GRADUATE STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
By Cathy Flum - Graduate Student Coordinator
I am the Graduate Student Representative to the South Dakota Counseling Association. I would like to tell all the counseling students why joining SDCA is important. First of all, joining an organization helps participants understand how such an entity works, how the people coordinate activities and share information and rally around important issues. Second, the people you meet who are professionals in the field you have chosen are excellent sources of not only informaiton but experience in the profession. They will be able to answer questions and share stories and mentor you in many ways.
Thirdly, there are always issues for a profession that need to be addressed and one of the best ways to do that is through the participation of people who work in the various settings that exist for counseling services. There are in the State of South Dakota always at least one or two bills in front of the legislature. The debates about these issues are very informative and teach you quite a bit about the public's perception of your profession. Fourthly, as you become a professional it is important to serve the profession not just as a practitioner but as an active member of your professional organization(s). The work of the profession is not just in the practicing of it, but also in the oversight and the organization and passing along of responsibility for promoting and policing of the profession.
Organizations like SDCA organize and support conferences, allowing those in the field to hear about new discoveries and techniques and to network with other statewide practitioners. They also support and organize and publish documentation, including newsletters and web sites and FAQ's and, in the case of national organizations, books and pamphlets on various topics useful to clinicians and the public.
So, you see being a part of our state organization is not only good for you, it is good for counselors and good for our profession. Please consider joining, if you aren't a member, and attend the conference, if you are.
Check out the various opportunities for Graduate Students (scholarship, moderating at conference, etc.) at the SDCA website: www.sdcounseling.org