BY-LAWS
OF THE ILLINOIS MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
P.
O. Box 1086, Northbrook, Illinois 60065
As
Updated April 29, 2000
ARTICLE
I: NAME AND AFFILIATIONS
Section 1. Name.
The name of this Association shall be the
Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association.
Section 2. Tax-exempt Status.
The Illinois Mental Health Counselors
Association is an IRS 501© (3) Association.
Section 3. Organizational
Affiliations.
The Illinois Mental Health Counselors
Association shall be a division (Charter Member 1979) of the
Illinois Counseling Association and shall also be a State
division of the American Mental Health Counselors Association.
The Illinois Counseling Association is a state branch of the
American Counseling Association, and the American Mental Health
Counselors Association is a division of the American Counseling
Association. The Illinois Mental Health Counselors
Association is a charter member of the Coalition of Illinois
Counselor Organizations.
Section 4. Abbreviations.
a. The Illinois Mental Health
Counselors Association may be abbreviated as IMHCA, and may be
referred to as IMHCA or as the Association.
b. The Illinois Counseling Association
may be abbreviated and referred to as ICA.
c. The American Mental Health
Counselors Association may be abbreviated and referred to as
AMHCA.
d. The American Counseling Association
may be abbreviated and referred to as ACA.
e. The Coalition of Illinois Counselor
Organizations may be abbreviated and referred to as CICO.
ARTICLE
II: PURPOSES OF THE ASSOCIATION
The purposes of the Illinois Mental Health
Counselors Association are as follows:
a. To serve as a multi disciplinary
association of professional counselors whose training and
experience enable them to serve a wide spectrum of client
populations.
b. To provide a system of information
exchange between mental health counselors.
c. To promote the recognition of
professional mental health counselors as qualified treatment
providers in the minds of other professionals, the media, and the
public at large.
d. To involve professional counselors
in an organization committed to the active promotion of their
interests and concerns in the Illinois State Legislature as well
as the parent organizations of ICA , AMHCA, and ACA.
e. To seek the involvement of all of
its members in the process of communicating common concerns and
mobilizing effective action to accomplish its goals.
f. To promote equitable licensure,
certification, and remuneration for mental health counselors.
g. To provide professional development
opportunities for mental health counselors.
h. To promote alliances with
counselors and other mental health providers to advance the
entire profession of counseling.
ARTICLE
III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Types of Membership.
There shall be five types of membership in
the Association: Professional, Regular, Student, Organizational,
and Past-president. Voting membership shall be open to all
but Organizational Members.
Section 2. Requirements of Membership.
a. Professional Member. Membership
is open to all members of the Illinois Counseling Association
(ICA) whose primary work-related responsibilities or interests
are in the providing of mental health counseling. A
Professional Member holds a graduate degree of at least the
Masters level in counseling, counselor education, or a related
field. Only Professional Members are eligible to hold
the offices of President or President-elect, and may hold other
offices in the Association. A Professional Member has the
right of public identification as “a Professional Member of
the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association.”
b. Regular Member. Persons whose
interests are in the area of mental health counseling but whose
primary work-related responsibilities do not include the
providing of mental health counseling are eligible for Regular
Membership. Regular Members in good standing are eligible
to hold executive offices and committee chairs, except that they
may not hold the office of either President or President-elect.
A Regular Member may identify to the public as “a member of
the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association.”
c. Student Member. Any student
member of ICA having interests in the area of mental health
counseling shall be eligible to become a Student Member of the
Association. Student Members shall have all the privileges
of regular membership except that no Student Member shall be
eligible for executive office. If such Student Member is
the chair of a committee or task force, he/she may serve on the
Board of Directors.
d. Organizational Membership. Organizational
Membership shall be open to any organization providing mental
health services, or providing education, training, support,
assistance, or related services to providers of mental health
services. Organizational members may send representatives
to meetings of the Association, but shall have no voting
privileges. Persons representing an Organizational Member
may not hold office or vote in Association affairs, while acting
in the capacity of representative of the Organizational Member.
Organizational Members shall receive all publications, mailings,
and notices of the Association. Organization Members may
identify themselves to the public as “an Organizational
Member of the Illinois Mental Health Counselors
Association.”
e. Past Presidents. Membership
in IMHCA shall be free to Past-presidents once they have
completed their term as Past-president.
Section 3. Dues.
Annual Association dues for members shall be
established by the action of the IMHCA Executive Committee.
Section 4. Rights and Privileges.
