INDIANA COUNSELING ASSOCIATION EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM 2024-2025 

Please join us in welcoming and congratulating our ICA Emerging Leaders for 2024-2025!

Sonata Miles, Rachael Anne Myers, and Cameron Simmons

These spectacular individuals will be serving alongside our Board of Directors to help us reach our goals this year, including uniting mental health efforts in advocacy, building strong networks of connection and collaboration to improve workforce and graduate student counseling development, and supporting counselors in their professional development and learning. 

Applications Closed for 2024-2025

The Indiana Counseling Association (ICA) is pleased to announce the 2024-2025 Emerging Leaders Program.  In an effort to demonstrate a continued commitment to the leadership and professional development of ICA members, along with the advancement of our state association and the counseling profession as a whole, the ICA is seeking to award two graduate counseling students (master’s or doctoral) and one new professional early in her or his career as 2024-2025 Emerging Leaders.  The Emerging Leaders Program will provide participants with cultivating experiences that support leadership skill and competency development, and diverse opportunities to actively participate in ICA Executive Board meetings, serve on a committee, task force, and/or engage in projects of interest, receive mentorship, build professional networks, and gain exposure to the responsibilities associated with fulfilling elected leadership positions. 

Emerging Leader award recipients will be selected to partake in 50 hours of service to ICA during the 2024-2025 term (August 2024-June 2025).  Recipients must be an ICA member at the time of application submission, and your status (i.e., master, doctoral, or new professional) should be based on your student/graduation status as of January 1, 2025.  New professionals must have graduated within the previous year to qualify for the program.  

Emerging Leaders will receive free conference registration to the 2024 ICA Conference and be recognized at the awards ceremony.

Applicants who have exhibited exceptional leadership potential, and that hold a willingness to serve ICA in a variety of roles for the betterment of the counseling profession and the consumers of counseling services are sought.

Applications are to be submitted to the ICA Executive Director. A selection committee will review applications and select the Emerging Leaders. The deadline for receiving applications is August 1, 2024. If you need additional information, please contact the Executive Director at execdirector@indianacounseling.org.

Important Dates and Timeline:

August 1st, 2024:	Applications Due (all required materials must be received by this date)
August 2nd,  2024:	Selection Committee begins Reviews
August 9th, 2024:	Emerging Leaders identified and notified

Program Overview

The ICA Emerging Leaders Program offers outstanding ICA graduate student and professional members early in their careers an opportunity to broaden their awareness and leadership potential in the profession.  ICA created the program to assist future leaders in developing skills and competencies that can advance the counseling profession and the consumers of counseling services.  Applicants who have demonstrated a willingness and capacity to provide leadership are sought.  ICA is committed to investing in Emerging Leaders who will endure and prosper in their service to the profession and counseling consumers. 

The ICA Emerging Leaders program is designed to expose emerging ICA leaders to new and stimulating ideas, and to provide an opportunity to be of service to ICA and to the counseling profession.  The Emerging Leaders will attend ICA Executive Council meetings and choose projects of interest for their participation and leadership development.  The Emerging Leader positions are non-paid, part-time volunteer professional service positions. The Emerging Leaders will be assigned an ICA mentor, and will communicate with their assigned mentor (e.g., ICA President, Committee Chair) primarily by email and telephone.  There is no stipend associated with the position. 

The ICA Emerging Leaders Program is intended to provide participants with opportunities to:

• Develop their leadership skills

• Learn about the governance structure of ICA

• Become acquainted with significant individuals and groups involved in ICA’s activities and the counseling profession

• Complete special projects on behalf of ICA

• Develop personally and professionally as an Emerging Leader in the counseling profession

• Broaden their professional network through service to ICA

ICA Emerging Leader Activities

Emerging Leaders are required to participate in the following ICA activities during the 2025 ICA Conference:

• Volunteer at the ICA booth

• Attend the ICA Executive Council Meeting 

• Provide any additional service required during the conference

• Serve on at least one committee

• Help with special projects as needed

• Present at the conference 

In addition, the activities of Emerging Leaders will include as a minimum, but not be limited to:

• Providing a minimum of 50 hours of service on an ICA committee or task force during the 2024-2025 leadership year (August 2024-June 2025)

• Contribute to the newsletter

• Provide a written project(s) outcome summary (1-2 pages) including an account of a minimum of 50 hours in active service to ICA. The outcome summary should be submitted to the ICA Executive Director two weeks prior to July 1, 2025.

Criteria for Selection as an ICA Emerging Leaders 

All nominees for ICA Emerging Leaders positions must meet the following prerequisites:

• Be a current and active ICA member

• Be enrolled in a graduate counseling program (master’s or doctoral), or be a counseling program graduate in the early years of professional development (no more than one year since earning their last graduate counseling degree)

Nominees for Emerging Leader positions will be evaluated and selected based on the following additional criteria:

• Two letters of reference describing their leadership skills and experiences, and why they should be selected as an Emerging Leader. One letter must come from an ICA member. 

• Enthusiasm for, and an ability to carry out the Emerging Leaders experience as indicated by the nominee’s goals statement and letters of recommendation.

• Willingness to commit a minimum of 50 hours of service to an ICA committee, project, or task for the 2024-2025 year

• Leadership Potential

• Ability and willingness to attend the 2024 ICA Conference