The Illinois Counseling Association Non-violence (ICAN) Task Group “went public” on Saturday, November 5th at the 2016 ICA Conference in Springfield. Speaking on behalf of ICAN, IACFC member and past-president Catherine Wells laid out the mission of ICAN and asked ICA members to join the ICAN effort. The following is a transcript of her brief presentation:
“Thank you.
The Illinois Counseling Association Non-violence task group (ICAN) is a brand new initiative of ICA, formed this year to address our concerns around rising violence in Illinois and in the nation, and its implications for the populations we serve.
The ICAN Task Group's mission is to understand the nature and incidence of violence in Illinois, bring our findings to our colleagues in a way that will open up dialogue within the counseling professions and to form collaborative alliances with other groups with related goals or interests.
We counselors have an understanding of people and society that is both profound and global. Though we may work with individuals and families, often in great depth, we also consider the environment in which their human suffering plays out, both at the micro and the macro level.
In Illinois we are experiencing a surge in violence, particularly in Chicago. Media reports paint a picture of increased violence across the nation as well.
There has been much debate in the media about the source of violence, with pundits citing mental illness, issues with guns, no respect for law enforcement and gang activity, to name a few. But the reality of violent aggression is rooted in human history and behavior in ways that are complex.
We are well-suited as a profession to address the complexities of violent aggression and the suffering it brings. The ICAN Task Group has a short member list so far. We have been doing online data and literature searches to begin to define violence – what it is, how often it happens, and by whom with respect to mental illness. And there is much more to do!
ICAN is looking for colleagues like you to do literature and data searches:
to understand individual factors in violent behavior,
to clarify environmental and individual differences between violent and non-violent persons of the same mental illness diagnosis,
identify factors in society that contribute to violence,
and play a role in supporting laboratory or field research if there is interest among graduate students.
Anyone interested in participating in ICAN can contact me or Charles Hughes. Our contact information will be at the Peace Wall for the rest of this conference.”
IACFC has been the first ICA division to partner with ICAN, and a number of IACFC members have signed up with ICAN.
