To Join or Not to Join: School Counselors as a Case Study in Professional Membership

The existence of a formal professional organization is one of the characteristics of a profession (Cruess & Cruess, 1997; Greenwood, 1957; Pugh, 1989). Professional organizations advance and disseminate specialized knowledge and information by publishing journals, newsletters, and other materials. They provide opportunities for continuing education and professional development, such as conferences and workshops, and offer prospects for networking among members. Professional organizations advocate for members on issues such as licensure and funding (Pope, 2004), and they "influence public policy and inform the public within their areas of expertise" (Cruess & Cruess, 1997, p. 1675). Professional organizations may also assume responsibility for the development and dissemination of a professional code of ethics. In the case of counseling, and specialties under the counseling umbrella, professional organizations at local, state, and national levels perform these functions for the membership. Regarding membership in professional associations, VanZandt (1990) observed, "It is difficult to see how a counselor can 'grow' with the profession without belonging to professional organizations and taking advantage of their resources and services" (p. 244). This sentiment was echoed by Spruill and Benshoff (1996), who noted, "Evidence of professionalism includes active participation and leadership in professional organizations" (p. 468). Members of professional organizations have opportunities to contribute to their organizations in various ways. Some seek leadership positions in the organizations, whereas others influence the leadership of organizations through the power of their votes. Organizations also have various committees, boards, councils, state organizations, and special interest groups in which members may choose to participate (Dodgen, Fowler, & Williams-Nickelson, 2003). * Membership Rates Membership in professional organizations in the United States peaked in the 1970s; since then, most organizations have had a decrease in the percentage of members of a profession who join their professional associations (Putnam, 2000). For counselors, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS; n.d.) indicates that 526,000 individuals were employed as counselors in 2002, the most recent year for which data are available (Note. All statistics are "current" for the time that this article was written.) At the time this article was written, membership in the American Counseling Association (ACA) was 43,869 (R. A. Sites, personal communication, February 18, 2005). Although the discrepancy in years (2002 vs. 2005) for the data I have used weakens the comparison to some degree, the rate (approximately 8%) suggests that only a small proportion of counselors are members of their national professional organization. Given the expense of professional memberships, it might be that counselors are more likely to join the divisions of ACA that reflect the specialties with which counselors identify. The BLS indicated that there were 122,000 persons employed as rehabilitation counselors in 2002; 2005 membership in the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) was 740 (R. A. Sites, personal communication, February 18, 2005), a minuscule percentage. For mental health counselors, 85,000 were listed by the BLS; membership for the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) was 6,000 (L. Moreno, personal communication, February 17, 2005), a rate of about 7%. Substance abuse counselors accounted for 67,000 positions in 2002, with a membership in the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC) of 921 (R. A. Sites, personal communication, February 18, 2005). BLS data showed 23,000 marriage and family therapists, with membership in the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC) at 2,344 (R. A. Sites, personal communication, February 18, 2005), yielding an approximate membership rate of 10%. …