentials review to competency assessments in the registration of professions, how do we review evidence of competency in the form of academic transcripts? What kind of insurance provides affordable practice for therapists, and protection for clients? What is the place of technology, and especially social networking media, in the practice of counselling and psychotherapy? And what procedures are fair and proper for therapists who have left the BCACC sometime in the past, and are now seeking registration for a second time? These are examples of the issues that the Regulation Panel must first encounter as an issue, then understand in terms of policy, and then act upon through carefully crafted regulations.
Task Group on Counsellor Regulation
The major initiative of this group is being carried by BCACC’s President, Duncan Shields, who has been building relationships and connections with major administrative structures within Health Services, as well as working relationships with legislative staff and elected officials. Please see the President’s report for details of this extraordinary effort and accomplishment.
The TG provides linkage to national professional issues, as well as a single voice for all the counselling groups in British Columbia, an essential ingredient in any legislative initiative.
Member Services Committee
Lida Izadi
The Member Services Committee has several sub-committees with distinct projects and objectives. Volunteers in each sub-committee put in countless hours to accomplish incredible results. They do not necessarily have the time; they just have generous souls and hearts full of grace. They are great because they serve and make a difference. They belong through being productive and useful to everyone, and I could not have asked for a more dedicated team. Their work is priceless and words are inadequate to express my appreciation for all their time, efforts and passion. I am going to list the names of our volunteer RCCs in each sub-committee, as well as volunteers from the community who assisted them in their projects. With much gratitude in my heart for all the contributions that our volunteers have made to our cause, I would like to repeat that it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with all of them.
Public Presentation Project
Skills for Mindful Living in West Vancouver had a successful year of presentations in 2010. We received positive feedback and encouragement from the community to continue offering the workshops. We appreciate our strong partnerships with CMHA providing support for registration and advertising, and West Van Community Services providing the meeting space, advertising and set up during the presentations. We have a full calendar of workshops for 2011 and are excited that presenters have already requested to be placed on the 2012 calendar. A big thanks to our enthusiastic presenters without whom these seminars would not be possible.
The youth component of the PPP initiative on the North Shore, in partnership with West Vancouver Community Services and North and West Vancouver School Boards, has made impressive strides. Three local youths volunteer their time, meeting monthly to plan “Youth 4 You” Movie Nights. Scheduled for spring 2011, the Movie Nights will show movies that illustrate youth mental health issues. Attendees will discuss the mental health themes of the movie with a panel of Clinical Counsellors, to be recruited with input from Diana Romer, RCC, Aaron White, Ph.D., and North and West Vancouver School District Counsellors. School districts will allow youths to earn community service hours by attending “Youth 4 You” Movie Nights. The Youth Committee has created a flyer for advertising the Movie Nights, and is developing a Facebook page to spread the word amongst local youth. The Committee is currently discussing the youth mental health issues presented in the movies they have chosen (anxiety, suicidality, trauma, addictions, and mood disorders). West Vancouver Community Services has provided free space for Committee meetings and the Movie Nights. Funding for the cost of the Movie Nights is provided by donations collected at the Skills for Mindful Living Series Presentations.
I thank Jen Campbell for her great help coordinating the youth project and the Skills for Mindful Living Seminars. ‘Skills for Mindful Living North Shore’ has also received ongoing support from RCCs Mimi Hudson and Deb Braun, and Mahin Khodabandeh, CPC. Thanks also to Youth Committee members, Meesha Kamali, Setareh Nourani, and Natalie Grinnell who contributed their time and ideas to this initiative.
The ‘Skills for Mindful Living’ Series will expand into Vancouver in 2011. We are extremely pleased to have partnered with Adler School of Professional Psychology to deliver these workshops. Adler School will host the series at the site, centrally located at 1090 W. Georgia at Thurlow. The calendar of diverse and engaging topics is posted on the BCACC homepage, where participants will be able to register online.
We hope this series will help educate participants, showcase the talents and knowledge of our members, and enhance connections between the Vancouver community and counselling support services. We invite you to check the roster, refer clients to partake, come out and expand your knowledge, and network with and encourage fellow practitioners. We look forward to your ongoing support and involvement in this dynamic initiative.
Big thanks go to Deb Braun for her commitment and diligent contribution in coordinating this project. Thanks also to PC Leong, an Adler student, and Amy Vaughan, RCC, for their contributions and especially for creating our marketing database and distribution list.
The PPP project depends on considerable volunteer work, and so in order to sustain the project, BCACC has proposed an arrangement with Adler School, which would benefit the community services goals of both organizations. Adler Students would receive supervision from RCC volunteers, and the students could apply their volunteer work with PPP toward the 150 hours of community volunteer work required to complete their Master’s degrees.
For more information on the Skills for Mindful Living Series and to view the updated monthly workshops please visit the BCACC website and look under “Public Resources.”
Multicultural Project
Our Multicultural Committee worked on two areas: (1) the translation of BCACC brochure in Farsi and Chinese, and (2) recruiting Farsi speaking RCCs to deliver three workshops in 2011 to the large Farsi-speaking community on the North Shore. The workshops will primarily focus on immigration and adaptation issues; depression, anxiety, anger; couples and family relationships; and, boundaries.
We completed the translation of our brochure in Farsi and Chinese, and they are with our publisher for production. Mahin Khodabandeh, CPC, deserves applause for her help with both multicultural projects. She translated our brochure into Farsi, and we had the draft edited by Khalil Nourani, RCC, and a community member with experience in translation. Holly Cheng translated the Chinese version of the brochure in traditional Chinese language. The brochure was carefully edited by Mary Yang, Winnie Chik and Mr. Chik. We hope that members of these two communities can access the help they need through BCACC and the services RCCs provide.
Several meetings were held with community health care professionals, RCCs, and community leaders for their input and involvement in support of this initiative. We recruited four presenters to offer Farsi workshops, and are now focused on booking the venue, and collecting the presenters’ bios and workshop outlines, so that we can promote the project and announce it to the community through Iranian local papers.
Peer Support Project (PSP) is a provincial project that had initially been piloted in region 4 and 5 and in response to requests from RCCs in other regions it is now offered to all members province wide. Thanks to the PSP Committee and specially Jerry Arthur-Wong, the project coordinator, for their dedication and commitment, the three legs of the PSP – Mentoring, Group Consultation, and Individual Peer Consultation – have been launched and services are now available to members. Member Services recruited Karen Wickerson to assist Jerry with coordinating the project provincially. We have a slowly growing number of RCCs who are listed as volunteers in one or more PSP legs. This project has the potential to connect members from all over the province with the purposes of increasing competency and networking and decreasing professional isolation. To participate in this exciting project, please login to view the PSP home page:
http://members.bc-counsellors.org/members/psp.aspx
Website Project
By the time of printing, our new website will have been launched. We hope that the membership will find the website informative, effective, easy to navigate, and visually pleasing. I was looking forward to writing this report so that I could convey my deepest appreciation for the efforts and skills that the Website Committee has invested in this project. Big thanks go to Lee McLeod, Sheldon Bilsker, and Aina Adashynski, who all worked extremely hard with Member Services to make this important and challenging task a success. Please do not hesitate to email me your feedback about our new website.
Volunteer Recognition
I am very pleased to say that in the Spring 2011 issue of Insights into Clinical Counselling, we will feature a Volunteer Recognition Page, which will showcase the names of all current BCACC volunteers. As William Arthur Ward aptly puts it: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
We have always felt a deep appreciation for the ongoing support of our many volunteers and it was time to devote a full page in our official newsmagazine to articulate our gratitude.
In closing, I would like to acknowledge the enormous contribution of our exemplary staff at our head office who has been closely involved in all Member Services projects. Their support has been priceless.
I invite our members to contact me if they wish to become involved in Member Services projects. For feedback please email me at lidaizadi@hotmail.com
Insights Into Clinical Counselling
Michelle Morand
Woohoo!! Another great year for our association and for our magazine!
This past year saw two key changes to Insights on the outside: We have our new name: “Insights Into Clinical Counselling” that we believe maintains the original intention of the magazine while clearly identifying us as counselling professionals. We also began to send copies of Insights Into Clinical Counselling to General Practitioners and related health care professionals for their own exploration and to share with patients thus generating greater public awareness and support for our association and the field of counselling on the whole.
