Dear SACES Members,

It is with empathic hearts and open arms that the Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) extends our condolences to the family of George Floyd and countless others whose lives have ended in senseless acts of violence. We stand with the members of our association in solidarity who live in fear because of the color of their skin, sexual identity, immigration status, or other aspects that have been used to discriminate and divide individuals. Your heartbreak is ours and we share in your collective grief. We support peaceful protesting in promoting critical change, denounce police brutality, and stand with you to lift your voice and call for systemic change.

Our SACES vision supports cultivating “an inclusive community of counselor educators and supervisors who develop leaders and counselors committed to professional advocacy and dedicated to client equity and well-being.” We are all responsible and must hold ourselves accountable for advancing the knowledge in the counseling field and for improving competency both for members and the counselors they serve. We must come together to engage in difficult conversations, challenge our privilege and bias, and acknowledge the access, educational, financial, and opportunity inequities within our membership, profession, and communities. We must take action and create communities that honor humanity.

We know that many of our counselor educators and supervisors of color are experiencing significant challenges as a result of the pervasiveness of injustice in this country.  We want you to know that the SACES mission is to “empower and support diverse counselor educators and supervisors in scholarship, advocacy, community, education, and supervision.” We value each perspective and encourage all of our members to find a way to increase their allyship, to start a courageous conversation, and become an advocate. 

We invite members who are moved by the traumatic events and unrest over the past week to join the Social Justice and Human Rights Interest Network. The co-chairs have provided a list of resources for members available at saces.org/social-justice-resources. We are also planning other ways to support our members through supporting culturally competent scholarship, webinars, advocacy, community action, and incorporating our knowledge into applied settings within counselor education and supervision. We invite all members to contact the board with ideas for action that empower our students, colleagues, friends, and family.

In solidarity with our members,

SACES Executive Council