Dear OCA Members,

Today marks the beginning of my term as the 2026-27 President of the Ohio Counseling Association, and I am both honored and humbled to step into this role. Before looking ahead, I want to take a moment to recognize the leaders who have given so much to OCA and helped prepare us for the year to come.

First, I want to thank outgoing Past-President Dr. Michael Lewis for his years of service to the association. OCA has benefited greatly from Mike’s leadership, experience, and commitment to Ohio’s counselors. His contributions will continue to be felt well beyond the conclusion of his time on the Executive Board. I am also grateful to Carmella Hill as she transitions into the role of Past-President. I have learned much from my work alongside her and from her leadership. It is also a pleasure to welcome Dr. Alicia Hall as our new President-Elect. Alicia brings a wealth of experience, energy, and dedication to this role. I look forward to working closely with her and am excited about what she will contribute to OCA’s leadership in the years ahead. Last, but certainly not least, I wish to thank OCA’s Executive Director, Amy Barcelo, Secretary Annaleise Fisher, Treasurer Barbara Moore, and all members of OCA’s Executive Council for their dedication and steadfast service to advancing OCA’s mission and vision.

For those I have not yet met, my name is Chase Morgan-Swaney (he/him). I am a full-time counselor educator, a part-time private practitioner, and a proud member of Ohio’s counseling community. As a member of OCA since 2016, I have served OCA in various capacities over the years, most notably as president of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities of Ohio (SAIGEO), the Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (OACES), and the North Central Ohio Counseling Association (NCOCA), and as chair of the Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee. My work as a counselor, supervisor, educator, servant leader, scholar, and advocate has given me the privilege of learning from students, clients, colleagues, and counselors working in many different settings across our state. Those relationships have shaped how I understand leadership and what I hope we can accomplish together.

Throughout the coming year, I will organize my work around three words that reflect both OCA’s initials and the kind of association I believe we can continue building: Opportunity, Community, and Advocacy.

Opportunity means creating more ways for members to learn, lead, connect, and contribute. I want counselors at every stage of their careers to see a place for themselves within OCA, whether they are attending their first conference this fall at the All Ohio Counselors Conference (AOCC) 2026, seeking mentorship, joining a committee, or stepping into leadership. In the spirit of Opportunity, beginning this fall, OCA will launch monthly continuing education (CE) programs free to OCA members.

Community means making OCA a place where counselors feel that they belong. Our members represent different regions, specialties, work settings, identities, and levels of experience. That personal and professional diversity is one of our greatest strengths. I want us to keep building relationships across those differences and to make sure members feel welcomed, respected, valued, and supported. To foster Community, we will work closely with OCA’s chapters and divisions to begin offering regular Member Meet-ups, whether virtual, in person, or a combination thereof, to share our successes, challenges, and ideas to make OCA even better.

Advocacy means using our collective voice with purpose. Counselors across Ohio are navigating significant professional, legislative, policy, cultural, and social challenges. OCA must continue to protect the identity and integrity of the counseling profession while advocating for the clients, students, families, and communities we serve. That work is especially important when access, dignity, inclusion, and the ability to provide ethical and culturally sustaining care are at stake. In the spirit of Advocacy, one step OCA will take is to establish a Counselor Workforce Pipeline Task Force to address the ongoing behavioral health workforce shortage and emerging threats to the counselor workforce (e.g., the U.S. ED’s Final RISE Rule redefining what is considered a "professional degree" and the federal student loan implications).

Additionally, OCA will continue to develop a managed care strategy to address recent alarming actions by managed care organizations (MCOs) and equip our members with education and tools through webinars, training, guides, and toolkits.

I do not see these priorities as separate from one another. Community helps people find their place here in OCA. Opportunity gives them reasons to stay involved in OCA. Advocacy gives OCA members a shared purpose and reminds us that our voice is stronger when we use it together.

I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me and mindful of the responsibility that comes with it. I enter this year ready to listen, learn, and work alongside you. As we look forward to celebrating OCA’s 60th anniversary in 2027, it’s important to affirm clearly that OCA belongs to all of us and that its future will be shaped by the ideas, experiences, and involvement of its members.

Thank you for being part of this vibrant and vital community. I look forward to the year ahead and to all that we will accomplish together.

In solidarity,

Chase Morgan-Swaney, Ph.D., LPCC-S (OH), LMHC (WA), NCC, CCMHC, ACS

60th President, Ohio Counseling Association