Between the covers this past year, I initiated a formal feedback section. After all, transparency and sharing are key components of every healthy family. We’ve already seen some fabulous dialogue and great ideas shared and I’d love to see more! So, if you’re reading your next edition and want to know more on a particular topic or share your own experiences with that modality or client population, send me an email and let’s build the discussion on what works in the counselling arena, and in our association, and what could use a tweak.
You may also have noticed that we tried a few different versions of reference presentation for our articles. In so doing I believe we’ve found “the one.” Thank you for your patience. Let us know what you think as we unveil it in our Spring 2011 edition.
We have been blessed this year with fabulous content from you, our members, as you share your own unique way of effectively attending to the needs of your clients. With your feedback and your demonstrated willingness to take the time to pen insightful and educational articles for our membership we are building a powerful communication tool in Insights Into Clinical Counselling.
I would also like to acknowledge the Insights team: Aina Adashynski our very patient, and extremely competent and reliable Association News and Events Co-ordinator and my second set of eyes for editing. Aina keeps us all on task and on target. Thank you, Aina. Uri Sanhedrai, a truly phenomenal talent for visually stimulating and professional looking graphics, layout and design, you are an absolute treat to brainstorm with and we, as an association, are very fortunate to have a publisher with your expertise and your enthusiasm for our magazine. And Jim Browne, your commitment to the integrity of our association and our magazine, and your consistent presence as a sounding board provides gentle structure and great support to my role. Thank you, Jim.
In closing, let me say that it is my great pleasure and honour to serve as your editor. I look forward to this next year and the many great topics and discussions we’ll have in our family of Registered Clinical Counsellors. Thank you, my fellow members, readers and contributors.
www.bc-counsellors.org
Carly Bisset-Covaneiro
We are delighted to announce the launch of the new BCACC website! The project took nearly nine months from start to finish. Thanks to the Website Committee: Lida Izadi, Lee McLeod, and Sheldon Bilsker, as well as the talented team at Tactica Interactive Communications for all their hard work! We hope people will find the new website easy and intuitive to navigate. The site features a new RCC referral directory search.
The Member Resources section is accessible by password to BCACC members. Visit the RCC Toolkit page… a quick link to everything an RCC may need! The Events Calendar will keep you informed of upcoming functions, deadlines, etc. Look for full issues of past Insights into Clinical Counselling Magazines.
The Online Member Orientation Workshop (MOW) is great for members who cannot attend a MOW in person. The workshop was designed by MOW presenter, John Gawthrop, and implemented in Fall 2007. Contact Head Office at hoffice@bc-counsellors.org for the link.
Monthly updates of new RCCs and members who have changed status, are found on the Membership Update page.
We will continue to update you about further changes, and look forward to your feedback!
REGIONAL REPORTS
Region 1, North Coastal
Chris Stasiuk
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.
I am pleased with the progress that we have made in Region 1 by way of the provision of a Continuing Competency Workshop for our members as well as in the addition of two new Regional Council Representatives. They new Reps are Bobbi Laird (Parksville) and Loray Daws (Courtenay). I will be looking for two more reps, one from Nanaimo (because of the large number of counsellors in that city) and someone from the south of Nanaimo area so that we will have representation from all of the geographical area. Mary Dolen’s work with the Continuing Competency Committee, I believe, gives some representation for the Port Alberni area.
Our very first workshop that explored the world of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was held October 23/10, was well attended (64) and by the comments that were made, I conclude that it was successful. We are working on providing two workshops for 2011. One would be a follow up workshop for advanced training in ACT and the other a two-day workshop (thanks to Loray Daws and his connections) regarding the attachment, neurobiological and object relations perspective of the Masterson Approach to the diagnosis and treatment of the Borderline Disorder of Self with several presenters willing to come for next to nothing.
We had regional meetings on May 03 and November 29 where David Osborn presented on the experience and therapy of Talking Circles. It was a great experience and enjoyed by all.
My tenure as VP is up in March 2011 and I feel like I have just begun, so I am happy to continue for another term.
Region 2, Southern Vancouver Island
Lee McLeod
All regions of the island south of and including Chemainus, and the Gulf Islands south of but not including Gabriola Island.
In 2010, Region 2 continued to attract excellent membership participation in our Counsellor Cafés and our annual educational event, and Region 2 Council members continued to explore ways to expand and diversify that participation.
Continuing Competency Events
Some 120 members and other professionals attended our one-day annual educational event in February featuring Dr. Gabor Mate on Addictions from a Body-Focused Perspective. Meanwhile, as the end of the year approached, planning was being finalized for another-sold event on February 19, 2011, where Dr. Sharon Stanley will present on Attachment and Developmental Trauma.
In 2010, there were six well-attended counsellor cafés:
• Georgia Rigg spoke about and demonstrated Action Therapies
• Food Isn’t the Problem! was Michelle Morand’s topic
• A Night of Passion: our tongue-in-cheek title for a passionate discussion about counselling
• Mitra Jordan reported on her experience witnessing trauma in Rwanda
• Hersh Kline and Phillippa Doherty spoke on Adlerian Early Recollections
• And your VP treated the film A Christmas Carol as an ‘allegory’ of psychotherapy
Region 2 Council also began planning its first afternoon ‘café’ to be held on Salt Spring Island May 28. ‘Practicing Counselling in Small Communities’ will be the topic of a panel-discussion-cum-workshop Saturday, June 4, at Stowel Lake Farm. We hope and expect that the topic, the nearly-summer date, and the location will attract members from several neighbouring regions.
Regional Council Representatives
This Salt Spring Island event and its topic are a result of the Regional Council’s good fortune in having not one but two members, Susanne Hunter and Jon Schwabach, who live and work on Salt Spring. If any member from north of the Malahat is reading this, and interested in joining the council, we would truly have representation from all areas of the region!
Early in the year, Monica Kingsbury completed her term as Vice-President, and I assumed the position. We were all sorry to lose her gentle direction and encouragement, and I am very grateful that she has stayed on as a Regional Council Representative. Also in 2010, Region 2’s Regional Council lost its longest-serving member. Elizabeth Chambers resigned after having served since 2003. Region 2’s current Regional Council Representatives are Jon Schwabach, Mitra Jordan, Susan Farr, Susanne Hunter, Monica, and myself.
Region 3, Interior South
Kevin Ward
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.
Region 3 membership continues to grow, our numbers are over 163 members as of December 31. We have had some meetings and a number of phone connections. I have found that the “800” number and the use of Skype has improved communication.
Some members have shown interest in the Peer Support Program and we are working towards making more efficient use of that opportunity in our region.
I made attempts to attend a regional meeting in Nelson in the fall, but when it came down to the day of the meeting there were only a few members who could attend. I called them and we decided it was more feasible to simply do a conference call – which turned out ok. Additional meetings have taken place in Salmon Arm (lunch and meeting at my home) and another planning meeting in Kelowna. I still need to work on getting out notices in advance of the meetings, a weakness on my part. A number have called in to enquire what is going on with the Association, so I do know there is interest.
One request from the membership in this region is for more access to training materials and opportunities. Our planning meeting which included some from Salmon Arm, and two people from Kelowna was working towards a clear plan for getting together and using each others knowledge and experience. We all have something to share and have a willingness to encourage others, we simply have to make it a priority to do it.
We also still have a need (in my opinion) for sharing information within the region. There are many events, trainings, and networking opportunities, and we are too busy to take care of our own wellbeing (I repeat, this is just my opinion). Over 50 training opportunities – lectures, free workshops, and educational events – took place in our region this past year. There must be a central location identified where we can “easily” post the events for others to see.
Region 4, Lower Mainland Northwest
John Fraser
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: Nancy Downes, Deborah Braun, Jennifer Campbell, Jerry Arthur-Wong, Geoffrey Ayi-Bonte, Marilyn Beloff, Sara Kammerzell, Jo-Anne Weiler, Betty Rainford, Diana Romer, Elaine Roth, Jennifer Scott, & Jose Guerrero. This brings the current number of Regional Council Representatives to 13. Many thanks are in order to our Regional Council volunteers for their ongoing commitment to BCACC and the activities our team brings to the region.
Region 4 is still looking for 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 or at johnfsi@telus.net.
