2024 Colorado Counseling Association Annual and Foundations Student Conference
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Event Overview

Keynotes

Keynotes

2024 Annual Conference Keynote Speaker

Khara Croswaite Brindle, MA, LPC, ACS, CFT-I

 

Khara Croswaite Brindle, MA, LPC, ACS, CFT-I is passionate about giving people aha moments that create goosebumps and catalyze powerful action. She is a TEDx Speaker, Licensed Mental Health Therapist, and Financial Therapist in Colorado. Khara enjoys various roles as a serial entrepreneur, author, professional speaker, professor, and consultant. Her greatest joy is engaging driven entrepreneurs, fellow helpers, and perfectionists to move from workaholic to well-balanced with streamlined strategies that fit their busy lifestyles. Khara specializes in helping therapists and financial therapists turn pain points into possibilities through consultation, courses, and supervision. She is originally from the Pacific Northwest and gets her best ideas walking outside and being around water. When Khara’s not writing her next book or supporting fellow professional helpers on their own self-discovery journeys, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, reading, and indulging in gluttonous, gluten-free desserts with her family.

 

 

Schedule

Schedule

The Foundations Student Conference, uniquely for Students and Counselor Educators, will be held on August 21st, 2024, at the Keystone Resort. This event specifically targets counselors-in-training enrolled in mental health graduate programs. Event registration is restricted to students and counselor educators. You can view the full schedule for the Foundations Student Conference here. 

The Annual Conference will be held on August 22 – 23, 2024, at the Keystone Resort. This two day conference is open to all mental health professionals to attend. You can view the full schedule for the Annual Conference here.

If you have any questions about the conferences, you can email either info@coloradocounselingassociation.org or taylor@coloradocounselingassociation.org. We hope to see you there!

Exhibit/Sponsor

Exhibit/Sponsor

Hotel/Travel/Food

Hotel/Travel/Food

2024 Attendee Information:

Student Conference & Annual Conference

Welcome!

The CCA is excited to host you at our 2024 Annual Conference in Keystone, CO on August 21-23. August 21 is our Foundations Student Conference, and August 22-23 is our Annual Conference. This is our first year to link the two, and we are thrilled for the new opportunities this will provide. Below you will find more information on each conference, on lodging and logistical information, and on the CCA. We welcome any questions you may have, and would be happy to assist. We want to ensure the best experience for you! Please direct any questions to either info@coloradocounselingassociation.org or to taylor@coloradocounselingassociation.org. 

Foundations Student Conference (August 21)

The Foundations Student Conference will be held on August 21 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at Keystone Resort’s conference center. It is open to students of all levels and to counselor educators. It’s a fantastic introduction, education, and networking opportunity for students and a great way for counselor educators to be involved and stay sharp. Additionally, this is a good opportunity for presenters who would like to gain experience. We also hope this is a relaxing experience for you, and that you enjoy the mountain resort! 

Please note: some of the Foundations Student Conference registration options also allow you access to the Annual Conference (August 22-23). We hope you will take advantage of both opportunities!

This event is open to the public, so you do not need to be a member of the CCA. However, we do encourage membership, as you will have a reduced fee and have access to CCA benefits. If you would like to volunteer for an even further reduced fee, you qualify if you are a current student member. Please contact kellyanne@coloradocounselingassociation.org if you would like to register as a volunteer. 

Presenters at our Foundations Student Conference are either masters-level or doctorate-level students or counselor educators, and go through a rigorous process to be approved. We strive to ensure the highest quality content and richest experience possible. 

Please view the information below on lodging, logistics, and the CCA for further information. 

Annual Conference (August 22-23)

Our Annual Conference is open to everyone (members of all types and non-members). It’s a high-quality experience to gain knowledge, network, satisfy continuing education credits, learn about new resources, stay sharp on legal and ethical issues impacting counselors, and present. We also hope it’s a time to get away and relax a little, since we are at a mountain resort! 

