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The JMHC news: changes and stability. (Editorials).

Article Excerpt
Although it may seem odd, I am surprised to find myself as the editor of the Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Until the opportunity arose, being a journal editor was never a conscious part of my career goals. Nonetheless, in the past few months of being the editor-elect, I have discovered that, despite the worries, details, and responsibilities, this position is an exciting and enjoyable one.

Moreover, I am especially pleased to be editor of this journal. My interest in and allegiance to this journal is linked to an incident that occurred early in my career. I had submitted a manuscript to JMHC to be reviewed for publication. When the reviews were returned, the editor, Larry Gerstein, sent me a rejection letter that I read and filed. I then began recovering from my disappointment and feelings of rejection. Later in the year, I happened to see Larry at a conference. He asked why I had not revised and resubmitted my manuscript. When I reminded him that he had rejected it, he replied, "No, I didn't. Re-read your letter; I asked you to revise and resubmit it." Clearly, I did not understand some of the nuances of the process of publication or the meaning of "revise and resubmit." Because of this serendipitous encounter, my article was revised with additional statistical analyses and subsequently published. More importantly, I never again expected a first-round acceptance or misunderstood an editor's invitation to revise and resubmit a manuscript. Through his work as editor, Gerstein provided me with a useful professional development experience and captured my allegiance to the JMHC.

BUILDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE PAST

The previous editors, Weikel (1979), Wiggins (1980), Seligman (1984, 1988), Gerstein (1987), Ginter (1993), and Kelly (1996), along with their editorial boards, have established and developed a scholarly and useful journal that serves several purposes and constituencies, in particular the members of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). JMHC is one of the ways that AMHCA and mental health counselors (MHCs) endorse their commitment to research,...

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