Continuing Competency Workshops
Region 4 has been continuing to provide two workshops per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The spring 2010 workshop was entitled, From Observation to Documentation: Writing Clinical Notes, presented by Maureen McEvoy, MA, RCC, on Saturday, April 17th. The 2010 fall workshop was entitled, Enjoying Couples Counselling Using Adlerian Theory & Practical Tools, presented by Mavis Lloyd, PhD, RCC, on Saturday, October 2nd.
Further information regarding Region 4 workshops (location, synopsis, registration details, etc.) is provided through BCACC broadcasts and the BCACC website.
The Counsellors’ Café has not run for the last year due to the absence of a coordinator.
Disaster Psychosocial Services (DPS)
BCACC has continued its representation on this committee. This committee work involves such things as ongoing development and refinement of DPS policies, procedures, and objectives. The DPS Program also maintains a list of volunteer responders who would be willing and able to respond in the unlikely event of a disaster scenario. BCACC has many members who have put their names forward to volunteer their services with respect to possible disaster scenarios. Although these members are not frequently called upon, they are still very much appreciated for their willingness to provide this essential service. If you are interested in joining this volunteer network or if you would like further information please contact John Fraser at johnfsi@telus.net or 604 602-0890.
Region 5, Fraser Valley
Nikki Pawlitschek
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.
The primary focus for Region 5 for 2010 was ongoing Continuing Competency workshops/ training opportunities.
Our region was busy with regional meetings throughout the year and hosted three distinct workshops. We also co-sponsored a Member Orientation Workshop, in cooperation with Region 4. There was a good mix of members from Regions 4 and 5, including one member from Region 0, who was from Calgary, Alberta. This workshop, under the capable leadership of John Gawthrop (BCACC Deputy Registrar), offers a practical component, allowing participants to form groups and examine and discuss example cases, based on actual cases brought before the Inquiry Committee. For those of you who have not yet attended a MOW, either on-line or in-person, I cannot stress enough the importance of taking part, whether you are new to the BCACC or have been a member for many years.
Continuing Competency Workshops
Region 5 offered three workshops, one in the summer, one in the fall, and one in the winter. The 2010 summer workshop was entitled, “Mindfulness – Awareness Continuum Workshop”, presented by Kai-Lin Yang, MA, RCC, on Saturday, July 17th. The fall workshop was entitled, “Focusing Oriented Therapy”, presented by Leslie Ellis, MA, RCC, on Saturday, September 11th. The winter workshop, “Ethical Cybercounselling” co-presented by Dan Mitchell, MA, CCC, and Mary MacDougall, MSW, RSW. All of our workshops had full attendance and were very well received. There were lots of good feedback and thoughtful comments and suggestions for future workshops.
Region 5 is pleased to announce that Gerry Bock, MA, RCC, is one of the presenters scheduled for spring 2011. Further information regarding Region 5 workshops (location, synopsis, registration details, etc.) is provided through BCACC broadcasts and the BCACC Website.
Regional Council Representatives
Jordan Penner has recently stepped down as a Regional Council Representative for Region 5, so I would like to extend a special “Thank You” to Jordan for his contributions to the region while he was a volunteer.
In addition to Gord Auld, Charlaine Avery, Gerry Bock, Patricia Dubberley, Cliff Holloway, James Logan, Helen Peters, and Muzaffar Syed, who have all been very helpful and supportive with regional initiatives, I would like to welcome the latest addition to our team, Barbara Faris, who joined us in June 2010 and who also has the distinction of being our first member from Hope.
Since taking on the role of VP, Region 5, I have experienced what it is like to work with a wonderful group of dedicated, hard-working, and supportive Regional Council Representatives. I feel privileged to be amongst them, and I must echo the words of the previous VP, Gord Auld, when he said that without their help, “my own role would be much more difficult and lonely”.
That it would, indeed!
Region 6, Interior North
Leila Lanteigne
Includes the rest of the province north and west from a line drawn between Hope, Westwold, Chase, to Arrowhead near the Alberta border.
This past year, Region 6 focused on continuing competency opportunities, member involvement and participation.
Regional Council Activities
We now have four Regional Council Representatives: Ava Perraton of Clearwater replaced Greg Scriver of Kamloops when he stepped down. Other representatives include: Barb Ingram, Quesnel; Ryan James, Prince George; and, Ralph Wright, Williams Lake. Early morning teleconferences with the Regional Council Representatives have been and continue to be held every two to three months to discuss concerns and ideas, and to plan continuing competency opportunities and meetings. We owe many thanks to the Regional Council Representatives for their energy, time, dedication and commitment to BCACC.
The Kamloops Disaster Psychosocial Steering Committee has been met monthly since March 2010 to coordinate a Kamloops area disaster psychosocial plan; i.e. a telephone call list of agencies and service providers to deploy for psychosocial support in the event of a disaster. A Stakeholders Meeting was held with about 30 participants in attendance, who were willing to volunteer self or staff’s time and expertise during a disaster. A Call-Out list of organizations and groups is now available to contact when needed. Free hands-on training will be held in Kamloops on May 6 and 7, 2011, and there is free online training available. (Please contact John Fraser, Region 4 VP for more information) This process will serve as a template for other communities as well.
Public Presentation Project (BCACC, Welcome Back Clinic, MindTeams)
This project is finally being launched after many months of setbacks and procrastination. The presentations will be held in 2011. Thanks to Michael Koehn, RCC, and his connections, who will provide a free venue, refreshments and a camera crew to record the presentations, which can be later viewed on YouTube. This is an excellent opportunity for RCCs to showcase their expertise and provide a valuable service to the public.
The first of the series, “Treating Chronic Pain Through Mindfulness” will be presented by Michael Koehn, RCC, on March 9, 2011 at the Sahali Mall. Michael will present information on the latest treatments for chronic pain, depression, anxiety and stress and gave a live demonstration of biofeedback to help understand the body/mind connection. The next presentation (date and time TBA), will be given by Julie Flowerdew, RCC, children’s therapist, and will address children’s anxieties, grief, and boundaries.
Continuing Competency Opportunities
A successful workshop and RCC meeting were held in Prince George in November 2010, thanks to Ryan James, Regional Council Representative, and UNBC. He invited Duncan Shields, President of BCACC, to speak to UNBC Psychology Grad Students about the benefits of belonging to BCACC. The following day, Duncan presented an interesting workshop to RCCs and others on “Engaging Traditional Men in Therapy.”
RCC Meetings
RCC meetings in Kamloops – and now in Prince George! – are planned quarterly and have been a great opportunity for connecting, networking, discussing concerns and ideas for future educational opportunities and for having fun. Please look for the bulletins that are posted with dates and locations for meetings close to your location.
Last but not least
My term as Region 6 Vice- President ends in March 2011. Barb Ingram of Quesnel will be the new Regional Vice-President, and I will remain on as a Regional Council Representative. It was an enriching and educational experience for me and I consider it a privilege to have worked with the Region 6 Regional Council Reps, and the Members of the Board of Directors. I would like to express my gratitude for Aina, Michèle, and Rob Riddle for guiding and supporting me through this learning process.
REGULATORY PANEL REPORTS
Office of the Registrar
Angela Burns
We closed out the year with 2222 members, which was an increase of 145 from the previous year. We actually registered 208 new members and had a loss of 84 members due to retirement, resignation and termination of memberships for non-payment of dues.
2010 saw resignations from three major influences in BCACC’s early years: Marieluisa Auterson #14, David Somerville #6, and David Stewart #45. These folks were part of the early impetus to have counselling recognized as a health profession by our provincial government. David Stewart received the 2009 President’s Award and gave a poignant acceptance speech detailing BCACC’s tenuous beginnings.
Of the first 100 members there are currently 27 still active, 4 are deceased, 10 retired and 18 resigned; the remainder are inactive. Of the first 150 members 45 are active, 7 are deceased, 25 resigned and 15 retired.
In Memoriam
Allison McLeod, #2508 Joined: 1/1/06, d.1/23/10
Janet Strang, #872 joined: 11/28/94, d. 3/24/10
Eileen Wooding, #1035, joined: 8/27/96, d. 9/14/10
Inquiry
This year we received 7 new formal complaints:
• 4 complaints focused on issues of responsible caring
• 1 complaint focused on issues of confidentiality
• 2 complaints involved integrity
• 6 complaints involved the lack Respect for Dignity and Rights of persons
• 4 complaints involved informed consent
• 6 complaints involved ethical awareness
Outcomes and status of cases are listed in the Chair of the Inquiry Committee’s report.
