45th Annual F.E. Woodall Spring Conference for the Helping Professions April 2, 2027

Conference Details

The Annual Woodall Conference will be held in-person in Ewing Hall on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.

About the Woodall Conference

The annual F. E. Woodall Conference, hosted by Delta State University’s College of Nursing, Health, and Sciences, serves both students and professionals by providing essential information, support, and networking opportunities to helping professionals in the region. The conference offers professionals in a variety of helping fields the opportunity to attend interesting and informative workshops at a nominal cost. The conference began in 1981, under the direction of Dr. Fred E. Woodall, a previous and highly admired professor.

Keynote speakers have included seven American Counseling Association Presidents, an international innovator/inventor, and other nationally recognized leaders in the field of counseling. Students and professionals spend the day selecting from over 30 peer-reviewed, continuing education content sessions. Presenters are often faculty and students from Delta State and other universities as well as leading professionals in the field. Advanced students have the opportunity to present with their faculty members.

Our Delta Sigma Upsilon chapter of Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society, will benefit from the funding of the conference and will be able to do service for the community, attend national conferences, and attend other continuing education opportunities!

About Conference Proposals

Submit a Proposal

Proposals must be submitted electronically by Friday, December 11, 2026.

The College of Nursing, Health, and Sciences invites you to be a part of this exciting conference by offering a 60-minute presentation on a topic of your choice related to the helping professions. The electronic form walks you through each step of the proposal process, including detailed instructions for creating a session abstract and objectives.

Due to the nature of providing contact hours to a number of disciplines, the program, presenter information, and specified learning objectives must be included with each submission. This information enables us to meet the continuing education requirements for different organizations, making your presentation useful to a broader range of participants. We do not “theme” this conference; rather, we encourage topics that meet the needs of a variety of helping professionals to foster more integrated work & care.

Your detailed proposal and CV/resume increase our ability to accept your presentation for the conference. If there are any questions regarding this application process, we will be happy to assist you.

Registration

Registration Coming Soon!

Payment Details

Digital payment options available in online registration portal.

If you would like to use a check, money order, or cash for pre-registration, please complete the physical copy of the conference registration. We are no longer accepting Purchase Orders (PO).

To ensure receipt of check and issuance of an online code to register, checks must be postmarked by February 5, 2026. Please mail your registration form and check, cash, or money order to the following address:

Please make checks out to: DSU – CSI

DSU Counselor Education
Attn: Darla Poole
DSU Box 3142
1003 W. Sunflower Ave.
Cleveland, MS 38733
.

Registration and Payment Schedule

  • Early Bird Registration
    • Opens: December 1
    • Deadline: January 31
    • Fee: $50
  • Regular Registration
    • Opens: February 1
    • Deadline: February 28
    • Fee: $75
  • Late Registration
    • Opens: March 1
    • Deadline: March 20
    • Fee: $100

*Not including additional fees for Social Work and MDE credit.

Conference Booklet

Conference Booklet Coming Soon!

CE Request Forms
Please access the links below to complete CE Request/Evaluation forms. Please note that these forms are required for all attendees to receive credit, per continuing education provider policies. If forms are not submitted at the end of the conference, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to receive your CE credits. For more information, access the Conference Booklet.

Refund Policy

The Woodall Conference values the professional development and time of all participants. Registration fees are refundable according to the following schedule: 

  • Full Refund: Requests must be received in writing via email to woodallconference@deltastate.edu by 30 days prior to the conference date to receive a full refund, minus any processing fees. 
  • Partial Refund: Written refund requests received 29 to 14 days prior to the conference date will be refunded 50% of the registration fee.  
  • No Refund: Requests made within 14 days of the conference date, or no-shows without written notice, are not eligible for a refund.  
  • Substitutions: Registered attendees may transfer their registration to another individual at no penalty. Substitution requests must be submitted in writing by 14 days prior to the conference date.  
  • Event Cancellation: If unforeseen circumstances require cancellation of the conference, registered participants will receive a full refund of registration fees. The Woodall Conference is not responsible for other expenses (e.g., travel, lodging). 

Refund requests should be emailed to woodallconference@deltastate.edu. Please allow approximately 10-14 business days for processing. 

