Divisions

Divisions are affiliates of the national branches of the American Counseling Association. Each division represents a special interest in the field of counseling. In order to be a member of a division, one must be a member of OCA.

Association of Child and Adolescent Counselors Ohio (ACAC Ohio)

The mission of ACACO is to promote a greater awareness, advocacy, and understanding of children and adolescents, as defined as the ages from birth through adolescence, among members of the counseling profession and related helping fields; advance developmentally appropriate prevention and intervention strategies for counseling children and adolescents; provide professional development activities to improve education and training of counselors who work with children and adolescents; and disseminate educational and professional materials with the purpose of raising the standards of practice for children and adolescents in counseling, psychotherapy, and mental health.

Ohio Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (OACES)

The Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision strives to advance the preparation, life-long professional development, and supervision of counselors and to enhance counseling services in all settings. Professional members of OACES support the transformative growth and development of students as they matriculate through master’s and doctoral counselor education programs throughout the state.

Ohio Association for Counselors in Private Practice (OACPP)

The Ohio Association for Counselors in Private Practice (OACPP) is a division of the Ohio Counseling Association focused on empowering counselors who work in a private practice setting by providing education, networking opportunities, updates on relevant legal, ethical, and legislative issues, and a collective voice at the state level. The OACPP supports private practice clinicians, supervisors, managers, and owners through professional development opportunities for building knowledge, skills, and community.

Ohio Association for Multicultural Counseling & Development (OAMCD)

The Ohio Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (OAMCD) is a division of the Ohio Counseling Association (OCA). It is a professional counseling organization which values the integrity and dignity of all persons regardless of cultural differences and upholds high standards for professionalism. OAMCD is committed to incorporating culture in the counseling process and serving the needs of underrepresented groups. 

Ohio College Counseling Association (OCCA)

The OCCA is focused on providing support for counseling professionals who work in higher education settings. The mission of the OCCA is to enhance the professional development of those who work in university, college, community, and technical college settings.

Ohio Association for Resiliency and Trauma Counseling (OARTC)

Our mission is to lead Ohio in training and sustaining trauma-informed counselors and developing trauma-informed best practices to enhance and promote the welfare and resiliency of the individuals, families, and communities we serve.

Ohio Association for Spiritual, Ethical, & Religious Values in Counseling (OASERVIC)

OASERVIC is devoted to professionals who believe that spiritual, ethical, religious, and other human values are essential to the full development of the person and to the discipline of counseling. This division of OCA stresses the "SPIRIT" in the "Mind - Body - Spirit" process of counseling. Nearly every day, we are confronted with events and discoveries that challenge our ethical common sense. The mission of OASERVIC is to provide a forum for informed and thoughtful consideration of these issues and how they affect counselor education, the counseling profession and the client-counselor relationship.

Ohio Association for Specialists in Group Work (OASGW)

The mission of OASGW is to assist and further the interests of children, youth and adults by seeking to provide effective services through the group medium consistent with the goals of the Association for Specialists in Group Work. Specifically, the goals are to promote group work, facilitate maximum development and remediate disabling behaviors and patterns. Additionally, we promote group training, education, research, standards and service in the field of group work.

Ohio Career Development Association (OCDA)

The Ohio Career Development Association promotes the career development of all people over the life-span. To achieve this, OCDA provides service to the public and professionals involved with or interested in career development, including professional development activities, research, public information, professional standards and advocacy.

Ohio Counselors for Social Justice (OCSJ)

The mission of the OCSJ is to empower, unite, and support counselors in the promotion of social justice throughout Ohio by identifying and confronting oppressive systems of power and privilege that affect our clients, our profession, and our state.

Ohio Mental Health Counselors Association (OMHCA)

OMHCA represents mental health counselors who are advocating for client-access to quality services within the health care industry. OMHCA is committed to promoting the profession of mental health counseling. OMHCA actively monitors legislation on both the state and federal level that impacts the ability of LPCs and LPCCs to practice their profession. In addition to meeting with legislators and state administrators, OMHCA also communicates with leaders in private industry to educate them about the use of LPCs and LPCCs as specialists in the delivery of behavioral healthcare services, encouraging the inclusion of LPCs and LPCCs on managed-care provider panels. OMHCA is also committed to providing professional development opportunities for Ohio mental health counselors.

Ohio Substance Use Disorders Professionals (OSUDP)

The mission of OSDUP is to promote a greater awareness, advocacy, and understanding of substance use disorder issues and support for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Services include MH counseling, referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups and community-based organization providing additional support.

The Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities of Ohio (SAIGEO)

SAIGE of Ohio's (SAIGEO; formerly ALGBTICO) mission is to promote greater awareness, understanding, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ issues among members of the counseling profession, students, the clients they serve, and related helping occupations.