Please note that your registration for the Annual Conference does not include access to the Foundations Student Conference unless you are a student or counselor educator. 

This event is open to the public, so you do not need to be a member of the CCA. However, we do encourage membership, as you will have a reduced fee and have access to CCA benefits. If you would like to volunteer for an even further reduced fee, you qualify if you are a current member. Please contact kellyanne@coloradocounselingassociation.org if you would like to register as a volunteer. 

The Annual Conference will be held from 8 am to 5 pm on August 22-23 at Keystone Resort’s conference center. We will offer 9 possible professional development credits for this conference. 

We strive to ensure the highest quality content and best possible experience. Presenters at our Annual Conference hold either a masters or a doctorate, and go through a rigorous process to be approved. Masters-level students are not allowed to present at this conference but are welcome to present at our Foundations Student Conference. Students who hold a conferred Masters degree are welcome to present at either conference.  Our keynote for the Annual Conference is Khara Crosswaite-Brindle, MA, LPC, ACS, CFT-I, who is a knowledgeable, catalyzing speaker and clinician. You can find more information on our keynote here. 

Please view the information below on lodging, logistics, and the CCA for further information. 

Lodging & Logistics

Location and Resort Info

The address to use when locating the resort is: 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon, CO 80435

The resort has a lot of options to relax and explore the mountains, if you would like. The website for the resort is: https://www.keystoneresort.com/

Lodging

You are welcome to book reservations at the Keystone Resort through our group’s reduced rate. We have hotel and condominium options ranging from $188-$303 per night (single rate; there may be a slight increase depending on the number of occupants). This rate is also extended somewhat before and after the conference (at the discretion of the resort, so it is best to book early). This means you may leverage these rates for more than the conference and have a nice getaway experience if you would like. 

For the Keystone Lodge (traditional hotel rooms with one or two beds) and the Lakeside Condominiums (condos with a main living area and bedrooms attached), you can register online here and use the promo code BKRCCA24, or call Keystone at 855-948-0696 and provide the group code BKRCCA24. You can cancel, modify, or change your reservation until 7 days before your check-in date. After that date you will be charged for your reservation. The Lodge has fully-accessible ADA compliant rooms available. 

To reserve hotel rooms at the Hyatt Place hotel (traditional hotel rooms with one or two beds, also on the resort property), you can book directly through this link  (when you click “Book Now” on this page it will add the group code for you) or you can call (970) 455-8631 and use the group code G-CC24. Rooms at the Hyatt Place are pet-friendly with a pet deposit. The Hyatt Place has fully-accessible ADA compliant rooms available. 

The lodge is the closest walking distance, although you are able to walk or take a free shuttle to and from the conference area, offered at each the lodge, condominiums, and the Hyatt Place hotel. 

Meals

Breakfast and lunch are provided on the Annual Conference days (August 22-23) to attendees, although you are welcome to dine elsewhere if desired. If you would like to have others eat the provided meals with you (e.g. if you bring a partner/family/friend who is not attending the conference) you may purchase meal tickets separately. If you are a presenter who is not staying for the full conference you may also purchase a meal ticket. We will publish further information on meal tickets once we have the link established for registration for meals. 

Please note: meals will not be provided during the Foundations Student Conference or during dinner. There is a cafe open during the conference in the conference area that sells sandwiches, salads, and other small plates as well as coffee, tea, and other beverages, and there are many other dining options close by if you would like. There are a few walkable options at the resort, or there are many options within a 10-15 minute drive. 

If you have dietary restrictions, please email taylor@coloradocounselingassociation.org by July 1. We can offer gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan options. We will estimate how many of each of these types of meals we need to provide, but your feedback will help us to have a more accurate estimation. If you have further food sensitivities we can check with the venue to see if there is an option for you but cannot make guarantees.

Conference Schedule and App

Currently we are still finalizing our schedule and will be posting information as soon as possible. This document will be updated once we have a more comprehensive schedule available. 

