MISSISSIPPI LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
(2009 Revision)
A Division of the Mississippi Counseling Association
Article I – Name
The name of the Association shall be the Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselors Association, a division of the Mississippi Counseling Association and a state division of the American Mental Health Counselors Association.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of this Association shall be to:
- Promote the profession of mental health counseling.
- Provide a system of information exchange among Licensed Professional Counselors and mental health counselors through newsletter, website and other educational and professional material.
- Provide programs for Licensed Professional Counselors and mental health counselors to assist with updating/enhancing counseling competencies.
- Promote legislation which advances and recognizes the profession of Licensed Professional Counselors.
- Provide a public forum for Licensed Professional Counselors and mental health counselors to address the social and emotional needs of their clients/patients.
- Provide an alliance with counselors in a variety of work settings to advance the entire profession of counseling.
- Promote minimal training standards necessary for mental health counselors.
- Promote scientific research and inquiry into mental health concerns.
- Promote a liaison on the state and national level with other professional groups to assist the advancement of the mental health field.
- Provide the public with information concerning the role and function of the Licensed Professional Counselor.
- Promote equitable licensure and certification for counselors on the state level.
Article III – Membership
Section1. Classes of membership shall be those prescribed for the Mississippi Counseling Association and the American Mental Health Counselors Association, a division of the American Counseling Association.
Section 2. Any person may be a member of this division provided:
(a) He/she holds a master’s degree or higher professional degree, in a clinical mental health field (such as community counseling, counseling psychology, clinical psychology, agency counseling, and mental health counseling) conferred by a graduate school of recognized standing, or
(b) He/she is a student who is enrolled in a planned program leading toward degree in a clinical mental health major (see examples in “a” above) and who is planning to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.
(c) He/she is actively employed in the delivery of clinical mental health services in a community mental health center, a state agency or institution, a public or private counseling center, a private practice, a hospital, or similar settings, or
(d) He/she is actively working in the delivery of clinical mental health services while earning supervised hours toward licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor, or
(e) He/she is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has retired after years of service in a community mental health center, a state agency or institution, a public or private counseling center, a private practice, a hospital, or a similar setting and who has maintained his/her license.
Article IV – Meetings of the Association
Section 1. The official business year of the Association shall be that of the Mississippi Counseling Association.
Section 2. An annual meeting of the Association shall be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Mississippi Counseling Association.
Section 3.The President may, with the approval of the Executive Council, call additional meetings of the Association when necessary or desirable.
Article V – Officers
Section 1.The officers of this Association shall be a President, President-elect, President-elect-elect, Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Section 2. The President shall be the Chief Executive officer of the Association and Chairperson of its Executive Council. He/she shall appoint the chairpersons and members of all committees unless otherwise specifically provided for in these By-Laws or by the motion establishing such committees. The President shall serve as representative to the Executive Board of the Mississippi Counseling Association and shall be the state representative to the American Mental Health Counselors Association.
Section 3. The President-elect shall act as President at all Association or Executive Council meetings in the absence of the President and shall succeed to the presidency at the expiration of his/her term as President-elect.
Section 4. The Past President shall serve for one year following expiration of his/her presidential term.
Section 5. The Secretary shall keep all records of the current activities of the Association and its Executive Council.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall have custody of all the funds of the Association and other properties belonging to the Association. He/she shall deposit all funds of the Association according to the financial policy of the Mississippi Counseling Association. The Executive Council shall from time to time prescribe methods and procedures for authorizing the expenditure of and the accounting for such funds.
Section 7. Qualifications
Each officer shall be a member in good standing and shall have been so for at least one year previous to nomination. In addition, each officer must be a member of the American Counseling Association and the American Mental Health Counselors Association. No member is eligible to serve in the same office for more than two consecutive terms of office.
Section 8. Terms of Office
The term of office for the President, the President-elect, the President-elect-elect, and the past president shall be one year. The term of office for the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be two years.
Article VI – Executive Council
Section 1. The Executive Council shall be the agency through which the general administrative and executive functions of the Association shall be carried out. It shall conduct, manage, and control the business of the Association between official meetings of the Association.
Section 2. The Executive Council of this Association shall be composed of:
(a) The Officers of the Association.
(b) The Chairpersons of the standing committees.
(c) Other persons appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Council whose services may be needed for special purposes.
Section 3. All members of the Executive Council of this Association shall be voting members.