Complaint Policy & Resolution Process 

The Woodall Conference strives to maintain an environment that reflects the professional, ethical, and respectful standards consistent with the counseling profession. If you have a concern about any aspect of the conference (e.g., program content, presenter conduct, accessibility, or other conference-related issues), you are encouraged to follow this process: 

  • Submit the Complaint in Writing: Email your written complaint to woodallconference@deltastate.edu with “Conference Complaint” in the subject line. Include: 
    • Your name and contact information. 
    • A detailed description of the concern. 
    • Any relevant dates, session titles, or individuals involved. 
  • Acknowledgement: Complaints will be acknowledged within 3 business days of receipt. (Please note that the Woodall office is closed during university summer and winter breaks, causing potential delays in correspondence.) 
  • Review & Follow-Up: The Woodall Conference leadership will review the concern and may request further details. A response or proposed resolution will be provided within 10 business days when feasible. 
  • Confidentiality & Respect: All complaints will be handled confidentially and respectfully. Retaliation against individuals who raise genuine concerns in good faith is not permitted. 

For questions & concerns related to the Woodall Conference, please contact:
Darla Poole, Conference Coordinator | Email: woodallconference@deltastate.edu | Phone: 662-846-4364 

Contact

Conference Coordinator:
Darla Poole, MEd, P-LPC, NCC, CCC
E: woodallconference@deltastate.edu
P: (662) 846-4364

Payment

Digital payment options available in online registration portal.

For check payments:

Make Checks Payable to:
DSU – Chi Sigma Iota

Mail to:
DSU Counselor Education
ATTN: Darla Poole
DSU Box 3142
1003 W. Sunflower Rd.
Cleveland, MS 38733

Conference Keynote Speaker

Headshot of Michael Jones

Michael Jones, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, BC-TMH

Tenured Professor of Counseling, University of the Cumberlands | Founder, The Counselor Education Collective

Michael Jones, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, BC-TMH, is a tenured professor of counseling at the University of the Cumberlands, where he teaches master’s and doctoral-level courses in an online CACREP program and mentors doctoral students and junior faculty. His research centers on identity, ethics, and the technologies entering the counseling room, including his dissertation work on cultural homelessness among biracial adults and his ongoing scholarship on AI ethics in counselor education. He is co-editor of Mental Health and the Black Man: A Mixtape Experience of Hardship and Harmony (Cognella, 2026) and has authored more than two dozen scholarly publications. A past president of both the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision and the Arkansas Counseling Association, he has served on the ACA Ethics Committee and mentors doctoral students nationally through the NBCC Minority Fellowship Advisory Council, having been selected in 2013 for the program’s inaugural cohort. He holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University.

Location

Ewing Hall, Delta State University
Cleveland, MS, 38733
(View Google Map)

Agenda

8:30 – 9 AM | Check-In
9 – 10:00 AM | Breakout Sessions
10:10 – 11:40 AM | Keynote Session
11:40 AM – 1:10 PM | Lunch on your own
1:10 – 2:10 PM | Breakout Sessions
2:20 – 3:20 PM | Breakout Sessions
3:30 – 4:30 PM | Breakout Sessions
4:30 – 5 PM | Evaluation Submission & Closing Remarks

5.5 Available CEUs

Schedule of Sessions

The 2027 Schedule of Sessions will be available soon.

Continuing Education Information

Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) & Nationally Certified Counselors (NCC)

  • Delta State University Counselor Education department, event sponsor, is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider. DSU – Counselor Education is recognized by the National Board for Certified Counselors to offer continuing education for National Certified Counselors. We adhere to NBCC Continuing Education Guidelines, Provider #4306.
    • up to 6 NBCC CEs offered

Social Workers

  • Social Work contact hours are in the review process by DSU Social Work Department. The Social Work Department of Delta State University, SWCU1202, is an approved provider for continuing education by the Mississippi Board of Examiners and Marriage & Family Therapists.
    • up to 6 SW CEs offered
    • Attention: The state’s additional fee of $25 for social work certificates is included in your registration fee.

School Counselors & Other School Helping Professionals interested in MDE/Education CEUs

  • DSU Continuing Education Department is an approved provider for MS Department of Education CEUs. MDE CEUs have been approved.
    • up to .6 MDE CEUs offered
    • Attention: An additional fee of $15 for school certificates is included in your registration fee.

Please contact your licensing board if you have questions about the type of continuing education offered. If you have any questions about about this conference, please email woodallconference@deltastate.edu.

For those that would like to use a check, money order, or cash for pre-registration, please contact Darla Poole at woodallconference@deltastate.edu. To ensure receipt of check and issuance of an online code to register, mail checks by February 5, 2026.
Make checks out to: DSU – CSI.
Mailing Address: DSU Counselor Ed, Attn: Darla Poole, DSU Box 3142, 1003 W. Sunflower Ave., Cleveland, MS 38733

Thank You to Our Sponsors!