Membership & Member Services
Who is eligible to join the OCA?
Ohio boasts a population of over 6500 counselors working in a variety of professional settings, all of whom are eligible to be members of OCA. Membership is open to any person whose primary responsibilities or interests revolve around the area of counseling.
Why join OCA?
The OCA offers a variety of benefits to both the individual counselor and the counseling profession as a whole.
These benefits include:
OCA Member's Access
1. OCA members can pose questions, make comments, raise points, and discuss concerns directly to the OCA Executive Council by clicking on this link.
2. OCA members are part of the OCA general membership listserv, which keeps members informed of professional growth opportunities, referrals, ethical issues, and conventions.
3. OCA members are invited by the moderator upon joining or renewing to participate in a private Goggle Groups network created as a service to members of the Ohio Counseling Association as a benefit of membership. Here OCA members can pose questions, raise discussions, and share information they feel might be relevant to their OCA colleagues and friends.
Professional Identity
OCA serves as the catalyst that brings together counseling professionals through state divisions and chapters
OCA presents the unified voice of professional counselors to the public
OCA is a state branch of the American Counseling Association, making it the officially sanctioned link to our national organization
Supports and celebrates diversity and condemns discrimination against members and non-members alike
Publishes a quarterly newsletter, Guidelines, which keeps members informed of Division and Chapter activities, professional growth opportunities, ethical issues, and conventions.
Professional Recognition
Contracts Administrative Consultant to perform duties of maintaining membership, answering correspondence, central telephone and fax facility, overseeing newsletter, monitoring legislative action, representing the association to the public, and other duties to serve members
Contracts Lobbyist to support legislation promoting professional counseling and the rights of professional counselors to provide services to the public
Promotes the professional image of all Ohio counselors through pamphlets, brochures, webpage privileges, and other public relation activities
Provides financial support for regional Chapters to provide service and representation of all counselors on a local level
Represents Ohio counselors at the Midwest and national ACA conventions
Serves as liaison with Ohio Counselor and Social Work Board, Ohio Department of Education, and other professional boards
Enforces Ethical Standards of Practice of OCA members
Recognizes accomplishments of members through annual awards
Professional Development
Co-sponsors annual convention, All Ohio Counselors Conference, as well as other conferences and workshops enabling counselors to upgrade skills
Approved provider of Continuing Education Units for counselor license and certification renewal
Provides assistance and coordination to Divisions and Chapters in providing their members with professional development and other quality services
Provides opportunities for networking among professional counselors across Chapters and Divisions
OCA Divisions:
Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (OACES)
Ohio Association. for Multicultural Counseling and Development (OAMCD)
Ohio Mental Health Counselors Association (OAMCD)
Ohio Career Development Association (OCDA)
Ohio Association for Specialists in Group Work (OASGW)
Ohio School Counselors Association (OSCA)
Ohio Association for Spiritual, Ethical & Religious Values in Counseling (OASERVIC)
OCA Chapters:
Central Ohio Counseling Association (COCA)
Eastern Ohio Counselors Association (EOCA)
Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association (GCCA)
Miami Valley Counseling Association (MVCA)
North Central Ohio Counseling Association (NCOCA)
Northwest Ohio Counseling Association (NWOCA)
Southeast Ohio Counseling Association (SEOCA)
Professional Liability Insurance:
 With over 65,000 policyholders exclusively in the mental health field, CPH and Associates has proven to be a leader in providing Professional Liability Insurance to counselors. Professional Liability Insurance is designed to protect your assets and cover your expenses in the event of a suit being filed against you for professional services. This plan provides coverage limits up to $1 million each claim and $5 million aggregate, and includes Unlimited Defense Coverage. It also provides up to $25,000 for the defense of a complaint made to the licensure board. Members of OCA can receive an Instant Quote and Apply Online to receive real time proof of coverage at www.cphins.com.
When is it time to join OCA?
Now is a crucial time in the establishment of our profession and a time for each of us to examine and exercise our commitment to the counseling profession.
With the present status of health care in this country changing on an almost daily basis, and with new decisions being made as to the appropriate core providers of these services, the future of the counseling profession looms before us.
The need for the profession to present a solid and unified front is of great importance in being able to influence the legislature and the public to entrust us with the responsibility and the privilege of providing needed mental health services.
Membership in this professional association, designed specifically to meet the needs of counselors and student counselors, is an excellent way to develop and express your commitment. Ask yourself, why not join? The many benefits of membership will help ensure your professional success!
Join Us! - Click here to become a member.
We encourage you to consider joining your fellow professionals by becoming a member of the Ohio Counseling Association. OCA is committed to advocating for school, mental health, career, and rehabilitation counselors throughout the state. With ever increasing changes and challenges for all of us in counseling careers, it continues to be critically important to support each other through our professional organizations. OCA needs your support to remain strong and vital.
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