UA Counseling Center Receives IACS Accreditation

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama Counseling Center has recently been accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, an organization of counseling agencies in the U.S., Canada and Australia that is based in Alexandria, Va.

In its review of the UA Counseling Center, the IACS noted the UA center’s strong reputation on campus, leadership and dedicated staff. The UA Counseling Center is the second center in the state and one of 15 in neighboring states, to be accredited by the IACS.

“Achieving this milestone represents several years of intensive
self-examination and improvement in our services,” said Dr. Lee Keyes, UA Counseling Center director.

IACS accreditation means that a group of experienced professionals across the nation critically looked at all aspects of the center’s operations and found that it met their rigorous standards. Along with meeting standards established by IACS, the Board of Accreditation evaluated the center and found it qualified as a professionally competent counseling service.

To insure that accredited centers maintain high standards set by the IACS, re-evaluations are required every four years and a mandatory on-site evaluation every eight years. The counseling center will also be required to complete annual reports to give evidence of maintaining standards.

“With this development, members of the UA community will hopefully understand that we strive to maintain high standards of practice, and that we remain committed to continued improvement in the years to come,” Keyes said.