We do know that the Foundations Student Conference will run 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (registration/sign-in will be available at 8:30 am) on August 21, 2024, and the Annual Conference will run 8:30 to 5:00 pm (registration/sign-in and breakfast will be available at 7:30 am) on August 22-23, 2024.

Mealtimes on August 22nd and 23rd will be 7:30 am-8:30 am for breakfast and 11:30 pm -1:00 pm for lunch in the large general session space (in the heart of the conference area). 

We will offer a conference app to our participants. The app is an easy way to view the schedule, presenter information, exhibitor and/or sponsor information, and to confirm your attendance at the sessions for recording your continuing education earned. We will have an alternative to the app to record your continuing education but highly encourage use of the app for quicker turnaround of certificates and for easier processing for our conference team. We are still finalizing our app but will update this document with information on the app once we are able to launch it. 

Collecting Continuing Education Credits

The CCA offers Colorado Professional Development Hours (PDH) which satisfy the Colorado requirements for continuing education. We are also in the process of getting NBCC certified to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and are hopeful this will be in place well before our conference. We will update this page with the most current information.

Sponsors & Exhibitors

The CCA depends on partnerships from sponsors and exhibitors to continue our work in empowering, equipping, and advocating for counselors in Colorado. We are extremely grateful for them and hope that you are able to take advantage of their programs, referrals, products, support, and career options! 

If you would like to become a sponsor or exhibitor yourself, you can view our sponsor and exhibitor guide, email taylor@coloradocounselingassociation.org for assistance or more information, or you can register here. Thank you for your interest, we greatly appreciate you!

About the CCA

The Colorado Counseling Association exists to equip, empower, and advocate for counselors in Colorado. We are a state branch of the American Counseling Association, and we are a non-profit. Our funding comes from memberships, events, donations, sponsorships, and exhibitors. Here’s a little more about us: 

Our Story

The Colorado Counseling Association (CCA) is a state branch of the Western Region for the 60,000 member American Counseling Association (ACA). The CCA is an organization of mental health professionals and students who work in education, health care, residential, private practice, community agencies, government and business/industry settings.

Our Mission

Service as a dynamic network of mental health professionals in the State of Colorado, the CCA is devoted to professional development and maintenance of high standards for those involved in the field.

Our Vision

The mission of the Colorado Counseling Association is to promote the counseling profession through legislative advocacy, education resources, and outreach to future leaders in our field.

What We Offer

The CCA offers some tangible benefits (see below) as well as some intangible ones, such as professional identity development, networking, referrals, career options, increasing legal and ethical awareness, sharpening of skills, and support as a person and as a clinician. We also have volunteer opportunities available which increase your skills, resume, and ability to impact the profession. 

Here’s a list of our tangible benefits: 

-Discounts on CPH & Associates insurance (student members get free malpractice insurance; all others get a discount on services)

-Discounts on Robert A. Lees & Associates for legal fees and documentation

-Discounted or free attendance to CCA-hosted events, depending on the event

-Discounted conference tickets

-Listing in our member network

-Access to our job board (this is coming soon, we are currently building it out)

-Discounted or free training led by the CCA, depending on the training

-Access to our video library of previously recorded webinars

-Free or discounted access to upcoming webinars led by the CCA, depending on the webinar

-CCA logo use/ability to identify yourself as a member

-Legislative advocacy by the CCA to promote the profession and the good of its members and clients of its members

-Email support on questions you may have

-Free access to the ACA's ethical hotline and resources

-Email newsletter with resources keeping you up to date on current events/legal updates, articles, and announcements

 

Register here to become a CCA member or renew a membership. You can also reach out to info@coloradocounselingassociation.org or taylor@coloradocounselingassociation.org with any questions!

 

Get Involved 

 

We have a few ways to get involved with the CCA. We have opportunities for membership, volunteering, joining our governing council, and assisting with advocacy/legislation.  

If you want to get involved, please email Kellyanne Achramowicz at kellyanne@coloradocounselingassociation.org. Thanks for your interest!