NARACES

Greetings NARACES members

First, I want to thank all the board members for their work this year! We are gearing up for the 2026 conference in Manchester, NH and are so excited to see you there. We received about 300 conference proposals. Thank you to the proposal reviewers who worked so quickly. At this point you should have received notice if your proposal was accepted. If you didn’t, please reach out to our conference coordinator. We are currently exploring options for the location of our 2028 conference so you can expect to hear some updates around that this fall. We have several variables we are considering such as accessibility, member safety, and cost. Please remember starting in July all emails will come from our naracesmembership@acesonline.net email so please be sure to add it to your list of contacts to avoid important messages going to your junk folder!

I want to take a moment to extend my gratitude to our board who put so much thought and heart into all they do. Dr. Matt Nice (Past President), Dr. Zoya McCants (President Elect), Dr. Thomas Killian (Treasurer), Dr. Fatma Salem (Secretary), Saiber Saikh (Grad Student Representative), Dr. Joe Charette (Conference Coordinator), and all our committee chairs – Dr Ben Willis (Awards), Dr. Sarah Baquet (Advocacy), Dr. Kathleen Muirhead (Advocacy), Dr. Jocelyn Novella (Wellness), Dr. Rachele Hartley (Wellness), Dr. Carl Sherperis (Journal Editor), Dr. Derek Parker (Communication), Dr. K. Lynn Pierce (Accessibility), Dr. Anthony Zazzzarino (Research Grants), Sarah Litt (State Affiliates), Dr. Michael Mariska (Technology), Justin McDonald (By-laws), Rachael Pursell (Social Media), and Dr. David Moran (PR Task Force). We have seen some excellent webinars from our Advocacy and Wellness committees this year and I know they have plans for more upcoming trainings. We have seen more supports for our graduate students including the new writing support group! We have also seen the team behind the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision improve turnaround time on article reviews with international readership! I look forward to seeing what is to come for our region and will do my best to continue to support in any way I can as my time as President comes to an end.

While I still have this role, I would be remiss to not acknowledge our current reality. We know that things have been difficult; being a counselor, counselor educator, or supervisor is no easy task. You are navigating your own reality while also navigating that of your clients, students, and supervisees. It can feel defeating to watch the news, or to simply look outside and hear/see the continuous harm occurring. Many of the organizations in our profession have put emphasis on listening spaces and looking at self-care. There has also been a call to remember our code of ethics and what that means. It is critical that we look at the actionable steps we can take starting with the very work you do in showing up and how you show up. That is the first form of advocacy which then extends to writing letters, voting, engaging in active protest, and even in writing medically compliant yet protective case notes and treatment plans.

I also want to acknowledge that the weight many of you are carrying is not hypothetical, but lived, both daily and cumulatively. For some this includes holding space for grief, fear, and anger that mirrors your own. For others, it is that quiet exhaustion of continuing to show up while you feel depleted. These experiences are valid and do not diminish your commitment, they speak to your humanity. I think sometimes we forget the reality of what that means. I want to be clear that you are making a difference. Systems often feel unresponsive especially when progress isn’t noticeable and outcomes seem uncertain, yet the relational work you do matters so very much. Every moment of attunement, every instance of advocacy, every effort to provide safety is no small act. These are foundational and will ripple in ways we cannot even see.

As an organization we will continue to look at resources and strengthening professional development opportunities while also continuing to advocate at the local, regional, and national levels to support you and those you serve. We encourage you to stay connected to your colleagues, community, organizations, and the values that brought you into being a counselor educator or supervisor. There is no perfect way to navigate our world, just the ongoing practice of showing up with intention, humility, and courage and I’m incredibly honored and proud to walk with you in that. I’m grateful for all that you do.

With gratitude,

Ashley J. Luedke Ph.D., LMHC-D (NY), LMHC (FL)

NARACES President

We are excited to announce that registration is now officially open for the 2026 NARACES Conference!

In addition, the hotel booking link is now available for attendees who would like to reserve accommodations at the conference hotel. We encourage you to book early, as rooms within the conference block are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Conference Registration: NARACES 2026 CE-GO
Hotel Reservations: https://book.passkey.com/e/51251284 

The 2026 conference will bring together professionals from across the region for networking, collaboration, and learning opportunities focused on advancing our work and strengthening our communities. We look forward to another engaging and meaningful event.

