Christopher P. Roseman, Assistant Professor & Director, Counseling & Family Therapy Center at the University of South Dakota. I currently possess a Professional Counselor License (C8364) from the State of Ohio and am a Certified Instructor (PE-288962) in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention for the Crisis Prevention Institute, Inc. I have worked in various settings as a Professional Counselor such as community mental health and substance abuse agencies, correctional facilities, and the Department of Job and Family Services in Ohio. Additionally, I have served and continue to serve on several committees for national, state, and local professional organizations. Most recently, I serve on the Membership/Public Relations Committee for SDCA and am an active member in the Lewis & Clark Chapter. Prior to relocating to South Dakota, I served the Ohio Counseling Association in many capacities including President of the Northwest Ohio Chapter, a member of the Executive Board, a representative to the All-Ohio Hazards Advisory Board, and Membership/Public Relations Committee. I am committed to advocacy and legislative roles having attended the 2005 ACA Legislative Institute and serving since as ACA Key Contacts for Ohio, and now South Dakota.

Keeping in mind the ultimate goal for any state chapter of the American Counseling Association is to always advance the discipline of counseling, acting in coordination with the purpose and bylaws of ACA, goals for SDCA are determined by the current needs and vision of the membership body and the clients in which we serve. To that end, continuing the work of my predecessors is vital and allows for continuity in the organization. Important themes that SDCA should consider for 2008-2009 are (1) continuing to enhance and uphold the professional identity of counselors, (2) uniting together within the counseling profession across all specialty areas, and working together with affiliated organizations or disciplines, and (3) providing exceptional services to our members and the communities we serve via counseling services, advocacy, education, and outreach.

I do believe our profession faces many challenges and changes in the near future. There are two challenges that I deem necessary to address sooner than later, one is overall counselor identity issues and the second is changes in licensure legislation and professional regulation at a national level. To address the first concern, being that professional counselors come from a diverse set of disciplines, the term counselor has taken on many different meanings. As we have made great strides nationally, and statewide, to increase public awareness, we remain unclear among ourselves who we are professionally and this image is often confusing to the public at large. Secondly, as professional counselors in South Dakota have come together the last three years to secure a prominent "Practice Licensure Law", the reality of the situation is that many states have been unable to do the same or have had situations where other organizations are robustly lobbying against professional counselors. We are stronger together than we are apart. South Dakota has many influential leaders and practitioners; through our unity and desire to work together what we do here will have positive implications across the country.

Each year, SDCA has internal and external opportunities to advance our profession, period. Whether we address the two themes I identified as concerns for our profession or we address other issues facing the profession, we have the opportunity to take steps that will inevitably make the counseling profession stronger, better, and more effective for the clients who we serve. We can choose to be passive bystanders and hope that things will improve or challenges will just magically go away. Or…can take a stand and continue the developmental process of our profession so that our future colleagues are more prepared to handle the ever-changing demands of our vast societal needs.

Specifically, one opportunity I believe we need to embrace and model for the national stage is to clearly define and advance the professional initiatives for school counselors. For too long, this specialty has been given little support and recognition for the tremendous work they accomplish with our children. Constrained often by paperwork or other duties assigned to them because of the unclear nature of their roles, this needs to be addressed. I believe we need to seize that moment and focus on goals and interventions that will advance the specialty of professional school counselors.

Number one and number two, scope of practice and reimbursement for services. There is no doubt we as professional counselors are behind other "helping" professions in these two areas. Unity among all disciplines that fall under the umbrella of the American Counseling Association will advance this cause, but that is not the only solution. Counselor educators, supervisors, practitioners, and students in the discipline need to understand that we must not only be advocates for our clients, but ourselves as well. This does not need to be done by every person standing on the stairs of their state capital or at the national level, but through emails, letters, phone calls, and informational flyers. The service that professional counselors provide is unique and helps millions of people everyday, yet we still continue to have to fight for our scope of practice and reimbursement. This will be a main priority for me if afforded the opportunity to serve as President of SDCA.

I am deeply honored to have been nominated to run for President of SDCA by my home chapter of Lewis & Clark. When looking for counselor educator positions around the country, I found that my heart kept telling me to come to South Dakota. I was so genuinely impressed by the level of professionalism and commitment shown by many here in SD that it was an easy choice. With that said, the privilege of even being nominated for President is humbling and if elected will be a role I take very seriously. My desire to advance our profession drives me each and every day. With an organization such as SDCA, which is so vital to the lives of those people whom it serves, being President is about surrounding yourself with many other committed and dedicated individuals. This is one strength I believe I possess and promise to bring if bestowed this distinguished leadership opportunity.