Submit to Presidential Award Nomination Form

PRESIDENTIAL AWARD



This award honors individuals who have given outstanding service and/or leadership to TCA and/or to the guidance and counseling profession. There is no requirement to present this award each year.



  • Any TCA member can submit a nomination for the Presidential Award. Nominees do not have to be members of TCA.

  • Nominations must be submitted in writing and include supporting data that cite the leadership and/or service.

  • Nominations must be received by the TCA office no later than June 1 of each calendar year.

  • The President presents all nominations to the Board for final selection at the June meetings.

  • An individual can receive a TCA Presidential Award only once.

  • The Past President presents this award at the TCA Annual Professional Growth Conference.


Submit to Dr. Jamesanna Kirven Outstanding Counseling Award Nomination Form

THE DR. JAMESANNA KIRVEN OUTSTANDING COUNSELOR AWARD



This award is presented to an individual in recognition of his/her contributions in one or more areas of professional counseling. The award was renamed in 2005 to the 'Dr. Jamesanna Kirven Outstanding Counseling Award,' in honor of Dr. Jamesanna Kirven, the first Certified Counselor in Texas. Throughout her life, Dr. Kriven was involved in some form of educational activity. One of her greatest accomplishments was bringing the Principles and Theory of Guidance to Texas. Dr. Kirven worked as a Counselor, Supervisor of Secondary Area Counselors, and Supervision Director of Trainees for License in the Division of Mental Health. She also served as a Senator for TCA and was a charter member of seven TCA Divisions. The criteria for the award is as follows:



  • The individual must be a TCA member for at least one full year preceding the nomination.

  • The person must be a member of TCA, a local Chapter and a Division.


  • A resume may be submitted along with examples of professional achievement and personal dedication.



An individual TCA member, a Chapter or Division may submit a nomination for the TCA Outstanding Counselor Award.

Submit to The Molly Gerold Human Rights Award Nomination Form

THE MOLLY GEROLD HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD



This award is presented to an individual in recognition of his/her contributions in one or more areas of human rights. The award is named in memory of Molly Gerold, a counselor for the Northeast Independent School District in San Antonio. Molly was an innovator and was the district's counselor for the gifted and talented program. She was a creative, energetic woman who served as the Elementary Vice-President for the Texas School Counselor Association, contributed her poetry to the TCA Journal, and co-authored several articles. The criteria for the award is as follows:



  • The individual must be a TCA member for at least one full year preceding the nomination.

  • Entries should contain evidence of activities that focus on the nominee's contributions to human rights.

  • Entries should contain documentation of or implications for change relative to an area of human rights.

  • Entries should demonstrate that the individual has exhibited a pattern of continued activity in the area of human rights.

  • Individual TCA members, Chapters or Divisions may submit nominations for this award.



An individual, TCA Chapter or Division may submit a nomination for this award.

Submit to Outstanding Graduate Student Award Nomination Form

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD



This award is presented to a graduate student in counselor education whose dedication and academic work demonstrate excellence in the theory and practice of some significant area of counseling and exhibits outstanding scholarship.



  • The individual must be a TCA member for at least one full year preceding the nomination.

  • The individual must be a student pursuing a graduate degree in counseling at any time during the year preceding the nomination.

  • The individual must have compiled an outstanding academic record in his or her graduate studies, in some significant area of counseling.

  • The individual must have demonstrated through independent work a commitment to issues of counseling (e.g. published or engaged in scholarly activities related to issues of counseling, developed innovative programs, demonstrated leadership in counseling at the local, state, regional, national, or international level, participated actively in community service and/or advocacy initiatives).



Students may submit nominations on their own behalf or have their work submitted by a colleague or professor.