Voting membership shall be limited to
Professional, Regular, and Student Members. Professional
Members may hold office as President or President-elect, and may
hold any other office in the Association. Regular Members
may hold any office except President or President-elect. Student
Members shall be eligible to serve on any committee or task
force.
Section 5. Severance of Membership.
A member shall be dropped from membership
for the non-payment of dues.
Section 6. Professional and Ethical
Conduct.
Members shall be held to the professional
and ethical standards of the American Counseling Association, the
American Mental Health Counselors Association, and/or regulations
of the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.
ARTICLE
IV: REPORTS
Section 1. National.
The Association shall provide AMHCA with a
current list of officers within thirty (30) days of their
election or appointment. Furthermore, the Association shall
transmit written reports to the AMHCA Board of Directors when
appropriate.
Section 2. State.
A quarterly report of Association activities
shall be distributed at each ICA Governing Council/Board meeting
and submitted to the Contact.
ARTICLE
V: OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 1. Executive Committee.
a. The IMHCA Executive Committee is
composed of the following elected officers who shall be:
President, President-elect, Past-president, Secretary, and
Treasurer. The IMHCA Executive
Director is a member ex-officio. Three
members (3/5) constitute a quorum. The President chairs the
meetings. Teleconferencing may be utilized when
circumstances necessitate.
b. The General Membership elects all
officers who must be in good standing with IMHCA, ICA, and AMHCA.
The President, in consultation with members of the Executive
Committee, generates the annual Strategic Plan. The
Committee acts for the Board of Directors according to its
policies during the intervals between Board of Directors
meetings.
Section 2. Board of Directors.
The IMHCA Board of Directors includes all
the members of the Executive Committee, the Secretary-elect and
Treasurer-elect, plus those who have received appointments from
the President, such as: IMHCA Chairpersons, IMHCA representatives
to ICA committees, ICA, and CICO representatives. The
Executive Director is an ex-officio member; the President may
appoint a Parliamentarian ex-officio. The Board reviews and
approves the annual Strategic Plan. It assists in planning,
developing and implementing new programs and organizational
change, and improving efficiency and effectiveness of operations.
All members shall have one vote with a 2/3 majority necessary to
carry a motion. The Board shall meet at least two times
annually: at the ICA Annual Convention and at the IMHCA Annual
Conference.
Section 3. Terms of Officers and
Election Procedures.
a. The term of office shall be from
July 1 to June 30, coinciding with the Association’s fiscal
year.
b. The President of the Association
shall succeed to the office following the term of service as
President-elect, provided that the general membership ratified
the succession through an annual election. The
President must be a Professional Member of the Association in
good standing, and must have been a member of the Association for
the two years preceding election. The President shall serve
for a period not to exceed one year.
c. The President-elect of the
Association shall automatically become President of the
Association one year after the commencement of the term of office
as President-elect, provided that
such succession is ratified by the voting
membership of the Association, or upon the resignation, death, or
removal from office of the President. In the event that the
President-elect should resign, become ineligible, or be unable to
meet the obligations for which elected, the Executive Committee
shall appoint a qualified member to fill the unexpired vacancy.
d. The President of the Association
shall succeed to the office of Past-president upon completion of
the term as President of the Association, and shall serve for one
year.
e. The Secretary shall serve a
one-year term of office concurrently with the President, and
shall be elected from among the voting membership. The
office may be held by Regular or Professional members. The
Secretary may be re-elected to the same office on an annual basis
by the voting membership.
f. The Treasurer shall serve a
one-year term of office and shall be elected from among the
voting membership. This office shall be held by Regular or
Professional members. The Treasurer may be re-elected to
the same office on an annual basis by the voting membership.
g. The Secretary-elect and the
Treasurer-elect shall serve one-year terms, be elected by the
general membership, and succeed to Secretary and Treasurer
respectively. Both Elects shall serve on the Board of
Directors. The Treasurer-elect shall also serve on the
Finance Committee.
h. If any officer elected should be
unable to assume the office on July 1, the candidate receiving
the next highest number of votes in the election, if eligible,
shall assume the position. If the candidate is not
eligible, or if there is no candidate, the position shall be
filled by action of three-fifths (3/5) of the Executive Committee
within thirty days of the vacancy occurring.
