OCA Fall Conference 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing clinical and behavioral health practice, offering new opportunities while raising important ethical and professional questions. This keynote explores practical applications of AI, including documentation, treatment planning, psychoeducation, and other clinical workflows. Attendees will examine key risks involving confidentiality, bias, informed consent, and overreliance on technology while distinguishing appropriate from inappropriate uses of AI in clinical decision-making. Through practical examples and ethical considerations, participants will learn strategies for integrating AI into practice in ways that enhance efficiency and quality of care while preserving professional standards, clinical judgment, and the essential role of the clinician.

Think you know counseling? Put your knowledge to the test at the OACES Academic Bee, an engaging and competitive event bringing graduate counseling programs together for a friendly battle of knowledge, ethics, teamwork, and critical thinking.

Teams of 3–4 graduate counseling students with a faculty sponsor will represent their counseling programs as they advance through three elimination rounds. The competition begins with general counseling knowledge, progresses to the ACA Code of Ethics, and concludes with a final challenge in which remaining teams receive an ethical dilemma and deliver a 10-minute analysis and response.

More than a test of what students know, the OACES Academic Bee challenges future counselors to think quickly, collaborate effectively, apply ethical principles, and communicate their clinical and professional reasoning. The event also creates an opportunity for counseling students and faculty from programs across Oklahoma to connect, build community, and celebrate excellence in counselor preparation. 

And, of course, there are bragging rights—and cash prizes for the top three teams!

The OK Mental Health Policy Panel Presentation will cover topics related to recent and upcoming policies impacting mental health in Oklahoma from experts. This presentation will include Bradley Horn, LPC, GRC Chair; Bobby Stem, J.D., OCA Lobbyist; Brittany Hayes, J.D, VP of Policy at Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, and Kelly Roberts, PhD, LMFT, Policy Analyst with Healthy Minds Policy Initiative. The main focus of this presentation will be recent proposed legislation from 2026 legislative session, current and upcoming interim studies impacting mental health in OK, ways to engage policymakers effectively, and the landscape of mental health policy in OK.  

Many clients make meaningful progress in therapy yet continue to feel that something important has been overlooked. This session explores why autism often goes unrecognized in women and individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB), even after years of mental health treatment. Participants will learn how diagnostic bias, masking, and diagnostic overshadowing contribute to delayed identification and will leave with practical, neurodiversity-affirming strategies to improve recognition, referral, and treatment planning for late-diagnosed autistic adults.

Recovery from substance use is more than just being abstinent. It is the death of a former life, the challenges in between, and the birth of a new life. In this training, clinicians will analyze how the path from one version of a person’s life to the other has many intricate grieving processes, and how clinicians can use this information to increase compassion and empathy to improve long term outcomes.  

This interactive exploration will dive into the real-world gray areas of counseling ethics. Rather than simply reviewing what the Code says, participants will step into the counselor’s role and work through challenging scenarios-- choosing from artificial intelligence, veteran concerns, rural dual relationships, multicultural stigma and misdiagnosis, or counselor ethics around neurodivergence. Through discussion and collaborative problem-solving, participants will consider competing perspectives, examine context and culture, and develop practical responses to complex situations. A shared ethical decision-making framework will help participants move from “What does the Code say?” to “What should I actually do?”—and why?

Clinical supervision is required for emerging therapist, but new clinicians are rarely taught how to effectively use it. This interactive session moves beyond the traditional case update and explores how supervisees can take an active role in their professional development. Participants will learn strategies for preparing for supervision, developing meaningful clinical questions, strengthening case conceptualization, discussing uncertainty and mistakes, recognizing personal reactions and countertransference, and identifying what they need from their supervisor. The session will also explore how supervisors can create a balance of support, challenge, accountability, and psychological safety that promotes clinical growth and increasing professional confidence.