Submit to John Shirley Advocacy Award Nomination Form

JOHN SHIRLEY ADVOCACY AWARD

The John Shirley Advocacy Award recognizes an individual or community organization for excellence in legislative advocacy efforts. Effective legislative efforts require the tireless energy of individuals dedicated to making a difference for the future of the counseling professional and the communities in which they serve. Only through legislative advocacy can counseling professionals educate the state and governmental leaders regarding the importance of mental health wellness. The criteria for this award is as follows:
 
  • The individual must be a TCA member for at least one full year preceding the nomination.
  • The nominee must be an individual or community counseling organization. 
  • Self-nominations are welcome.
  • Award recipients must have engaged in a concerted activity aimed at achieving a specific legislative, regulatory, or organizational goal. Although actual legislative accomplishments are particularly worthy of recognition, a greater emphasis will be placed on the effective, collaborative, and productive efforts of the individual or organization. 

 

Nomination may only be submitted by a member of TCA, its Divisions or Chapters

Submit to Research Award Nomination Form

RESEARCH AWARD




This award is presented to an individual (or individuals) whose in-depth, academic research and work demonstrate excellence in the theory and practice of a significant area of professional counseling. The criteria for this award is as follows:



  • The individual must be a TCA member for at least one full year preceding the nomination.

  • Research materials must be submitted with the resume as part of the documented evidence.

  • The nomination will be judged on the basis of how the research was accomplished and the benefits to counseling.

  • The Research Award cannot be given to an individual in the following areas:

    • Doctoral dissertations

    • Masters papers





An individual, TCA Chapter or Division may submit a nomination for the Research Award.

Submit to Professional Writing Award Nomination Form

PROFESSIONAL WRITING AWARD



This award is presented to an individual (or individuals) whose writing demonstrates excellence in a significant area of the counseling profession. The criteria for this award is as follows:



  • The individual must be a TCA member for at least one full year preceding the nomination.

  • The written document must be submitted with the resume as a part of the documented evidence. The document must pertain to counseling and guidance activities.

  • The Professional Writing Award cannot be given to an individual in the following areas:

    • Doctoral dissertations.

    • Masters papers.





An individual TCA member, a Chapter or a Division may submit a nomination for the Professional Writing Award.

Submit to Layperson Exemplary Service Award Nomination

LAYPERSON EXEMPLARY SERVICE AWARD



This award is presented annually by the Texas Counseling Association to a layperson as recognition of his/her exemplary service in the support and promotion of guidance and counseling in the State of Texas. The criteria for this award is as follows:



  • Nominees must not be in the profession of guidance and counseling.

  • Provide documented evidence of the individual's support and promotion of counseling and guidance.

  • Submitting a resume is suggested, but not required.



An individual TCA member, Chapter or Division may submit a nomination for this award.

Submit to Outstanding TCA Chapter Award Nomination Form

OUTSTANDING TCA CHAPTER AWARD



This award is presented to a regional Chapter of the Texas Counseling Association in recognition of their exemplary service to their members, and in the support and promotion of professional counseling in the State of Texas. The criteria for this award is as follows:



  • Documented evidence, no more than ten pages, such as communication, service to membership, research activities, promotional activities, and any other data that reflect the Chapter's accomplishment during the previous association year.

  • Consideration will be given to Chapter newsletters based on originality and creativity, promotion of professional counseling and enhancement of Chapter activities. One copy of each issue of the newsletter should be submitted.

  • Consideration will also be given to activities that focus attention on human rights issues, such as workshops, special projects, development of materials, or interactions with other groups or associations. Entries should contain documentation of or implications for change relative to an area of human rights. The entries should demonstrate that activities were an intentional act of the Chapter to address the topic of human rights.

  • Consideration will be given to public relations products that positively promote the guidance and counseling profession to the public. The product can be, but is not limited to, the following: brochure, video tape, newspaper series, T-shirt, or billboard. The product must be a non-commercial item and must be sent to the committee. If it is impossible to send the product, an enlarged photograph will suffice. Entries should list specific markets/groups targeted by the public relations activity/product. Some public acknowledgment of the public relations effort should be included, such as letters from the community, newspaper articles, etc.

