BCACC Deputy Registrar, Kathy Lauriente, honoured with Distinguished Service Award from Thompson Rivers University (TRU)

The Award recognizes Kathy's contributions to the university, improving mental health services for
the student community and to the clinical counselling profession in BC.

VICTORIA, BC, April 25, 2024 /CNW/ - BCACC is pleased to announce that its Deputy Registrar, Kathy Lauriente, has been honoured with the Distinguished Service Award from Thompson Rivers University. The award recognizes stellar contributions to the University, community, and the public at large.

Kathy Lauriente has been a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) since 2001 and a BCACC volunteer, regulatory investigator, Chair of the Registration and Inquiry Committees, and served on the Board of Directors. In addition to her faculty position with TRU, she assumed the position of BCACC's Deputy Registrar of Inquiry in 2022 and assists in overseeing the Association's inquiry and investigation activities. She has been a faculty member with Thompson Rivers University as a counsellor since 2006. Along with her clinical and teaching work, she has participated in leadership roles including Program Coordinator for TRU's Counselling Program, interim department Chair and Associate Dean for the Williams Lake campus.

Speaking on the recognition, Kathy says, "This award is more than a recognition, from my academic peers and TRU leadership, of the contributions they believe I've made to the university and the counselling profession. I also see it as their acknowledgment of the critical nature of mental health support in the success of our students and the betterment of overall health on a societal level."

With increasing demand for mental health services and 1 in 5 Canadians reporting mental health issues in a given year, there is an urgent need for skilled regulated professionals and improved access to mental health services. With 50% of Canada's post-secondary students accessing on-campus mental health services, it is crucial that quality counselling services are readily available. As part of its efforts to improve the quality of mental health across the province, and better advocate for the profession, the BCACC provides 800+ student members access to workshops, webinars, community, and a vast professional network of counsellors and psychotherapists.

BCACC CEO, Michael Radano says "We are grateful that Thompson Rivers University acknowledges the importance of mental health as a critical component of holistic wellness, particularly in the Academic Community".

BCACC: BCACC is a non-profit provincial professional association founded in 1988 with 8000 members. BCACC advocates for the clinical counselling/psychotherapy profession and for public access to mental health services. Its members (Registered Clinical Counsellors ? RCCs) are held to the highest standards of practice and a strict code of ethics in service and protection of the public: https://bcacc.ca  

SOURCE BC Association of Clinical Counsellors