Additional conference details, including the agenda, keynote speakers, and session information, will be shared in the coming months.

We hope you will join us for the 2026 NARACES Conference. Please direct questions to NARACESconf@gmail.com.

Hello NARACES Members!

It is that time again to honor those who we work with on a daily basis through 2026 NARACES Awards!

This is a wonderful way to acknowledge the hard work your colleagues, supervisors, students, and/or faculty are doing in their communities, academic program, and the field of counselor education. Anyone is eligible to nominate a NARACES member for any of these awards. Our award recipients will be honored at 2026 NARACES Regional Conference (September 24-27, 2026 in Manchester, NH).

Below are the six award categories for this year:

1. Marijane Fall / NARACES Counselor Educator of the Year

2. Outstanding Graduate Student Award (Two recipients *Master’s Level Student and Doctorate Level Student)

3. Janine M. Bernard Outstanding Supervisor Award

4. NARACES Social Justice Award

5. NARACES New Professional Award

6. The Journal of Counselor Preparation & Supervision Outstanding Journal Article Award

To nominate someone for an award, please download the 2026 Award Nomination Packet here: https://naraces.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-NARACES-Award-Nomination-Packet.docx.  This packet contains detailed information on each award and procedures for nominations.  

The deadline for nominations is July 1st, 2026.

If you are interested in being apart of the NARACES Awards Committee or have any questions about awards, please email benjamin.willis@scranton.edu to discuss it.

Thank you, and we will look forward to receiving your nominations!

Purpose: The purpose for this call for proposals is to support research related to counselor education and supervision. NARACES will fund up to three proposals for up to $500.

Who May Apply: This grant competition is open to current NARACES members: masters and doctoral students, supervisors, and counselor educators. Student and supervisor researchers are especially encouraged to apply.

Submission Limit: Individuals may submit (or be part of a submission team) for only one proposal. Multiple submissions by any researcher (individually or as part of multiple research teams) will not be accepted.

Proposal Format: Proposals must adhere to the following requirements in order to be considered:

• Follow the guidelines set forth in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.; 2019). [No title page and abstract needed/application form will be title page.]
• Proposal should be no more than four pages, excluding the application form and references.
• Proposals should include a rationale, methodology, budget, plan for dissemination, and references.
• Please prepare the proposal for “blind” review. Remove any researcher identification from the proposal. The application form will include researcher contact information.
• Submitted documents must be in either Microsoft Word or PDF.

Evaluation Criteria: A panel of reviewers will evaluate research proposals using the following criteria:

• The researcher is a current member of NARACES and provides documentation regarding proof of current membership
• The researcher submitted only one grant proposal this review cycle
• Points will be awarded according to the following formula:
  • Proposed topic is within the scope of counselor education and supervision (30 pts.)
  • Relevance of research or practice to counselor education and supervision as evidenced by the literature review (30 pts.)
  • Strength and clarity of the research methodology or description of program (30 pts.)
  • Applicable ethical standards for research with human subjects (10 pts.)
• Note: Funds may not be used for time compensation, including GA work, unless you provide the “employee” with a 1099 Form submitted to the IRS, so that they are taxed appropriately. The budget may include payment for time if the recipient (e.g., transcription company, statistical consultant) accounts for the self-employment or business income and provides a receipt. Receipts must be maintained by the Primary Researcher and made available should ACES request the records.

As a condition of the acceptance of the grant award, the researcher is required to:

• Submit a final report the October following the award of the grant, including a description of research activities and how funding is being used.
• Submit a copy of the proposal in presentation form and present the research results at a NARACES or ACES conference when the next call is announced, [The next call would be for NARACES 2026 conferences.] or provide the research grant committee chair a copy of the manuscript of the research results that has been submitted to a refereed journal for publication consideration
• The researcher will include an acknowledgment of NARACES financial support of the project in all reports, presentations, or publications related to the supported project.

Deadline for Submission: The deadline for submission is May 4, 2026.

Submission Instructions: 

• Complete the application form
• Develop your proposal according to the grant guidelines
• Email the application form and grant proposal submission to NARACES Research Grants Committee Chair, Dr. Anthony Zazzarino at asz28@shp.rutgers.edu.

Please join us in congratulating our NARACES Executive Council for 2027-28!

Please join us in congratulating our NARACES Executive Council for 2026-27!