  • In the area of membership, consideration will be given to the Chapter with the greatest annual percentage of growth in TCA membership during the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). Creative and innovational promotional activities, projects, or strategies for encouraging membership in TCA and the Chapter will be taken into consideration as well as the Chapter's processes of recognizing new members and acknowledging current members sponsoring/promoting professional membership. Chapter strategies for inclusion of all kinds of counselors, for flexibility in accommodation for various meeting structures (e.g. time, date, location, needs assessments, survey results, etc.) and for communication in inviting and keeping TCA members should be listed. Upon receiving the award, the Chapter should be prepared to share information about their promotional projects and strategies. This information would be shared through Guidelines, information sent to Chapters by the Membership/Member Services Committee, and a display at the Membership/Members Services booth.


Individual Chapter members or groups of members may submit nominations.


Submit to Outstanding TCA Division Award Nomination Form

OUTSTANDING TCA DIVISION AWARD



This award is presented to a practice-specific Division of the Texas Counseling Association in recognition of their exemplary service to their members, and in the support and promotion of professional counseling in the State of Texas. The criteria for this award is as follows:



  • Documented evidence, no more than ten pages, such as communication, service to membership, research activities, promotional activities, and any other data that reflect the Division's accomplishment during the previous association year.

  • Consideration will be given to Division newsletters based on originality and creativity, promotion of professional counseling and enhancement of Division activities. One copy of each issue of the newsletter should be submitted.

  • Consideration will also be given to activities that focus attention on human rights issues, such as workshops, special projects, development of materials, or interactions with other groups or associations. Entries should contain documentation of or implications for change relative to an area of human rights. The entries should demonstrate that activities were an intentional act of the Division to address the topic of human rights.

  • Consideration will be given to public relations products that positively promote the guidance and counseling profession to the public. The product can be, but is not limited to, the following: brochure, video tape, newspaper series, T-shirt or billboard. The product must be non-commercial item and must be sent to the committee. If it is impossible to send the product, an enlarged photograph will suffice. Entries should list specific markets/groups targeted by the public relations activity/product. Some public acknowledgment of the public relations effort should be included, such as letters from the community, newspaper articles, etc.

  • In the area of membership, consideration will be given to the Division with the greatest annual percentage of growth in TCA membership during the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) Creative and innovational promotional activities, projects, or strategies for encouraging membership in TCA and the Division will be taken into consideration as well as the Division's processes of recognizing new members and acknowledging current members sponsoring/promoting professional membership. Division strategies for inclusion of all kinds of counselors, for flexibility in accommodation for various meeting structures (e.g. time, date, location, needs assessments, survey results, etc.) And for communication in inviting and keeping TCA members should be listed. Upon receiving the award, the Division should be prepared to share information about their promotional projects and strategies. This information would be shared through Guidelines, information sent to Divisions by the Membership/Member Services Committee, and a display at the Membership/Member Services booth


Individual Division members or groups of members may submit nominations.


Submit to Dr. William E. Truax Founders Award

DR. WILLIAM E. TRUAX FOUNDERS AWARD

  

This award is named in memory of Dr. William E. Truax, a ‘founding father’ of TCA. Dr. Truax was a counselor educator and Dean of the College of Education at East Texas State University. In 1950, he helped establish the TCA constitution and in 1958, he served as TCA President. Dr. Truax remained a significant force in the association for many years, giving freely of his time as TCA Executive Secretary for nearly 25 years. 

Criteria:  

  • Nominee must be a member of TCA for at minimum of 15 years, with consecutive membership for at least the past 10 years.
  • The recipient must have demonstrated over this time a global vision and made a significant impact on the counseling profession.
  • Nominee's leadership and contributions must focus primarily on TCA, including divisions and chapters. Regional, national and international contributions may be considered as part of the global vision and significant impact.

Process:  

  • Nominations may be made by any individual or organization.  
  • Nominations must be submitted by June 1st of each calendar year. 
  • Only complete nomination packets will be considered for review (see details below).

