ACA ADVOCACY COMPETENCIES

Question 1

What was a significant step toward recognizing the importance of advocacy in the counseling profession, particularly in addressing disparities and discrimination?

A) The publication of Multicultural Counseling Competencies (MCCs)
B) Frank Parson’s work on vocational guidance in the early 1900s
C) Clifford Beers’ efforts in client mental health advocacy
D) The establishment of the American Counseling Association (ACA) in the late 1990s

Answer 1

A) The publication of Multicultural Counseling Competencies (MCCs)

Question 2

Who was the ACA President who promoted advocacy as their conference theme, leading to the development of advocacy competencies?

A) Frank Parson
B) Loretta Bradley
C) Clifford Beers
D) Jane Goodman

Answer 2

B) Loretta Bradley

Question 3

What was the focus of the Advocacy Competencies developed in 2003?
A) Individual counseling techniques
B) Systemic barriers faced by clients
C) Ethical guidelines for counselors
D) Professional development opportunities

Answer 3

B) Systemic barriers faced by clients

Question 4

In 2018, what strategic initiative did the American Counseling Association (ACA) embrace, highlighting its recognition of advocacy?
A) Research development
B) Professional networking
C) Advocacy
D) Educational outreach

Answer 4

C) Advocacy

Question 5

What was the task assigned to the ACA Human Rights Committee around the same time as the strategic initiative embracing advocacy?
A) Developing educational materials
B) Creating advocacy statements
C) Organizing professional conferences
D) Establishing counseling guidelines

Answer 5

B) Creating advocacy statements

Question 6

Which organization presented an updated model of multicultural competence integrating social justice and advocacy, informed by the original MCC model (1992) and Advocacy Competencies (2003)?
A) American Psychological Association (APA)
B) National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
C) Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD)
D) American School Counselor Association (ASCA)

Answer 6

C) Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD)

Question 7

According to the ACA Advocacy Competencies, what is the purpose of distinguishing between the Extent of Client Involvement and Level of Advocacy Intervention?
A) To determine the counselor’s level of expertise
B) To assess the effectiveness of advocacy efforts
C) To clarify the boundaries of counselor-client relationships
D) To guide the focus and approach of advocacy interventions

Answer 7

D) To guide the focus and approach of advocacy interventions

Question 8

Which dimension of the Advocacy Competencies refers to the focus of advocacy interventions?
A) Extent of Client Involvement
B) Level of Advocacy Intervention
C) Empowerment
D) Collective action

Answer 8

B) Level of Advocacy Intervention

Question 9

In the Advocacy Competencies, what does the domain of “systems advocacy” focus on?
A) Advocating for individual clients
B) Collaborating with communities
C) Addressing issues faced by whole groups of clients
D) Engaging in large-scale change efforts

Answer 9

D) Engaging in large-scale change efforts

Question 10

According to the Advocacy Competencies, what considerations should counselors evaluate when implementing advocacy?
A) Cultural and ethical considerations
B) Legal and financial considerations
C) Personal biases and preferences
D) Political affiliations

Answer 10

A) Cultural and ethical considerations

Question 11

What distinguishes client empowerment from client advocacy in the context of counseling?
A) Client empowerment focuses on systemic change, while client advocacy involves direct system intervention.
B) Client empowerment involves collaborative planning with the counselor, while client advocacy is carried out solely by the counselor.
C) Client empowerment empowers the client to address systemic barriers, while client advocacy involves the counselor advocating on behalf of the client.
D) Client empowerment addresses individual barriers, while client advocacy addresses systemic barriers.

Answer 11

C) Client empowerment empowers the client to address systemic barriers, while client advocacy involves the counselor advocating on behalf of the client.

