South Dakota Mental Health Counselors Association

The purpose of the South Dakota Mental Health Counselors Association is to promote the profession of mental health counseling; to provide programs for mental health counselors to assist in updating and enhancing competencies of professional mental health services; and to provide a forum for mental health counselors to address public policy(advocacy issues).

2024-2025 SDMHCA Officers

          Cindy Goehring                                    Jessica McLaughlin         Carrie Jorgensen

            President               President-Elect              Past President             Treasurer

      Allison Oxner                       Becky Glover           Duane Kavanaugh

  Recording Secretary            Membership Chair    Government Relations

SDMHCA Board photo-taken at the 2022 SDMHCA Luncheon. Pictured l to r: Treasurer-Carrie Jorgensen, President Elect-Cindy Goehring, Recording Secretary-Allison Oxner, President-Jessica McLaughlin, Past-President-Stephanie Lund, and Government Relations-Duane Kavanaugh

Howard B. Smith Award Winners

Howard B. Smith had a very significant role in the development of counseling in the state of South Dakota.  He helped the state recognize Licensed Professional Counselors by helping pass the licensure law, guided South Dakota State University’s counseling program through national accreditation in 1994, and he was the National President for AMCHA while a faculty member at South Dakota State University.  He started as a faculty member and then became the Department Head.  He worked for ACA full-time as an ethics coordinator after leaving South Dakota State in the late 1990s and finished his career at South Dakota State as Associate Dean of Education and Counseling.  While Associate Dean, Howard helped bring the Rehabilitation Counseling specialty to South Dakota State. This is the first and only program of its kind in South Dakota, and he helped it achieve national accreditation.  Howard B. Smith was a true pioneer for counseling in the state of South Dakota.

Carrie Jorgensen

2022 Award Winner

Find Nomination information HERE

• 2022- Carrie Jorgensen
• 2021- Clark Perkins
• 2019- Duane Kavanaugh & Jamie Peterson

SDMHCA Documents

• Bylaws
• Policies & Procedures
• SDMHCA Meeting Minutes April 2022

Become a Member

Membership in SDMHCA is encouraged to any person actively engaged in counseling, human development, mental health delivery, or guidance services. Licensed Professional Counselors, school counselors, counselor educators, counseling students, and others who are interested in the advancement of counseling profession are welcome.

Association Profile

• SDMHCA is a recognized chapter of the American Mental Health Counselors Association.
• SDMHCA is a division of the South Dakota Counseling Association (SDCA).
• SDCA is a division of the American Counseling Association.