Membership Statistics:
On December 31, 2010, based on a total of 2222 members:
• 1695 (76%) are female and 527 (24%) are male
• Board of Directors: 6 are female (36%); 8 are male (64%)
• Delegate Council (not including Board of Directors): 27 female (66%); 14 male (34%)
• The average age of our members is 52 years
• 70% of RCCs are in private practice – either full or part-time (down from 72% in 2009)
• 24% of our members provide clinical supervision
• 18% of our members speak a second language (French, German and Spanish most commonly spoken).The list of all languages (and regions) follows.
Afghani (4)
Afrikaans (1-5)
Arabic (5)
ASL (3-6)
Bengali (4,5)
Bosnian (4)
Bulgarian (4) Cantonese (1,2,4,5)
Chinese (3,4) Chipewyan (6) Cree (6) Croatian (4) Czech (4)
Dutch (1-5) Estonian (4,5) Farsi (4,5)
Fijian (5)
French (all)
German (all)
Greek (4,5) Gujerat (5) Hebrew (1,4) Hindi (2,4,5) Hungarian (4,5) Icelandic (5) Ilocano (5) Italian (0,2,4,5) Japanese (all) Korean (4,5) Kutchi (5) Malay (5)
Mandarin (0,1,4,5) Persian (4)
Polish (0,4,5,6) Portuguese (0,4,6)
Punjabi (1,2,4,5) Romanian (4,5) Russian (2,3,5) Serbian (4,5)
Signed English (4,5) Spanish (all)
Swedish (3-6)
Tagalog (4,5)
Taiwanese (4)
Tamil (1)
Thai (2)
Toysanese (2)
Turkish (4)
Ukrainian (0,3,4,5)
Urdu (0,2,4,5)
Vietnamese (4)
Yiddish (4)
BC ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL COUNSELLORS
YEAR END REPORT 2010
Membership Information as of December 31, 2010
REGION Regular Inactive Registered in a Post-Secondary Institute Honorary Members TOTAL
MEMBERS Ex-Members
0 58 8 2 0 68
1 149 11 1 0 161
2 280 29 3 0 312
3 152 13 3 0 168
4 905 72 12 0 989
5 393 26 4 1 424
6 97 0 3 0 100 733
Total 2034 159 28 1 2222 957
* Includes all members who have joined the Association since ’88 and have left with the following status: resigned, retired, deceased, terminated, file destroyed (PIPA)
Membership Activity Since January 1, 2010
REGION Reinstated
Members New Members Resigned/Retired Terminated for
Non-Payment
0 1 5 2 3
1 3 13 6 3
2 3 30 11 5
3 1 15 5 1
4 12 103 23 10
5 1 34 10 5
6 0 8 0 0
Total 21 208 57 27
Registration Committee
Joan Campbell
2010 was a stable year for Committee membership with Kathy Lauriente, Mario Testani, Helen Huang, Kevin McMullen, Eileen Burkholder, Ellen Connell and Chair, Joan Campbell, working in conjunction with Angela Burns and John Gawthrop from the Office of the Registrar to review applications for membership and other aspects of Committee business. The year saw approximately 225 files come forward and, as usual, the Committee was impressed by the skilled and qualified clinical counsellors who have become part of our BCACC membership. October’s meeting was particularly busy with a record 100 files being reviewed.
The Committee has been using an online process to try to reduce the paper usage associated with the application packages. It has, by and large, been well accepted by the Committee members with only a few minor glitches remaining to be ironed out. They are hoping to be able to speed up the review process by having a more ongoing procedure and only bringing to the meetings for discussion, those files that are not so straight forward.
As the Committee wrestled with the more complex file applications, the need for a workshop to update some of the application information to make it more streamlined and user-friendly became evident. Permission was given for the Committee to spend two days in January 2011 at Parksville’s Tigh-Na-Mara resort to deal with a lengthy agenda. Out of this workshop, the hope is that, eventually, applicants may be able to engage in an on-line process of application. In the meantime, the Registration information contained in the application packages is undergoing some significant changes to rectify inconsistencies that were identified and make for greater ease and brevity for applicants and clinical supervisors when filling out the forms.
My thanks go out to all the Committee members who give generously of their time and energy to fulfill this important function of our Association. Thanks also to the administrative staff at Head Office: Aina, Michèle, Donna, Andrea and Carly, as well as Angela and John from the Registrar’s Office. It is delightful to work with such a dedicated group of professionals who also bring wisdom, common sense and the gift of laughter to the work at hand!
Inquiry Committee
Shirley Halliday
The Committee, one of the standing committees of the Board of BCACC, is responsible for
• receiving,
• sorting out, and when indicated,
• investigating, and
• resolving
complaints made against the practice of a member of BCACC. The focus of the work of the Committee is concerned complaint resolution. Complaint resolution is a distinct philosophical and practical approach. This is different from a focus on discipline. This focus on complaint resolution has served BCACC well over the years.
The Committee is also involved with creating, and refining, procedures and operational policies that support the process used by the Committee as it does its work on behalf of the Association. There are no new items in this area during the past year to report to you. At this time (writing this in January 2011) the membership of the Committee consists of Jocelyn Harris (Region 2), Jane Goranson-Coleman (Region 4), Tom Schroeder (Region 5), Lisbet Rosenfeld (Region 3) and myself (Chair, Region 4); this membership is unchanged in the past year. The work of the Committee continues to be ably supported by the BCACC office staff: Registrar, Angela Burns; Deputy Registrar, John Gawthrop; and, Regulatory Administrative Support person, Donna Knee. The Committee members greatly appreciate the competence and hard work provided by these folks. The Committee met seven (7) times during the year. Three of these meetings happened in person (face to face meetings), organized in co-ordination with when the Board and the AGM occurs; the other meetings happened via teleconference call.
What was new in 2010?
Like all members of the BCACC we received the Board approved work from the Ethics and Standards Committee. These include:
a. Standard for the Content of Clinical Records
b. Standard for Informed Consent to Clinical Counselling and the Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
c. Payment for Clinical Counselling: Practice Standards
d. Standard for Promoting and Advertising Services
With leadership provided by Donna Knee, the Regulatory Administrative Support to the Committee, we have further refined our ‘green initiative’. A new system for sharing case materials was implemented. A Secure File Server was set up at BCACC head office, with logon names and passwords assigned to each Committee member to access the files. Each document in the files was also assigned a password as a second layer of security, which is a more secure method of sharing files than email. This has had a very positive effect on our green initiative as the Committee members are now reading the files online and only printing essential documents. To date, this has been a very successful change in the way the Committee is working.
We encountered two high profile cases during the past year – high profile in the media – each of these cases came to an end when the RCC resigned his/her membership in BCACC. Thus, resolution of the complaints was not possible. If re-instatement of membership was to be requested, the complaint would have to be resolved first. If we were a College, we would not lose jurisdiction the moment that a member resigned from BCACC but would continue with the investigation ensuring a greater level of public protection.
Complaint Case Summary 2010
The year 2010 saw BCACC receive seven (7) new complaints. The types of allegations in the new complaints relate to issues of competency, respect/dignity, confidentiality, informed consent, and boundaries violations.
At December 31, 2010, the case status of the Committee can be summarized as follows:
• 1 investigation completed
• 0 cases did not warrant further investigation, and hence were dismissed
• 3 cases were closed (1 case from 2008, and 2 from 2009)
• 7 cases on-going (investigation process in progress, for example, 4 cases are at various places in the process, 1 consent agreement has been completed, 2 new consent agreements have been negotiated)
Discipline Committee
Barry Williscroft
Report unavailable.
B.C. Association of Clinical Counsellors
Member Insurance Program
I am pleased to submit my report to the B C Association of Clinical Counsellors for the members’ insurance program. This report is intended to provide you with accurate and useful information on the BCACC Business Insurance Program; member-buying habits, services provided, enrollment and claims.
The report covers the April 1, 2010 – 2011 renewal period with enrollment numbers for applications processed up to February 23, 2011. We have again exceeded the previous year’s participation level and we continue to show year over year increases in member enrollment. The BCACC program continues to have excellent member support and attractive results.