Question 12

In client/student empowerment, what is one competency that counselors should possess?
A) Assisting clients in filing legal complaints
B) Recognizing signs of internalized oppression
C) Negotiating with policymakers
D) Conducting research on systemic barriers

Answer 12

B) Recognizing signs of internalized oppression

Question 13

What is one competency of counselors engaging in client/student advocacy?
A) Ignoring the counselor’s own cultural background
B) Avoiding the use of communication or negotiation skills
C) Identifying potential allies for confronting barriers
D) Ensuring the client has no input in the advocacy plan

Answer 13

C) Identifying potential allies for confronting barriers

Question 13

When might client/student advocacy be appropriate?
A) When the counselor wants to assert their own authority
B) When the client is fully capable of advocating for themselves
C) When the counselor has access to systems or processes that the client does not
D) When the client is not interested in addressing systemic barriers

Answer 13

C) When the counselor has access to systems or processes that the client does not

Question 14

What is the primary role of the counselor in community collaboration?
A) Leader and expert
B) Decision-maker
C) Ally and contributor of professional skills
D) Observer

Answer 14

C) Ally and contributor of professional skills

Question 14

How does the counselor contribute to community collaboration?
A) By leading the community efforts
B) By providing resources and funding
C) By serving as an expert in the issue
D) By offering professional skills such as interpersonal relations and group facilitation

Answer 14

D) By offering professional skills such as interpersonal relations and group facilitation

Question 15

What is one competency of counselors in community collaboration?
A) Ignoring environmental factors affecting clients
B) Developing alliances with groups working for change
C) Avoiding the consideration of possible outcomes of action
D) Disregarding cultural variations within the community

Answer 15

B) Developing alliances with groups working for change

Question 16

How does the counselor approach group dynamics in community collaboration?
A) By imposing their own agenda
B) By facilitating understanding of cultural and sociopolitical variations
C) By avoiding group discussions
D) By ignoring the strengths and resources of group members

Answer 16

B) By facilitating understanding of cultural and sociopolitical variations

Question 17

What characterizes systems advocacy in the counseling profession?
A) Individual counseling sessions
B) Advocacy for systemic change
C) Client empowerment workshops
D) Group therapy sessions

Answer 17

B) Advocacy for systemic change

Question 18

When might counselors engage in systems advocacy?
A) When they want to maintain the status quo
B) When they identify recurring themes in their work
C) When they prioritize individual client needs over systemic issues
D) When they avoid participating in staff committees

Answer 18

B) When they identify recurring themes in their work

Question 19

Where may systems level advocacy take place for counselors?
A) In individual counseling sessions
B) Within staff committees
C) Only within client groups
D) In group therapy sessions

Answer 19

B) Within staff committees

Question 20

What qualities are required for effective systems advocacy?
A) Isolation and passivity
B) Collaboration and leadership
C) Indifference and disengagement
D) Inflexibility and resistance to change

Answer 20

B) Collaboration and leadership

Question 21

Why is it important for counselors engaging in systems advocacy to understand the cultural contexts of their clients or client groups?
A) To ignore cultural differences and focus solely on systemic issues
B) To ensure clients feel understood and respected
C) To maintain the status quo
D) To avoid collaboration with other stakeholders

Answer 21

B) To ensure clients feel understood and respected

Question 21

What is a key competency of counselors engaging in systems advocacy?
A) Isolating environmental factors affecting clients
B) Understanding the counselor’s own cultural identity
C) Avoiding investigation of issues and stakeholders
D) Providing and interpreting data to show the urgency for change

Answer 21

D) Providing and interpreting data to show the urgency for change

Question 22

How does understanding the counselor’s own cultural identity contribute to effective systems advocacy?
A) It limits the counselor’s ability to advocate for change
B) It ensures the counselor remains neutral in advocacy efforts
C) It helps the counselor recognize their own biases and privileges
D) It prevents the counselor from collaborating with other stakeholders

Answer 22

C) It helps the counselor recognize their own biases and privileges

Question 22

What is one task of counselors in systems advocacy?
A) Ignoring environmental factors affecting clients’ development
B) Investigating the issue, population, and possible allies
C) Avoiding the interpretation of data
D) Refusing to engage with stakeholders