i. ICA Committee Representatives, CICO
Representatives, and IMHCA Committee Chairpersons shall be
appointed by the President of the Association, in accordance with
ICA, CICO, and/or IMHCA By-laws. Appointees must meet the
requirements for Membership defined by Article III of the By-laws
of this Association. In the event of resignation,
disqualification, or death of a sitting ICA, CICO, or Committee
representative who represents IMHCA by virtue of a Presidential
appointment, the President shall appoint a replacement or
replacements until such time as the original office is filled in
accordance with IMHCA By-laws.
j. Should a member of the Association
find cause to contest the eligibility of any nominee, a written
notice shall be given to the President withing thirty (30) days
after publication of the slate of candidates in the
Association’s official publication, after which time the
slate becomes incontestable. The President is charged with
the responsibility for serving notice on the contested nominee
and conducting a poll of at least three-fifths (3/5) of the
members of the Executive Committee regarding the contested
nominee.
Section 3. Duties of Officers.
a. The President shall serve as
presiding officer of the Association, and as a member and Chair
of the Executive Committee, and Chair of the Board of Directors.
The President shall, with the approval of the Executive
Committee, appoint all necessary committees and task forces,
serve as a member of the Finance Committee, communicate to the
Executive Director directions from the Executive Committee, and
perform such other duties as are incident to the office, or as
may be properly required by vote of the Executive Committee.
b. The President-elect shall serve as
an elected member of the Executive Committee, the Board of
Directors, and the Finance Committee, and shall perform such
duties as may be directed by the Executive Committee and/or the
President.
c. The Secretary shall serve as an
elected member of the Executive Committee and the Board of
Directors. The Secretary shall be responsible for the
recording of records at all official meetings and for the
distribution of same to the President for approval and
distribution.
.
d. The Treasurer shall serve as an
elected member of the Executive Committee, the Board of
Directors, and shall serve as Chair of the Finance Committee.
The Treasurer shall review, examine, and receipt for all
expenditures related to the activities of the Association. The
Treasurer shall establish and maintain all appropriate financial
accounts, budget, and records, and shall make such records
available for audit as necessary. The Treasurer shall
deposit all monies in such depositories as authorized by the
Executive Committee and write checks with a sole signature for an
amount set by the Board. The Treasurer shall submit monthly
reports of income and expenditures to the Executive Committee
before each meeting. The Treasurer shall submit the Finance
Committee’s annual budget for Board approval.
e. The Past-president shall serve as a
member of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and as
a member of the Finance Committee, and shall perform such duties
as may be directed by the Executive Committee. The
Past-president shall serve as Chair of the Nominations and
Elections Committee.
Section 4. Removal from Office.
An elected officer or member of the
Executive Committee may be removed from office for failure to
perform assigned duties. A three-fifths (3/5) majority of
the IMHCA Executive Committee shall be required to remove the
elected member from the position. An officer may also be
removed under the applicable provisions of Article III of these
By-laws.
ARTICLE VI: BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND OPERATIONS
OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 1. Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Association shall be
from July 1 to June 30.
Section 2. Executive Director.
The IMHCA Executive Director is the paid
staff person who serves under the general direction of the
Executive Committee and in close consultation with the President
to implement the programs, procedures, and policies of the
Association. The Executive Director is the ex-officio
member of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and
the Finance Committee. The Executive Committee will
evaluate the Executive Director’s performance yearly. The
Executive Director’s position description and compensation
will be reviewed as part of the annual performance appraisal.
Section 3. Property of the
Association.
The Executive Director of the Association
shall be the custodian of all records of the Association, and
shall maintain an inventory of all property of the Association,
including the location and possessor of all property not in the
possession of the Executive Director. In the event the
Association should be dissolved, any and all property and assets
shall be transferred to the Illinois Counseling Association.
Section 4. Committees.
a. The President and/or Executive
Committee will establish such committees and task forces as
may be necessary to operate or benefit the
Association. Each committee has the option of
electing its own chairperson.
b. The Nominations and Elections
Committee shall be chaired by the Past-president. Additional
committee members will be appointed by the Past-president and/or
President.
c. The Finance Committee shall be
chaired by the Treasurer. Additional committee members
shall consist of the President, President-elect, Past-president,
Treasurer-elect, immediate Past-treasurer, and Executive
Director (ex-officio). The Finance Committee shall develop
proposed budgets, oversee completion of fiscal reports and
government forms, and approve non-budgeted expenditures under
$500.00. Any non-budget requests over $500.00 need the
approval of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer as
Chairperson shall report to the Board of Directors.
d. ICA Committee Representatives will
chair their committees in their respective fields of mission.