For the 2nd year in a row, we have been able to negotiate a reduction in the Professional Liability premiums. In addition, ENCON has again provided us with a two year guarantee on the Professional Liability terms, conditions, & premiums even though this type of coverage (Errors & Omissions) remains a volatile line of business due to its long tail nature, escalating claims costs and unpredictable court decisions. For 2011, we also have some new coverage extensions (Loss of Earnings) and increased limits for the court/tribunal/disciplinary coverage. ENCON’s willingness to reduce premiums and increase coverage reflects the good performance of the program and shows their continued support to BCACC and its members.
The Commercial General Liability option is now being underwritten by ENCON at substantially reduced premiums over last year. Aviva will continue to offer the Office Contents coverage with two limit options. In combination with the CGL, most members should again notice a premium decrease. Chartis Insurance remains the carrier for the Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage.
We have always tried to create an insurance program that is a long-term source of stable financial protection where members can benefit from comprehensive coverage and consistent pricing. As the Program Administrator, I believe that we continue to fulfill our commitment of superior service to the BCACC and its members. We have adhered to the benchmarks for service and communication that were established several years ago. We continue to look for coverage and process improvements to enhance the quality of the BCACC program.
Thank you again for the confidence you continue to show in me to play an integral part in the growth of your Association. I look forward to being with you again at your AGM this year.
Respectfully Submitted,
Brad Ackles, B.A.
Vice President
Total Member Applications – 1835
Paid by Cheque - 856
Paid by Visa - 979
CLAIMS (reported to February 23, 2011)
Professional Liability – Plan I Summary
SUSPENSE CLAIMS – (incident notice only). Claims that have been reported to the Insurance Company and to date there have been no further developments.
CLAIM # MOD LOSS DATE
(mm/dd/yy) RESERVE TOTAL CAUSE OF LOSS
719502 01/2011 SUSPENSE CLAIM
718924 03/2010 8859.37 ERRORS & OMISSIONS
718920 03/2010 1,478.91 ERRORS & OMISSIONS
718909 02/2010 1,675.09 ERRORS & OMISSIONS
719488 02/2010 ERRORS & OMISSIONS
New 2 11/2009 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
New 2 11/2009 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
718659 3 11/02/2009 15,285.00 CLOSED - 01/13/2011
719064 06/04/2009 15,667.69 ERRORS & OMISSIONS
718412 3 06/04/2009 1,904.67 SUSPENSE CLAIM
611265 2 04/28/2008 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5102D0806 3 04/01/2008 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5102D0785 3 03/31/2008 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5105D0782 3 03/27/2008 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5103D0791 3 03/20/2008 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
1) 5103D0742 3 06/03/2008 $21,489.07 ERRORS & OMISSIONS
2) 5103D0742 3 06/03/2008 Combined ERRORS & OMISSIONS
5103D0497 03 10/25/2007 83,310.96 ERRORS & OMISSIONS
5102D0533 03 08/11/007 2,203.50 ERRORS & OMISSIONS
5107D0241 03 06/15/2007 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5101D0163 03 04/19/2007 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5101D0121 03 04/22/2007 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5105D0201 02 03/27/2007 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5104D0055 02 01/28/2007 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
5106A0184 01 02/15/2006 $0.00 SUSPENSE CLAIM
Office Package – Plan II, III & IV Summary
CLAIM # PLAN LOSS DATE
(mm/dd/yy) RESERVE TOTAL PAID CAUSE OF LOSS
8309155154 IV 12/08/2009 $1,500.00 THEFT OF PROPERTY
197520 IV 12/27/2008 $738.00 $21,403.00 WATER DAMAGE – SNOW LOAD ON ROOF
148248 IV 07/17/2008 $688. THEFT ON PREMISES
4782333 I 01/02/2007 $0. WATER ESCAPE DAMAGE TO BLDG Closed 05/31/2007
4776443 II 03/11/2006 $400. BUSINESS INTERRUPTION
Closed 12/20/2006
4771900 II 05/06/06 $1,331.90 THEFT OF PROPERTY
PROGRAM ENROLLMENT – April 1, 2010 – 2011
Results as of February 23, 2011 – 1835 Applications processed
Professional Liability
(Plan I)
Limits purchased
- 1835 Enrolled
- 145 Retired/Inactive
- $2,000,000 – 1601
- $5,000,000 - 234
- 9% Increase over previous year
Commercial General Liability
(Plan II)
- 294 enrolled - Increased by 49
Office Package / Commercial General Liability
(Plan (III)
- 83 enrolled - Increased by 10
Office Package / Commercial General Liability
(Plan (IV)
- 60 enrolled - Decreased by 1
Extensions/Contents - 8 enrolled
- Decreased by 7
Accidental Death & Dismemberment
- 574 enrolled
- Increased by 49
To be processed - NIL
BOARD & STAFF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Aina Adashynski
Executive Assistant
After moving to Victoria from the North Coast, Aina joined BCACC’s head office team in November 2000. In 2004, the Association recognized Aina with an Award of Excellence for exemplary contributions to the Association through Association administrative support. She has been the Association’s Executive Assistant since October 2008.
Aina has enjoyed working in the not-for-profit field for most of her career – with a few short-lived detours to the for-profit sector. Her eclectic background includes work in theatre, tourism, volunteer services, and libraries. She was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with distinction, at Royal Roads University in 2005. Seeking a different kind of challenge, Aina became a Certified Chair Practitioner in early 2010. Her next educational endeavour will take her back to the books; a certificate in voluntary and non-profit sector management – a step on the way to a Master of Public Administration degree.
When she and her partner Jeff aren’t trying to keep up with their 3-year-old son, Walter, Aina’s interests include yoga, knitting, running, reading, and bootcamp-style outdoor fitness. She completed a half-marathon in May 2009 and was a member of BCACC’s Edge-to-Edge Marathon Relay team in June 2010. She is currently training for her sixth Times Colonist 10K and hopes to break the elusive 1-hour mark!
Michèle Ashmore
Senior Consultant
Michèle was born in England, lived in Ireland and after a couple of trips across the Atlantic ended up in Brampton, Ontario, as a child. Michèle and her husband, Tom moved to Victoria in 1973 with their three children, Robyn, Glen & Brian.
Michèle has worked for our Association since September 1991 when she joined Registrar, Angela Burns and President, David Stewart in the Oak Bay Avenue office and has watched the Association membership grow from 300 to over 2200 members in nearly twenty years.
In 1996/97 Michèle received a Special Acknowledgment Award in Appreciation of Dedicated and Effective Service in advancing and promoting the aims of the Association as the Executive Assistant; in 2000/2001 she received a President’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Profession of Counselling and the Association through Executive Administration; in 2003/4 she received an Award of Excellence in recognition of her exemplary contributions to the Association through Executive Administrative Management and in 2007/8 she received a Distinguished Services Award for distinguished services to the Association through Exemplary Executive Administrative Services.
Michèle passed her duties of Executive Assistant to Aina Adashynski in October 2008 and she continues in a consultant role assisting Aina whenever she can. Michèle substantially reduced her hours and continues working with the Association’s finances and recording the minutes of the Association meetings.
As a creative expression Michèle is very active in making cloth art dolls and creatures and attends as many workshops as possible to further enhance her skills. In 1998 she formed the Cloth-A-Dollics of Victoria, a cloth doll club, which meets monthly and has approximately 50 members. She balances her cloth doll making with walks in the country and camping with her husband Tom and their dogs, Max and Misty.
Carly Bisset-Covaneiro
Administrative Support
Carly was raised in North Vancouver and moved to Victoria almost 8 years ago. She loves the slow-paced, relaxed island and the mild weather has allowed her to begin biking to work.
Carly, her husband and their two little girls, Taya (5 ½) and Alyssa (4) enjoy hiking, and exploring Victoria’s parks. They live in a little house, central to everything in Victoria, which they hope to do some renovating on this year.
Carly started out in the legal field after high school and completed the Legal Secretary course at Capilano College in 2002. Plans changed when her first baby came along, and she decided to run a daycare out of her home. She enjoyed the joys of being home with her children and their friends for two years.
In hopes to have some adult conversations, she joined the head office team at BCACC in late 2008. She enjoys her work with the Association very much.
