2027 ACCA Call for Programs
THEME: Holding the Reins: Leading with Strength, Stability, & Support
Deadline for submission is September 7, 2026
SESSION FORMATS
Sessions for the conference can be in one of three formats:
● Breakout sessions: These 90-minute sessions can take various forms, from a single presenter to or panel presentation.
● Pre-Conference sessions: These half-day or full-day sessions can take a deeper dive into advanced clinical concepts.
● Poster session: Posters will be on display throughout the conference, with a specified period for authors to answer questions about their study and findings.
SESSION TOPICS:
This year’s theme is dedicated to navigating changes within our current collegiate system, including (but not limited to):
● Fostering deep and meaningful connections as an antidote to the loneliness epidemic amongst the college population
● Best practices and ethical considerations for the utilization of digital and AI-driven tools
● Prioritization of compassion fatigue in an evolving college counseling landscape
We are interested in topics that explore ideas related to this theme and promote the advancement of the field of college counseling.
We would be especially interested in session topics for the 2027 conference, such as:
- Cultivating calm: How counseling centers can be sources of hope, positivity, and inspirational leadership at institutions of higher education.
- Innovative services: Identifying best practices in both new and established approaches such as groupwork, outreach, and AOD interventions.
- Student population considerations: Addressing the ever changing landscape of student identities, particularly for those underrepresented, underserved, non-traditional, student athletes, neurodivergent, and international students.
- Addressing existential concerns: Helping students find themselves and their future path among presenting concerns such as the loneliness epidemic, lack of basic needs, financial security, and health challenges.
- Cross-campus/Interdepartmental collaboration/training/consultation: Empowering partner offices across campus to address behavioral interventions/threat assessment, mental health literacy, and student support.
- Clinical Supervision and Training: Best practices in clinical training, creating internship programming, and promoting growth during supervision. Consider presentations on topics related to ethics, supervision, and diagnosis/treatment.
- Community College Focus: Address and support the cultural, systemic, and logistical differences in community college counseling centers.
- Growth, Resilience, Instinct, and Tenacity (GRIT): How can college counseling centers work to reframe a growth mindset over a fixed mindset, and redefine resilience within the college population.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
To submit your conference proposal, you will need to provide the following information:
1. For each presenter (primary and co-presenters):
○ Name
○ Credentials
○ Title
○ Degree/License
○ Organization
○ Email
○ Address
○ CV/Vita (upload)
○ Brief Bio
○ Headshot (jpeg or png file)
2. For each presentation, the following information will be needed:
○ Session Topic
○ Instructional Level
○ Abstract - 300-word maximum
○ Learning Objectives (minimum of 2)
○ Research Citations (minimum of 3, within the last 10 years)
○ Primary Presenter credentials
Deadline for submissions: September 7, 2026