In Chapter 1 of your textbook, the section called Where Are We Going? presents issues that are likely to influence your practice as a clinical mental health counselor in the future. The articles assigned for this unit and the ACA’s 20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling, linked in the Resources, also discuss the history and current status of many issues in the discipline of clinical mental health counseling.

For your post, complete the following: Select an issue that you expect to impact your future practice opportunities. Describe the issue; then discuss how historical and social trends created this issue and why it is now in the foreground for the field. Support your points by citing the readings assigned in this unit, and at least one news article or press release found on the Web sites of the ACA or AMHCA. (For guidance on the proper way to cite information from the Internet, review the APA Style and Format information on Campus. For examples of these citations, refer to the Internet resources listed in the syllabus for this course.)

Support your positions with appropriate references. Also, review the SafeAssign page in the Resources. Then submit your initial discussion post in a Word document to SafeAssign for an analysis of your citation of sources. Note: you will need to save a copy of the SafeAssign report for a Unit 2 discussion. Response Guidelines

Review all posts and respond to at least two other learners who identified a different issue than you did. Explain what you have learned from their responses that deepens your understanding of how the history and philosophical foundations of counseling have contributed to current trends and professional issues in the clinical mental health counseling field.

Keep in mind that the objective of the response posts is to stimulate discussion, promote an exchange of ideas, and generate a sense of community among your fellow learners in the courseroom. With this in mind, please choose a post that has had few or no responses. In doing so, your responses will increase the sense of community shared in this course. Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components: Research the history and development of a specific area of clinical mental health counseling. Identify key events that have influenced counseling services available for a specific population. Apply graduate level skill in research, writing, and critical thinking. Apply knowledge of APA citation style. Resources Discussion Participation Scoring Guide. 20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling: The New Consensus Definition of Counseling. 20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling. American Counseling Association. American Mental Health Counselors Association. SafeAssign. APA Style and Format.