Article VII – Committees
Section 1. The standing committees of the Association shall be: (a) Government Relations Committee shall be responsible for monitoring the activities of the state and national legislators and other appropriate regulator bodies and to advise and inform the Association of developments relative to these groups that affect the welfare and working conditions of Licensed Professional Counselors and clinical mental health counselors. The Liaison to the LPC Board shall be a member of this Committee
(b) Membership Committee shall seek ways to increase the membership of the Association through the addition of new members and provide guidance for retention of members. The Chair of this committee shall be the President- Elect-Elect.
(c) Nominations and Elections Committee shall be responsible for carrying out the nominations and elections procedures in accordance with these By-Laws and the By-Laws of the Mississippi Counseling Association. Chair of this committee shall be the Immediate Past President.
(d) Program Committee shall be responsible for the programs and arrangements for all meetings of the Association. Chair of this committee shall be the President Elect.
(e) Communications Committee shall coordinate and direct the Newsletter, website, and all publications of this Association.
(f) Public Relations Committee shall initiate, encourage and direct activities to build good public relations.
(g) Resolutions Committee shall solicit and develop appropriate resolutions to be presented to the membership of the Association at the Annual Meeting, such resolutions to be consistent with the overall purposes of the Association.
(h) Service, Publications, and Research Awards Committee shall solicit and develop appropriate awards to be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Association and for recognition with national associations.
(i) Ethics Committee shall educate the membership in understanding and utilizing ethical and standard professional decision making in the delivery of counseling services.
(j) Scholarship Committee shall disseminate information and applications for MLPCA sponsored scholarships; shall receive completed applications; and choose the recipient.
(k) Strategic Planning Committee shall be the three (3) most recent Past Presidents who will assist the officers with planning and goal setting for the Association.
Section 2. Special committees may be authorized by the Association or the Executive Council. Such committees shall continue for not more that two years unless otherwise specified in the motions establishing them.
Section 3. The Chairperson of each committee shall serve for a period of two years, but may be reappointed for one additional year.
Article VIII – Dues
Section 1. In addition to any allocation received from the Mississippi Counseling Association and/or the American Mental Health Counselors Association, this Association may assess additional dues provided such assessments are recommended by the Executive Council and approved by a majority of the membership present in a regular business meeting of the Association.
Article IX – Election of Officers.
Section 1. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall prepare an official slate of nominees for the positions of President-elect, President-elect-elect, Secretary, Treasurer and for the President, when necessary. The committee should take into consideration the individual’s qualifications for office, geographical location, the nominee’s fields of interest, and his/her consent in order to provide a diverse representation of counselors throughout the state.
Section 2. The slate of officers prepared by this committee shall be sent by the President to the Secretary of the Mississippi Counseling Association for inclusion with the ballot of the Association.
Section 3. Ballots will be canvassed and a report of the election made at the annual business meeting of the Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselors Association. A plurality vote of members voting shall constitute election to office.
Section 4. Elected officers will assume the duties of their office at the beginning of the fiscal year in accordance with policy of the Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselors Association.
Section 5. In case of a vacancy in the office of the President, the President-elect shall succeed to the President’s unexpired term and continue through the term for which elected. The Past President shall remain in office coinciding with the term of office of the succeeding President. In the event the President-elect should resign or be unable to complete his/her unexpired term, the President-elect-elect shall succeed to the President-elect’s unexpired term and continue through the term for which elected.
In case of a vacancy in any of the other offices, the Executive Council shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the next regular election.
Section 6. If sections 1, 2, and 3 of this article cannot be implemented, the President, with approval of the Executive Council, may request nominations for office via the newsletter/website/email. Nominations and Elections Committee shall then prepare a slate of officers, nominating at least two candidates per office. The membership shall be canvassed through newsletter/website/email and ample time shall be allowed for votes to be counted so that new officers may assume their duties before the start of the next fiscal year.
Article X – Conduct of Business
Section 1. The Constitution and By-Laws of the Mississippi Counseling Association shall govern the proceedings of this Association not otherwise specified in these By-Laws.
Section 2. Twenty percent of the members of this Association shall constitute a quorum authorized to transact any business duly presented in any publicized meeting of the Association.
Section 3. A majority of the authorized membership of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum for conducting business of that Council.
Article XI – Amendments to By-Laws
Section 1. Amendments to these By-Laws may be made at the annual meeting if such amendments are approved by two thirds of the members voting. Proposals to amend must be submitted in writing to the President at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.
Section 2. In case of an emergency the Executive Council may submit a proposed amendment to the membership by a mail/electronic mail vote. Twenty (20) days after mailing the proposed amendment the polls shall be closed and the votes counted by the Executive Council. If passed by a majority of the members voting, the amendment shall go into effect.
Adopted 1980
Amended November 1986
Amended November 1991
Amended November 2, 2000
Amended November 6, 2003
Amended November 4, 2009