NBCC’s Board of Directors recently met with its leadership and worked together to develop the NBCC Creed, an official statement providing a clear view of our beliefs about what we value not only as counselors, but also as an organization. The creed was formally presented earlier this month at the annual Counseling State Regulatory Boards Summit in Denver, Colorado.
Since its inception in 1982, NBCC has always had Vision and Mission statements. Though they are similar concepts, a creed serves a slightly different purpose.
Our Vision — enhancing society worldwide through quality counseling — puts forth the future we hope to realize through our mission and efforts. Our Mission — advancing counseling as the premier certification body of the profession — describes the heart of our work, the core purpose that we seek to achieve and leverage into the future vision. The mission reflects what we strive to achieve every day and our vision is how we hope the world will be qualitatively different as we achieve that mission.
Taking those ideas into account, our creed is a more detailed statement of our principles and core beliefs. It further illustrates the philosophy of how we operate and why we are committed to doing this work. It sets forth the truths our organization holds central to how we operate, and our processes and programs.
The four foundational NBCC truths presented in our creed are:
- Bias, bigotry, and racism have no place and are unacceptable in society and the counseling profession.
- Each person is valuable and deserves respect and decency.
- Mental health is an essential element of health.
- Everyone should have access to high-quality counseling by competent counselors; Access leads to Equity.
The new creed is an integral part of who we are as individuals and as an organization, particularly regarding how we view and treat others, says NBCC Board Chair Neil Duchac, PhD, NCC, ACS, HS-BCP, LPC. It serves as a relevant and necessary reflection of best practices in the counseling profession.
“The intent is that our creed is interwoven into the fabric of who we are and what we value in our interactions with others,” Duchac says. “These beliefs are significant elements of society today. NBCC and Affiliates serves as a role model for the counseling profession and is looked to for leadership by many other organizations and agencies. As a result of this position, it is vital that NBCC states our core values and shares our plan and vision to live by and promote these values. The NBCC creed serves as a basis for the organization.”
NBCC’s Board Vice Chair, Monalisa McGee, PhD, NCC, MAC, LPC, LMHP, CPC, LMHC, agrees with Duchac that the intentions stated in the creed and its foreseeable results extend far beyond the walls of NBCC.
“NBCC’s core beliefs provide the framework in which we function as counselors,” McGee says. “These are our shared beliefs that go beyond the definitions that we embrace. They frame our experience, focus, and aspirations for the counseling field. Supporting the growth of counselors in our communities through these core beliefs fosters hope, innovations, and development of needed mental health services across the globe.”
Formally setting forth NBCC’s beliefs is also intended to nurture a beneficial sense of commonality among counselors, McGee says, as they continue evolving while working for a greater good.
“Sharing the same beliefs can help counselors to shape their professional identity, which also gives them a sense of belonging and cohesiveness,” she says. “This creed contributes to a sense of unity and solidarity.”
The NBCC Creed addresses the critical, ongoing need to improve access to mental health care and strengthen health equity, both of which are at the forefront of NBCC’s capacity-building efforts.
“Advancing health equity involves ensuring that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, and this also applies to behavioral health,” McGee says. “Promoting equity in mental health means developing a pathway for access to quality services. This creed supports that awareness and embraces that every person is valued, and that all should have access to quality and competent counseling services.”
“To me, capacity building means to increase the capability of a person or an organization to perform or to give back,” Duchac says. “Our new creed speaks to the promotion of equity as a needed outcome. Such an outcome is not possible if there is a lack of access to essential services. By enhancing access, we are encouraging and supporting the opportunity for equity to exist in a true and genuine manner.”