Jim Browne
Executive Director
Jim has been a Registered Psychologist (R.Psych., Alberta) for the past 38 years. Following the completion of post-doctoral studies in psychometrics, counselling psychology, and administrative law (applied to professional regulation), he held many senior positions in psychology as an educator, administrator, and regulator, with the University of Alberta, Professional Examinations Board in Psychology of the Universities Coordinating Council of Alberta, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Psychologists Association of Alberta (where he is a Life Member), and the College of Psychologists of British Columbia. He is an active counsellor educator, teaching Professional Ethics and Law in City University’s (Seattle) Master’s Program in Counselling (Vancouver site).
Jim lives in South Surrey with his wife Jane, and her teenage daughter, Chloe, Jill (adopted, unregistered female Calico cat), and Jackee (adopted, unregistered female black kitten). Jim and Jane are avid nature enthusiasts and enjoy long daily nature and power walks, cooking, and vacationing in Mexico.
Committed to “putting water back in the well”, Jim has a distinguished record of community and public service as the President, Canadian Mental Health Association’s Alberta and British Columbia Divisions; as a member of the Minister of Health’s Advisory Committee on the Recommendations of the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs; British Columbia Premier’s Forum on New Opportunities for Working and Living, and as Chair, Provincial Mental Health Advisory Council, Ministry of Health, Province of British Columbia.
He is an Honorary Member of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and has served as Executive Director since 1993. Jim serves as the Coordinator of the Task Group for Counsellor Regulation in B.C., and Chaired the Working Committee on Competency Profile Development. He served as Co-Chair CCA/BCACC National Counselling 2007 Conference, held in Vancouver. In 1996 he was honoured with the Association’s President’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Profession of Counselling and the Association. In 2005 Jim was honoured by the BCACC Board of Directors with an Award of Commendation in recognition of extraordinary leadership in advancing the counselling profession.
George K. Bryce
Legal Counsel
All professional associations require legal counsel to attend to the sometimes barrage of legal and law related policy issues. George is a sole practitioner working primarily in the fields of health care and administrative law, who provides this assistance to the BCACC. His clients include professional associations, regulatory bodies, health care unions, and health care practitioners.
George has provided legal advice to our Association since 1993, always going the “extra mile”. From 1990 to 1991 he was Assistant Legal Counsel to the B. C. Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs and was largely responsible for the chapter on professional regulation in the report “Closer to Home.” Since then, he has provided legal, policy and procedural advice and research assistance to five other commissions of inquiry.
George played a central role in the development and presentation of our Association’s Application for Designation under the Health Professions Act, and continues to guide our designation initiative as legal counsel to the Task Group for Counsellor Regulation. George provides quality advice to our Regulatory operations regarding legal and procedural issues affecting Registration, Inquiry, Discipline and Appeals. He works closely with our Legislative Review and Ethics and Standards Committees in the ongoing development of our Bylaws and Ethical and Practice Standards. He authors the Counsellor’s Counsel column, a regular feature in Insights Into Clinical Counselling, as well as Legal Commentaries on various practice issues. Copies of these are posted on the website under “Legal Articles.”
In addition to his Law degree, George holds a BA in Psychology, a B.Sc. in Honours Biology, and a Master’s degree in Health Administration. He has published over twenty articles and more than forty reports on a wide range of legal and social policy issues.
Our Association honoured George’s exemplary contributions in 1999 with the President’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Profession of Counselling and the Association.
Angela Burns
Registrar
Angela has been a member of BCACC since 1989 when she became a Delegate Council Representative and joined the Ethics Committee. She was appointed Registrar in 1991. In 1994 she was designated as a certified investigator through the Council of Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation. In 1997 Angela received the President’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Profession of Counselling and the Association. In 2009, she took the Advanced Investigator Training through CLEAR and now has upper-level certification. Angela oversees the administration of BCACC’s Regulatory side. Angela supervises the investigations of all formal complaints received by BCACC as part of her duties as Registrar. The Office of the Registrar works closely with the Registration Committee in the processing of applications for membership.
Angela has a successful private practice in Victoria where she focuses her energy in the area of Employee and Family Assistance Programs for the municipalities of Esquimalt and Victoria.
Angela and her husband enjoy all the challenges of raising their rapidly growing and very active sons: Luke (13) and Dan (10). She and David spend a lot of time at swim meets, hockey tournaments and music recitals enjoying all the pleasures of this dynamic phase of parenting.
Joan Campbell
Chair, Registration Committee
Joan is a Vancouver Islander, having been born and raised in Victoria and then, apart from time spent in Montreal and Vancouver, moving to Nanaimo which she has called home for the past 36 years. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother to eight grandchildren.
She is self-employed as an associate in the Counselling Clinic of Marshall and Associates where she has worked for the past 20 years.
She has been a member of BCACC since 1993 and a member of the Registration Committee since 2004. She became Chair of the Committee and a Board member in March of 2008. She is enjoying working less and leaving more time in her busy schedule for family, golf and having fun. She and her husband love their new “down-sized” accommodation and are aiming for a simpler and more balanced life style.
Andrea Curran
Administrative Support
Andrea joined the BCACC Head Office in November 2008, after a three-year stint with the Provincial Government’s Ministry of Health. Previously Andrea worked as Medical Office Manager for several doctors in the Victoria area.
Andrea was born in Winnipeg, and her family relocated to Victoria in 1963, where she was raised with her two siblings and has remained to raise her own family.
Andrea is happily married to Dave, a long serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces. They have three children Sean (15), Jacqui (21), and Tassa (26).
Andrea’s interests outside of work include her 4 dogs and 2 cats. When time permits she loves reading, crocheting and knitting, photography, and in the nicer weather she loves to garden and ride her motorcycle.
John Fraser
Vice-President, Region 4
John Fraser has been a member of BCACC since 1994. He has served as a Regional Council Representative for the Association for approximately 11 years and has been Vice-President for Region 4 since April 2005. During his term as a Regional Council Representative, John has been involved in several committees and has helped to organize many activities for the region. John hopes to be able to continue this service through his role as Regional Vice-President.
John earned his Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at the University of BC, graduating in 1994 and has been running a private practice in downtown Vancouver since that time. Growing up with Deaf parents, John is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and has been working extensively with members of the Deaf community. In response to the pervasive sexual, emotional, and physical abuse at the Jericho Hill School for the Deaf, as well as extensive discrimination and oppression, a great deal of John’s clinical work has been focused on helping to heal and empower individual members of the Deaf community. John works with the gay and lesbian community and also has some mainstream clients.
John was originally born in a small fishing community in rural Nova Scotia. He moved to BC in 1988 and now considers BC to be his home. Since moving to BC, John has lived throughout the lower mainland and now resides in New Westminster.
John Gawthrop
Deputy Registrar
John obtained his M.A. in Counselling in 1990 and joined BCACC in 1994. He chaired the Ethics and Standards Committee for three years and has since served on the Inquiry Committee in his role as Deputy Registrar and Investigator. John originally designed and continues to refine and deliver the Member Orientation Workshop in most BCACC Regions. Aside from his BCACC activities, John has been on Faculty at City University of Seattle since 2006; he has taught Ethics, Human Development and the Thesis course in the M.A. Counselling program at the Victoria campus, and the Ethics course via Inclusive Delivery (online and Vancouver Intensive). John’s other life interests include music composing/SATB arranging, choral singing, and helping to raise two wonderful grandchildren.
Glen Grigg
Chair, Legislative Review Committee
Glen does private practice with Jericho Counselling, he teaches in the Masters of Counselling program at City University of Seattle, and provides consultation and training for a variety of clients, including Health Shared Services and Fraser Health Authority. Glen joined the Board in 1997 and served until 2007 when he stepped back to complete his doctorate. He is currently the Chair of Legislative Review, with key roles as the British Columbia representative to the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association’s Working Group on Labour Mobility as well as the BCACC representative to the Task Group on Counsellor Regulation. Glen is also chair of the Regulation Panel.
Shirley Halliday
Chair, Inquiry Committee
Shirley has chaired this Committee for about 9 years now. The work remains challenging at times and certainly satisfying, especially when the involvement of the Committee contributes to support the practice of members of BCACC.