Nomination Packet:  

  •   Part 1: A current resume or vita with all dates included. 
  •   Part 2: Professional History 
  1. Employment history
  2. Professional service related activities with specific titles (e.g., Chair, President, etc.) and including TCA, its chapters and divisions.   
  3. Only complete nomination packets will be considered for review (see details below).
  •   Part 3: Professional Accomplishments 
  1.  Professional membership (including dates of membership) 
  2.  Professional licenses and certifications held    
  3.  Professional accomplishments, recognitions and awards 
  •   Part 4: Professional Contributions 
  1. List of publications and presentations (refereed publications and presentations should be listed separately to distinguish the difference categories). 
  2. Description of direct or indirect impact on TCA service, including chapters and divisions.    
  3. Regional, national and international contributions may be considered as part of the global vision and significant impact. (Examples of professional contributions could be, but not limited to, leadership roles, advocacy, etc.) 
  •   Part 5: Professional Practice and Scholarship 
  1. The completed application packet can include a maximum of three letters of support based on the four areas outlined in this section. 
  2. Only one letter may be from a current work-related colleague.     
  3. The letters should speak specifically to the nominee’s qualifications, including appropriate brief examples, relative to the criteria. 


Any individual or organization may submit a nominee for the Dr. William E. Truax Founders Award.  


NOTE: Before beginning your submission, the fields below will update your Submittables account. Please fill out the nominator information section on the next page to ensure that TCA has your contact info.  

Submit to Educational Endowment Fund
The Educational Endowment Fund (EEF) provides professional development grants of up to $500 to individuals who have been members of TCA for at least 12 months prior to application. The EEF Committee reviews and approves applications for EEF grants, and reserves the right to decline giving an award(s) in any year, if suitable application(s) is/are not received, as determined by the EEF Committee.

Purpose: Grants are awarded for (1) course work toward completion of a graduate degree; (2) activities such as original research, conference attendance or specialized study; (3) other professional development or continuing education activities.

Procedures:  Please provide the following information. Respond to items 1-5 completely and succinctly. Your application will be reviewed based on the following criteria.  
  1. Describe the activity and how it matches one or more of the designated areas as state in the EEF purpose.
  2. Describe how this activity will impact the counseling profession, the applicant’s professional growth, and/or the general public.
  3. Describe how this funding will be specifically used. Include a timeline for initiating and completing the activity.
  4. Describe how the results or information gained will be used and/or disseminated.
  5. Submit documentation on the actual use of the award to the EEF Committee no later than twelve (12) months after the award is given.
If I receive this award, I agree to adhere to the purposes as described above; to use the funds exclusively as described in my application and to provide the documentation and final report on the actual use and outcome of this activity to the EEF committee chair within (12) months of receipt of the EEF award. I also understand that I may not reapply for an award for a period of two (2) years.

Submit to LTI Alternate Attendee Application

Approved Attendees eligible for reimbursement to attend LTI are individuals occupying the following positions for FY2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025):

  • Chapter/Division Presidents
  • Chapter/Division Senators
  • Chapter/Division Treasurers
  • TCA Officers and Appointees
  • TCA Division Directors
  • TCA Region Directors

Any requests for alternates must go through a review and be approved by the TCA Executive Committee. Please fill out all applicable sections of the following form .   

Bylaws - Review Request Form - Chapters
Submit to Bylaws - Review Request Form - Chapters

Thank you for your work to ensure that your Chapter/Division bylaws are current and in compliance with TCA. You are receiving this email to confirm that your submission has been successfully received for review. The TCA Bylaws Committee will begin your review with in the next 3 weeks and will contact your with any necessary updates. Please see reminders of the review process below.

It is IMPERATIVE that you follow these instructions to ensure your bylaws review request is properly processed:

Initial Submission:

  • Use the chapter bylaws template to create your first draft (see link below). You MUST utilize the provided template to ensure your bylaws adhere to and cover all sections in the association’s bylaws.
  •  FY2024 Chapter Bylaws Template

Updates & Edits:

  • All communications, requests for edits, and updated documents will be maintained in this system.
  • You will receive a confirmation email from the system confirming that you successfully submitted your bylaws for review. Be sure to check your spam folder as some firewalls flag system generated emails. If you do not receive a confirmation email, then your submission was not received by the system. Please resubmit.
  • The committee will begin the review
  • You will receive communications indicating any necessary edits and your submission will be marked as “Editable.”
  • Make the necessary edits to your master file, delete the old draft, and upload the new document to your submission (see file naming below). This process will repeat until a version of your bylaws is approved by the Bylaws Committee for you to formalize.
  • Once a version has been approved by the committee your submission will be moved marked as “Editable” one final time.
  • At this point you can move forward with formalizing your bylaws and submitting the board/member approved version (see Formalizing Your Bylaws below).

