14 July 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further Information Contact:
Steve Hamerdinger, President
steve.hamerdinger@...

Reminder: ADARA FORUMS PRESENTS
"COUNSELOR CREDENTIALING: OPTIONS AND ISSUES FOR COUNSELORS WHO WORK
WITH PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS"

As part of the continuing series of on-line discussions, ADARA will
be offering a session on issues associated with the credentialing of
counselors who work with people with hearing loss. The discussion
entitled "Counselor Credentialing: Options and Issues for Counselors
who Work with People with Hearing Loss: Issues and Directions" will
be led Dr. Barry Stephens, on Monday, July 17th at 8:00 PM Central
Time (9 PM Eastern time, 6 PM Pacific Time) in the ADARA Chat Room.

Professionals who work as counselors with individuals experiencing
hearing loss may experience several issues related to credentialing.
This discussion will focus on such topics as: a) current
credentialing options for counselor serving individuals with hearing
loss; b) the state of current accommodations within existing
credentialing boards; c) suggestions for improving access to existing
credentialing processes; and d) recommendations for future directions
in credentialing counselors serving individuals with hearing loss.
Participants will be invited to share their opinions and experiences
related to this topic.

Barry Stephens holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Mississippi
State University and a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling
from The University of Alabama. He currently serves as Assistant
Professor and Coordinator for the Rehabilitation Counseling Program
at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Stephens is a
CRC with more than 30 years experience in the field of rehabilitation
and education, with particular experience in sensory impairment and
gerontology. Dr. Stephens is the founder and principle of StarPath
Consulting, a private-for-profit venture that assist rehabilitation
agencies and educational institutions with program evaluation,
program development, and staff training.

ADARA wants to remind members that continuing education credits will
be awarded for members who participate in the discussion. Each
session will be worth 1.5 contact hours. Please be sure to check the
website (www.adara.org) prior to the discussion for information on
how to obtain CE credits. More enhancements are planned, including
expanded CEU eligibility.

Upcoming forums include "Helping Deaf Child Victims of Trauma" led by
Shannon Reese on August 21st. Other exciting forums are in
development and will be announced in the weeks ahead.

If you missed the previous forums, you will find transcripts on the
ADARA website.

To log onto the chat or to get transcripts, go to www.adara.org,
scroll down to the "Community" box and click on the "Chat Room"
button. Follow the instructions to log in.

ADARA is an organization of professionals networking for excellence
in service delivery with individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
ADARA strives to be the leader among professional organizations in
transforming the paradigm of rehabilitation of Deaf people to
enhancing the quality of life with people who are Deaf or Hard of
Hearing.
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