Shirley is a Jungian Analyst in private practice in Vancouver. She has been a member of BCACC since 2000. She was one of the recipients of the 2007 – 2008 President’s Award. Shirley enjoys a rich outdoor life, as well as travel and gardening (which seems to grow ever larger). Creative pursuits include poetry writing, crafting, lino carving and print making, and the more recently acquired activities include golfing and curling.
Lida Izadi
Chair, Member Services
Lida is a bilingual, bicultural clinical counsellor serving diverse clientele in different settings. She works with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Lida’s approach to counselling is relationship focused, holistic, spiritual, and intimately connected to humanistic philosophy of living.
Lida has been a member of BCACC since 2002 and has served our Association and our membership as a Regional and Delegate Council Rep, as a member of the Identity Project Team and as Chair of Member Services. Lida works full-time with the Ministry of Children and Family Development as a Child and Youth Mental Health Clinician. She also holds a part-time private practice with evening and weekend hours. Lida has authored and published a number of papers in professional psychology journals.
Donna Knee
Administrative Support
Donna was born and raised in Montreal where she spent most of her life with a short two-year stay in Toronto. Her husband’s job brought them to Winnipeg and after a four-year period of being transferred back and forth between Montreal and Winnipeg she finally took up roots in Winnipeg and remained there for fourteen years. She moved to Victoria in September 2007 to escape the harsh Manitoba winters.
Donna brings with her over thirty years’ experience working in Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payable and Human Resources. Prior to joining BCACC she worked as a Human Resources Assistant for a retail company for fifteen years, with a 3-month break to work as a Sponsored Executive with the United Way.
Donna and her husband, Dave, have a beautiful blended family of six children who are spread out between Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg.
Leila Lanteigne
Vice-President, Region 6
Leila Lanteigne has a B.A. in Adult Education and has worked for many years with the First Nations population and Women’s Bridging Programs coordinating, counselling and facilitating specialized workshops. She earned her Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology from City University in 2004, and has been a BCACC member since 2005. She is a Clinical Counsellor building a private practice in Merritt BC, and is working mainly with issues of depression, anxiety, relationships and addictions with individuals, couples and families. She has training and experience in many therapeutic modalities including Cognitive-Behavioural, Solution-Focused, TIR, EMDR, Narrative, Play Therapy, Emotion Focused Couples Therapy, Reality and Choice Therapy. She also works on a contractual basis as a Rehabilitation Consultant, working mainly with BC teachers.
Adrienne Mahaffey
Chair, Ethics and Standards
Adrienne has worked primarily with anxiety and depression, and with individuals processing relationship issues. She uses a number of different modalities including cognitive behavioural, solution focused, narrative, and body-centred therapies. She has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Calgary (1990), a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Victoria (1995), and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from City University (2005). She did her internships at the Windermere Care Centre for Seniors, Dan Stone & Associates, and the Institute for Integrative Body Psychotherapy. In the legal field Adrienne has been counsel in plaintiff’s class action cases, and also has provided advice and counsel to a number of federal government departments. She has supervised litigation throughout the province of British Columbia.
Adrienne has a background in conflict resolution, including training in dispute resolution, and in human resources management. She worked as contract faculty in the criminology program at Douglas College (2000-2001) and served as first a student representative and then Director at Large for the British Columbia Chapter of the Canadian Counselling Association (2004-2006), as well as being available to the Lawyers’ Assistance Program as a volunteer from 2000 on. She has written and spoken for various organizations, including CMHA, the Friends for Life Society and the ENET Society on various subjects including boundary issues in relationship, dispute resolution, and on ethical practice generally. She co-authored and presented “How Private is Private?” with BCACC legal counsel George Bryce at the 2007 National Conference of the Canadian Counselling Association. She is a past member of the British Columbia advisory panel for Gonzaga University’s counselling programme, and has taught Law and Professional Ethics in the Masters of Counselling programme at City University of Seattle, Vancouver campus.
Adrienne is an avid singer who has been known to dress in costume to sing the mezzo line as part of a Christmas seasonal duo. She and her husband and son can often be found on the hiking trails around Vancouver and in Washington State. Adrienne has been Chair of the Ethics and Standards Committee since April 2006.
Lee McLeod
Vice-President, Region 2
Lee McLeod is a Registered Clinical Counsellor working in private practice and for a large EFAP. He registered with the BCACC in 1998 and joined Region 2’s Regional Council in 2007. He became Vice-President, Region 2, in March 2010. He has also been a member of the Ethics & Standards and Member Services Committees. Lee holds a Master’s degree in The Psychology of Counselling and Therapy from Antioch University (1992).
Lee has worked as a counsellor in a suicide prevention program, in a treatment center and in mental/health addictions. He has taught counselling at several post-secondary levels. In his private practice, he draws on his background and training in Gestalt and Client-centred counselling, and most recently, in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples. He confesses to a couple of previous careers: as a University teacher of English and as a radio journalist. Lee lives and practices in Victoria.
Michelle Morand
Editor, Insights
Michelle Morand is author of “Food is not the Problem: Deal With What Is!” She is also founder and director of The CEDRIC Centre for Counselling, which specializes in eating disorder and trauma recovery. www.cedriccentre.com. An RCC since 2003, Michelle volunteered on the Region 2 Regional Council from 2004 to 2009, and joined our team as the Editor of Insights into Clinical Counselling in Summer 2009.
Nikki Pawlitschek
Vice-President, Region 5
Nikki Pawlitschek lives in Surrey, B.C with her two cats, Max and Murray. She holds an M.A. in Mental Health Counselling from City University, a B.A. degree in Liberal Arts from the University of British Columbia, a B.A. degree in Psychology from Open University, a certificate in Modern Languages (English, French, German), a Diploma in Brief Systemic Family Therapy, and a Certificate of Counselling Science.
Currently, she works as a Career Counsellor/Facilitator at SCCI – Project Restart in Surrey, B.C. where she conducts a monthly career planning group. Her passion is introducing and educating fellow counsellors on the pros and cons of online counselling and the importance of social media.
Nikki has been a registered member of BCACC since fall 2003. She was a Regional Representative, Region 6, from fall 2004 to January 2007, and Vice-President, Region 6, from January 1, 2007 to April 2008. In 2008, she took on the role of Provincial Trade Shows Coordinator; from April 2008 until August 2009, she was a Regional Representative, Region 4, until her move from Vancouver to Surrey, where she became a Regional Representative, Region 5, in August 2009. She was elected into her new role as Vice-President, Region 5, in March 2010. She looks forward to serving her colleagues and the Association to promote and practice good mental health.
In her spare time, Nikki enjoys going out with friends to watch a movie and share a good meal. She is a technology geek and an avid reader of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre. Last but not least, she enjoys surfing the ‘Net and chatting with family and friends via Facebook, Skype, MSN or Yahoo! Messenger.
Rob Riddle
Chair, Continuing Competency
Rob has been a professional counsellor for 41 years. He has worked in child guidance, mental health, community psychiatry, child welfare, education (elementary, secondary, college and university), and private practice. He has been a member and in charge of numerous community organizations, committees, task forces, etc. in three provinces. He has also been a member of various provincial professional organizations and has been a Board member, Executive Committee member, Committee member and VP of Region 6 of BCACC for approximately eight years. Since January 1, 2007, he has been the Chair of the Continuing Competency Committee for BCACC.
Currently he is semi-retired but still does some contract counselling work for a number of EAP programs and facilitates workshops as requested.
Duncan Shields
President
Duncan Shields, M.A., is a clinical counsellor in private practice and a co-facilitator of the UBC/Legion Veterans Transition Program. A Registered Clinical Counsellor since 2002, Duncan has served on the BCACC Board since 2005 and is currently serving as President and Chair. Very active in the mental health community, Duncan is committed to promoting the essential role that counsellors play in the larger mental health system. He currently serves on the BC Alliance on Mental Health/Illness and Addictions, the Community Action Initiative, which stewards a $10-million community development fund, and on the BC Task Group for Counsellor Regulation.
His current research interests pertain to the intersection of gender, physiology and culture in trauma work with veterans. He recently co-authored a chapter titled, Counselling Military Clients, which has been accepted for publication in the forthcoming, Lee, C., (Ed) Multicultural Issues in Counseling, Fourth Edition: New Approaches to Diversity (2011). Sage.
