Mission.

Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) acknowledges the systemic barriers within our society and profession that impact clients, students, counselors, schools, families, and communities. We use personal and collective activism as a vehicle to address disparities through collaboration with communities, schools, mental health practitioners, and other service providers, as well as involvement in political, regulatory, and legislative processes. Our mission is to incorporate social justice advocacy into our roles as clinicians, supervisors, educators, and researchers by:
1) building relationships within the schools and communities in which we work; 2) addressing institutional and educational barriers at all levels; 3) uplifting marginalized and minoritized voices; and 4) producing anti-racist and anti-oppressive research and theory that address inequities and promote social change.

Who  is  CSJ?

CSJ has been a consistent voice for counselors involved in social justice work. CSJ members have successfully advocated on a number of issues including: healthcare for women & TGNC, equal access for disabled, issues of discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community, racism, classism, and immigration. CSJ has:

Design by Kate Madden

• Published strong organizational position statements 
• Developed and lead to ACA’s endorsement of the Social Justice Advocacy Competencies
• Promoted Multicultural Competencies and socially responsible approaches to counseling

CSJ   Programs

As a social justice organization, CSJ actively leads several programs for counselor advocates and activists to include:

• Chapter Town Halls
• Committees (10)
• Mentorship Program
• Doctoral Internship Program
• Membership Events
• Monthly Webinar Series
• Professional Development Academy
• ACA Conference Events
• Annual Awards and Grants
• Quarterly Newsletters
• Organizational Position Statements
• Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology

READ THE BYLAWS

READ THE HISTORY

Moving  ​Forward

Social justice is an issue that touches all lives. In 2018, CSJ joined with AMCD, SAIGE, ASGW, and ASERVIC in solidarity to begin a new practice of joint webinars, advocacy statements, and service days as well as continued collaboration and support of social justice. 

Looking forward, CSJ strives to achieve a larger impact through:

• Mentorship & Leadership
• Education & Training Opportunities
• Outreach 
• Collaboration

Leadership

Delila OWENS

President (2021-2022)

Dr. Delila Owens is a Professor in the School of Counseling, College of Health and Human Sciences at The University of Akron. She has spent 17 years as a faculty member, researcher, consultant, and advocate for the profession. Her scholarship focuses primarily on racially minoritized individuals, and multicultural and school counseling. She has served as President of North Central ACES, a regional division of the  Association of Counselor Education and Supervision; President of Ohio Counselors for Social Justice; member of the school counselor advisory board of Akron Public Schools; and member of the Kohl Family YMCA’s advisory board. Dr. Owens earned a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Michigan State University, Master's degree from Central Michigan University, and undergraduate degree from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. 

2021-2022 executive board 

President: Delila Owens
President Elect: Ebony White
Past President: Colette Dollarhide
Secretary: Teresa Gregersen
Treasurer: Chiquita Holmes
Communications Officer: Emma Giordano
Community Representative: Kshipra Jain
Governing Council Representative: Rachael Goodman
Retiree/Limited Means Representative: Jane Goodman
School Representative: Shekila Melchior
Student Representative: Jazmone Wilkerson

Still got questions? Email Info@counseling-csj.org