Accreditation

As an accredited member of the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland, you are or can become certified by a professional association which acknowledges that you are a counsellor who is specifically trained and experienced in the field of addiction and accredited to Addiction Counsellors of Ireland standards. Accredited members are entitled to use Member Addiction Counsellors of Ireland (MACI) after their name.

Supervision

The Addiction Counsellors of Ireland’s Membership Criteria outline the supervision requirements for members and students. Clinical supervisor’s services are advertised on www.addictioncounsellors.ie.

Education and Training

The Addiction Counsellors of Ireland only accredits courses that have the relevant modules in the area of addiction counselling. Accredited courses are continuously appraised by the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland Education and Training Committee. Members can access detailed information on these courses together with regular information on future or newly accredited courses on www.addictioncounsellors.ie. Members of the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland also receive regular information on training courses, seminars and relevant Continuous Professional Development (CPD). The organisation continuously encourages members to advance their professional knowledge and skills on this site.

Professional Support

The Addiction Counsellors of Ireland provides a national support network of assistance for its members. Members can access information on practical, ethical and professional matters from its website or consult with the Board and staff of the organisation. Members also have access to a network of professional counsellors who are qualified, specifically trained and experienced in addiction counselling.

Representation

The Addiction Counsellors of Ireland lobbies on behalf its members on key issues affecting those counselling in the field of addiction. It looks to play and active role in counter measures for addiction including:

1.  Highlighting the extensive suffering caused to family, friends and colleagues of those suffering from addiction.
2.  Promoting the effectiveness of counselling as one of many counter measures for addiction
3.  Helping to reduce the stigma associated with addiction and
4.  Helping to reduce the equal stigma arising as a result of seeking professional counselling

National public awareness campaign on addiction issues in Ireland

The Addiction of Counsellors of Ireland sees a key part of its role as creating awareness through dialogue in public discourse about the increasing prevalence and the reality of problems with addiction in Ireland. The  organisation helps to create this awareness and also promote the importance of professional standards and the services that the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland and its members offer to those suffering from addictions.

The Addiction Counsellors of Ireland website

The Addiction of Counsellors of Ireland conducted a full Brand Discovery in 2013 which culminated in a change of name for the organisation and a new dynamic website that better reflects the remit and role of the organisation and its counsellors. The website contains up to date information and links for counsellors and members of the public.

An Online Directory of Counsellors and Members

The Addiction Counsellors of Ireland hosts a dynamic online directory of its counsellors and accredited supervisors showing their area of expertise, location and how to contact them. All accredited members and supervisors of the organisation are listed in this directory which is actively promoted for members of the public to use in seeking counselling as a treatment for addiction.

Advertising

Members of the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland can advertise organised events on its website. This offers members a unique and exclusive opportunity to create awareness of these events with a highly relevant target audience.

Conference Organising

Members of the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland can partner on a commercial basis with the organisation to arrange and administer participation at education and training events.

Training and Supervision

The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework outlines the criteria of continuing professional development for accredited counsellors in the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland.

Governance

The Addiction Counsellors of Ireland is governed by a Board of Directors which upholds and maintains the Addiction Counsellors of Irelands Code of Ethics.

• The Membership Committee  –  Oversees accreditation standards for members.
• The Education and Training Committee  –  Has has responsibility for course accreditation standards.
• The Fitness to Practice/Complaints Committee  –  Reviews any complaints received in breach of the Code of Ethics.
• The Finance Committee  –  Has responsibility for the finances of the Association.

Strategic Communications and Public Relations Plan 2013-2014

A comprehensive Strategic Communications and Public Relations Plan for 2013-2014 was approved at a special meeting of the Board in October 2012 with the specific aim of achieving the following objectives:

1. To improve engagement with the members of the Association through structured communication.
2. To generate and increase informed awareness of addiction.
3.  To position the Association as a national authority and subject matter expert on addiction issues.
4. To play an active role in counter measures for addiction.

The Strategic Communications and Public Relation plan will raise the profile of the organisation and will establish the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland as a key influencer and opinion former in the area of treating addiction.