Committee members shall be volunteers or presidential appointees
as deemed necessary by the Committee Chair, with concurrence of
the President.
e. The Standing Committees of the
Association shall be: Finance, Nominations and Elections,
Membership, Awards, Professional Development, and Long
Range Planning. Other Committees will be formed
as needed under the direction of the President.
Section 5. Committee Reports.
Each ICA Committee Chair and ICA Committee
Representative shall report to the President, in writing, the
salient activities, financial information, and progress of the
committee.
Section 6. Task Forces.
The President may establish Task Forces as
is deemed necessary to conduct the mission of the Association.
Each Task Force shall report to the President, in writing, the
salient activities, financial information, and progress of the
Task Force as directed by the President.
ARTICLE
VII: MEETINGS.
Section 1. Annual Meeting.
The annual meeting of the Illinois Mental
Health Counselors Association will occur during the annual
convention of the Illinois Counseling Association. Announcements
of such meetings will be made in the IMHCA Newsletter or in such
manner as to make the information readily available to the
General Membership in a timely manner. Minutes or summaries
of such meetings will be published in the next available issue of
the IMHCA Newsletter.
Section 2. Board of Directors
Meetings.
The Board of Directors will meet at least
two (2) times per year, and at such other times as the President
may call for, or as may be called for by not less that three (3)
members of the
Executive Committee. One meeting of
the Board will be held in conjunction with the
annual convention of the Illinois
Counseling Association, and one meeting will be held in
conjunction with the annual IMHCA Spring Conference. Other
meetings will be held at times and in locations convenient for
the members of the Board to meet. Minutes of these meetings
will be circulated among members of the Board.
Section 3. Executive Committee
Meetings.
The Executive Committee will meet at least
four (4) times per year, and at such other times as the President
may call for, or as may be called for by not less than three (3)
members of the Executive Committee. All meetings shall be
open to the General Membership, unless four-fifths (80%) of the
members of the Executive Committee vote to close the meeting.
Matters involving the discussion of personnel or for pending
litigation may be closed to the General Membership. Meetings
will be held at times and in locations convenient for the members
of the Committee to meet. At times teleconferencing may be
utilized as a substitute for a face-to-face meeting. Minutes
of these meetings will be circulated among members of the
Executive Committee.
Section 4. Committee and Task Force
Meetings.
Committees and Task Forces will meet at
times and in locations convenient for a majority of the members
to attend, subject to the call of the Committee or Task Force
Chair. The Chairperson of each Committee/Task Force serves
on the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE
VIII: BY-LAWS
Section 1. Notification of By-laws
Change.
The membership of the Association must be
notified of any proposed amendment(s) to these By-laws at least
thirty (30) calendar days prior to any meeting wherein such
proposal(s) to amend the By-laws of the Association shall be
voted upon. Adequate attempts to notify may include, but
are not limited to: written communication, posting on the
IMHCA Website, or published notice in the IMHCA Newsletter.
Section 2. Amendment and Adoption.
These By-laws may be amended by a
three-fifths (3/5) majority of the Executive Committee at a
regular meeting of the Committee, or by a majority vote of all
members present at any general meeting of the Association
membership. Unless otherwise specified in the amendment at
the time of passage, the amendment shall become effective at the
time of passage. These By-laws shall become effective upon
their adoption by the Executive Committee of the Association, or
upon their adoption at the Annual Meeting of the Association,
whichever occurs first.
Section 3. Publication.
The By-laws of the Association shall be
published in their entirety every five (5) years, beginning with
the year of their initial adoption. All amendments adopted
by the Association during an official year shall be printed on a
yearly basis. Any person may receive an official current
copy of
the By-laws from the IMHCA office by
making a written request to the Executive Director or by
contacting the Association’s Website: www.imhca.org.
ARTICLE
IX: PARLIAMENTARIAN AND RULES OF ORDER
Section 1. Parliamentarian.
The President shall have discretionary
authority to appoint a member of the Association to act as
Parliamentarian, whose term of office shall be at the pleasure of
the President. The Parliamentarian shall be an ex-officio
member of the Board of Directors and shall advise the President
and other officers on matters affecting parliamentary procedure
and passage of
legislation, resolutions, motions,
amendments, and related matters. The Parliamentarian shall
not be a voting member of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Parliamentary Authority.
The parliamentary authority for meetings of
the Association will be Robert’s Rules of Order,
Revised.
This revision dated 4/29/2000 rescinds
By-laws of the Association dated 5/98.