Chris Stasiuk
Vice-President, Region 1
Chris is passionate about the counselling profession and earned his M.A. in Counselling just prior to the end of the last millennium. He became a member of BCACC in 2004. Chris has a private counselling practice in Qualicum Beach where he specializes in marriage and family relationships. He became a Regional Council Representative in 2007 and in 2009 was enticed into the Regional VP position.
Chris has written ten-week programs for Men and for Couples groups that he has enjoyed facilitating for the past six years. He is interested in promoting mental health strategies for the Christian community that will enhance their faith as they learn how to relax in their relationship with God. He is still planning to publish a book that will address errors in Christian theology that contribute to mental health problems within the Church system.
In his spare time he enjoys reading, cycling, hiking, and working out at the gym. After many years of playing baseball he has decided to hang up his glove this year so as to avoid breaking any more legs.
Kevin Ward
Vice-President, Region 3
Kevin Ward is from the Choctaw Nation (Oklahoma/Arkansas), living in Salmon Arm and working in the Shuswap (Secwepmc Territory) and Merritt areas (Nlkapemc and Sylix Territories) primarily with First Nations communities. He is a single parent raising his youngest son Morgan (17 yrs.). His oldest son Mitchell (21 yrs.) attends Simon Fraser University in the International Studies program.
Kevin began counselling in Victoria with the Victoria Crisis Centre in 1980, working mainly with youth at risk. Since that time he has worked in the fields of substance abuse, healing and wellness as counsellor, director (Coldwater Indian Reserve Counselling Center), coordinator (Nicola Valley Native Victim Assistance Program and Salmon Arm Specialized Victim Assistance Program, Neskonlith Band Social Development), trainer, facilitator and speaker. Kevin works internationally with indigenous child welfare groups who are intent to strengthen social justice and bring about more traditional and holistic approaches to healing our hurts. Motivated and encouraged by his elders, and co-survivors of trauma who are determined to live fully and freely, Kevin developed a Trauma Resolution Treatment and Training program which provides short term intensive trauma resolution for individuals and families. His involvement internationally is in the area of Traditional Family Group Decision Making, Social Justice, Indigenous Rights and Trauma Incident Reduction.
For the past 20 years Kevin has been a member of BCACC, contributing as a Regional Council Representative, Continuing Competency Committee member, and Vice-President of Region 3 since March of 2009.
Barry Williscroft
Chair, Discipline Committee
Barry Williscroft is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and consultant. He holds a BA from Simon Fraser University (1983) where he majored in Criminology and an M.A. in Counselling (2005) from Gonzaga University. He has a background in the justice system having worked as a probation officer and family justice counsellor. He has experience as a board member of several community organizations and in 1992 was a founding member of the BC Probation Officers Association.
Barry brings a strong interest in conflict resolution to his practice. He is a consultant to organizations and businesses as well as an individual and relationship counsellor and crisis responder. He has a strong interest in working with PTSD survivors, veterans and soldiers and their families, street involved youth, as well as sexual abuse survivors. He is active in working with clients with traumatic brain injury and other medical problems, and maintains an active forensic counselling practice involving both family and criminal cases. Part of his work is pro bono for those with little means.
Barry is an active musician, performing on saxophone and bassoon in several ensembles. He is, among other things, a performance coach for musicians and actors, a Scout leader, and an active conservationist and videographer. He is internationally known for guiding photographers on photo safaris and training groups and individuals in bear safety skills. He is a resident of Rossland, BC.
Barry has been the Chair of the Discipline Committee since September 2006.
B.C. Association of Clinical Counsellors
Report on Nominations, Offices and Elections 2010
Jim Browne
A Call for Nominations was printed in INSIGHTS INTO CLINICAL COUNSELLING, December 2010, page I, in accordance with our Bylaws [35(1)], with the prescribed deadline of January 27th, 2011.
In accordance with our Bylaws “Where only one candidate has been nominated for an office by the prescribed deadline, that candidate is deemed to have been elected to that office by acclamation” [35(2)].
2011 Board of Directors
President Duncan Shields
Executive Vice-President David Paterson
Legislative Review Glen Grigg
Member Services Lida Izadi
Continuing Competency Rob Riddle
Ethics and Standards Adrienne Mahaffey
Registration Joan Campbell
Inquiry Shirley Halliday
Regional Vice-Presidents
Region 1 Chris Stasiuk
Region 2 Lee McLeod
Region 3 Kevin Ward
Region 4 John Fraser
Region 5 Nikki Pawlitschek
Region 6 Barb Ingram
THE 2011 PROVINCIAL AWARDS PROGRAM
This very successful program was introduced during the 1995-96 Association year. The program acknowledges outstanding, and distinguished, Association members, other mental health professionals, agencies, meritorious individuals, and communications and the media.
BEV ABBEY VOLUNTEER AWARD 2011
Recognizes an Association member who has been active in service or management, and/or has actively promoted the mission of the Association.
Lida Izadi
Previous Recipients:
Bev Abbey (1996), Jerry Arthur Wong (2002), Gerry Bock (2000, 2004, 2005), Pauline Carey (2003), James Drinkwater (2001), Jeffrey Fisher (1999), Mary Forbes (1998), John Fraser (2006), Glen Grigg (2008), Jocelyn Harris (2009), John Hayashi (2006), Lida Izadi (2010), Gloria McArter (1997), Duncan Shields (2006, 2007), Barry Williscroft (2009).
COMMUNICATIONS AWARD 2011
Recognizes a member, or an individual or organization from the media field who has provided regular, continuing or special assistance in promoting counselling and/or mental health issues in the community.
Michelle Morand
Previous Recipients :
Howard Abbey (2000), Sandra Bell-Lundy (2007), CMHA – BC Division (1999), Andrew Holota (2005), Mary Kean (1998), Ross Laird (2004), Rafe Mair (2001), Diane Payette (1997, 2006), Uri Sanhedrai (2009), Bruce Saunders (2003), Kathy Tait (1996), Vancouver Police Department (2008)
PRESIDENT’S AWARD 2011
Two Awards recognizing distinguished contributions to the profession of counselling or the Association, or to the discipline of counselling through teaching, research or advocacy.
Aina Adashynski
Sharon Stanley
Previous Recipients:
Christine Anderson (2001), Michèle Ashmore (2001), Sherry Baker (2005), Gerry Bock (2002), Jim Browne (1996), George Bryce (1999), Angela Burns (1997), David Cane (2006), Citizens’ Counselling Centre (2010), Avraham Cohen (2008), Susan Gamache (2000), John Gawthrop (1996), Glen Grigg (1998, 2002, 2007), Shirley Halliday (2008), Arden Henley (1999), Carol Hubberstey (1998), Ian MacNaughton (2000), Adrienne Mahaffey (2009), Sol Mogerman (2003), David Paterson (2004), Kathryn Priest-Peries (2009), Rob Riddle (2008), David Stewart (2010), Dianne Symonds (2007), Dale Trimble (2004), Max Uhlemann (2005), Allan Wade (2009), Lianne Walker (2003).
PROFESSIONAL CARE AWARD 2011
Recognizes a professional mental health worker or agency who has exhibited special creativity and effectiveness in providing counselling or mental health care.
Robb Lansdowne
Iranian Educators’ Society for Families
Previous Recipients:
John David Bland (2005), John Braun (2003), Shelley Brierley (2010), Irene Champagne (2008), CMHA BC Division, (2009), Martha Dionne (2006), Jobst Frohberg (1996), Dr. Soma Ganesan (1999), Katie Hughes (2006), Krisanna Jeffery (2001), Lifework Design Group (2007), Ministry of Health, Adult Mental Health Division (1998), Bev Ogilvie (2010), Lynette Pollard-Elgert (2000), Heleen Sandvik (2004), Patrick Storey (1997), Louise Tatoosh and the Mental Health Team at Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (2005), Henry Wiebe (2009).
Gallery of Presidents
Peter Thompson May 1988 – May 1989
David Stewart May 1989 – March 1992
Ian Macnaughton March 1992 – May 1994
Arne Cera May 1994 – June 1996
Jocelyn Harris June 1996 – June 1998
Rhoberta Shaler June 1998 – August 1998
Bev Abbey August 1998 – November 2007
Duncan Shields November 2007 – present