Answer 22

B) Investigating the issue, population, and possible allies

Question 23

What is a key step in systems advocacy when collaborating with other stakeholders?
A) Ignoring other stakeholders’ input
B) Developing a vision to guide change
C) Avoiding analysis of sources of power and influence
D) Refusing to acknowledge ethical issues

Answer 23

B) Developing a vision to guide change

Question 24

Why is it important to analyze the sources of political power and social influence within the system?
A) To maintain the status quo
B) To avoid conflict with influential stakeholders
C) To identify potential allies and opponents
D) To disregard potential barriers to change

Answer 24

C) To identify potential allies and opponents

Question 25

What is one aspect of developing a step-by-step plan for implementing the change process in systems advocacy?
A) Ignoring ethical issues
B) Focusing solely on immediate goals
C) Including strategies for dealing with resistance
D) Avoiding collaboration with other stakeholders

Answer 25

C) Including strategies for dealing with resistance

Question 26

How does assessing the effect of counselor’s advocacy efforts on the system and constituents contribute to effective systems advocacy?
A) It helps the counselor avoid accountability
B) It ensures the counselor maintains control of the process
C) It allows for adjustments to advocacy strategies based on outcomes
D) It prevents the counselor from recognizing potential ethical issues

Answer 26

C) It allows for adjustments to advocacy strategies based on outcomes

Question 27

What role does the counselor play in collective action?
A) Sole decision-maker
B) Observer
C) Collaborator with the group or community affected by the issues
D) Advocate solely for individual clients

Answer 27

C) Collaborator with the group or community affected by the issues

Question 27

What distinguishes collective action from other forms of advocacy?
A) It focuses solely on individual client issues
B) It involves collaboration with groups to address large-scale issues
C) It ignores public perception and policies
D) It relies solely on lobbying decision-making bodies

Answer 27

B) It involves collaboration with groups to address large-scale issues

Question 28

How does the counselor contribute to collective action?
A) By imposing their own agenda
B) By disseminating information through a variety of media
C) By avoiding participation in community initiatives
D) By refusing to collaborate with decision makers

Answer 28

B) By disseminating information through a variety of media

Question 29

What is a competency of counselors engaging in collective action?
A) Ignoring the impact of oppression and environmental factors
B) Avoiding collaboration with community members
C) Recognizing protective factors for healthy development
D) Disregarding the counselor’s own cultural identity

Answer 29

C) Recognizing protective factors for healthy development

Question 30

What characterizes social/political advocacy in the counseling profession?
A) Collaboration with individual clients
B) Addressing issues observed in a larger arena
C) Ignoring public awareness and policy
D) Avoiding involvement in legislative action

Answer 30

B) Addressing issues observed in a larger arena

Question 31

How does a counselor engage in social/political advocacy?
A) By solely focusing on specific client groups
B) By writing advocacy briefings and appearing in mass media
C) By avoiding collaboration with other professionals
D) By limiting involvement to individual counseling sessions

Answer 31

B) By writing advocacy briefings and appearing in mass media

Question 32

What is a key competency of counselors engaging in social/political advocacy?
A) Ignoring the views and experiences of affected communities
B) Identifying ways for the community to have input into the advocacy process
C) Limiting collaboration with other professionals and allies
D) Avoiding public awareness campaigns

Answer 32

B) Identifying ways for the community to have input into the advocacy process

Question 33

ow does understanding the counselor’s own cultural identity contribute to effective social/political advocacy?
A) It prevents collaboration with affected communities
B) It limits the counselor’s ability to work with decision makers
C) It helps recognize the influence of power, privilege, and oppression
D) It ensures the counselor’s views align with those of decision makers

Answer 33

C) It helps recognize the influence of power, privilege, and oppression