Formalizing Your Bylaws & Submitting the Final File

  • Depending on the specific requirements of your bylaws, you may need to hold a formal vote of your leadership or member body to accept the new bylaws.
  • For those divisions and chapters that utilize TCA’s membership management system, TCA staff can assist you with sending out an eBlast to your member body if necessary. Visit https://form.jotform.com/211096606530147to submit your requests.
  • Once your bylaws have been formalized, you will need upload one final version with the confirmed approval date to your submission.
  • The Bylaws Committee will confirm the file, move the submission status to accepted, and your review will be complete.

Naming Your Files for Upload and File Format

Bylaws reviews can be lengthy and may require multiple iterations. To ensure that there is no confusion we ask that you use the following naming convention when uploading your files:

  • Acronym_Year_Bylaws_Status

o TxCSJ_2023_Bylaws_Draft1

o WTCA_2023_Bylaws_Draft2

o TMHCA_2023_Bylaws_Accepted

o o TPCA_2023_Bylaws_Formalized_01-01-23

Bylaws - Review Request Form - Divisions
Submit to Bylaws - Review Request Form - Divisions

Thank you for your work to ensure that your Chapter/Division bylaws are current and in compliance with TCA. You are receiving this email to confirm that your submission has been successfully received for review. The TCA Bylaws Committee will begin your review with in the next 3 weeks and will contact your with any necessary updates. Please see reminders of the review process below.

It is IMPERATIVE that you follow these instructions to ensure your bylaws review request is properly processed:

Initial Submission:

  • Use the division bylaw template to create your first draft (see link below). You MUST utilize the provided template to ensure your bylaws adhere to and cover all sections in the association’s bylaws.
  • FY2024 Division Bylaws Template

Updates & Edits:

  • All communications, requests for edits, and updated documents will be maintained in this system.
  • You will receive a confirmation email from the system confirming that you successfully submitted your bylaws for review. Be sure to check your spam folder as some firewalls flag system generated emails. If you do not receive a confirmation email, then your submission was not received by the system. Please resubmit.
  • The committee will begin the review
  • You will receive communications indicating any necessary edits and your submission will be marked as “Editable.”
  • Make the necessary edits to your master file, delete the old draft, and upload the new document to your submission (see file naming below). This process will repeat until a version of your bylaws is approved by the Bylaws Committee for you to formalize.
  • Once a version has been approved by the committee your submission will be moved marked as “Editable” one final time.
  • At this point you can move forward with formalizing your bylaws and submitting the board/member approved version (see Formalizing Your Bylaws below).

Formalizing Your Bylaws & Submitting the Final File

  • Depending on the specific requirements of your bylaws, you may need to hold a formal vote of your leadership or member body to accept the new bylaws.
  • For those divisions and chapters that utilize TCA’s membership management system, TCA staff can assist you with sending out an eBlast to your member body if necessary. Visit https://form.jotform.com/211096606530147to submit your requests.
  • Once your bylaws have been formalized, you will need upload one final version with the confirmed approval date to your submission.
  • The Bylaws Committee will confirm the file, move the submission status to accepted, and your review will be complete.

Naming Your Files for Upload and File Format

Bylaws reviews can be lengthy and may require multiple iterations. To ensure that there is no confusion we ask that you use the following naming convention when uploading your files:

  • Acronym_Year_Bylaws_Status

o TxCSJ_2023_Bylaws_Draft1

o WTCA_2023_Bylaws_Draft2

o TMHCA_2023_Bylaws_Accepted

o TPCA_2023_Bylaws_Formalized_01-01-23

Texas Counseling Association