The Advocate Magazine 2022 Issue 2 | Page 4

The

The

800 / 326 – 2642 Fax : 7032022

/ 548 – 4775 VOLUME 45 , No . 2

Website : www . amhca . org Phone : 703 / 548 – 6002

The Advocate Magazine is published quarterly , by the American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ). Issues are posted at www . amhca . org / advocatemag , where they can be downloaded as PDFs .

46 ^th AMHCA President , 2022 – 2023 , Fredrick Dombrowski , PhD , LMHC , CASAC , LPC , LADC , NCC , CCMHC , MAC , ACS , BC-TMH , HS-BCP , ICADC , DCMHS

Publisher Beverly Smith , PhD , LPC , NCC , CCMHC , ACS , NCSC , CFT , HS-BCP , BCC , MAC , CPCS , BC-TMH , CCTP , BCPCC , Immediate Past President and Interim CEO / ED

Consulting Editors

Angele Moss – Baker , LPC , LMFT , MAC , DCMHS- COD 44 ^th AMHCA President , 2020 – 2021

Aaron Norton , PhD , LMHC , LMFT , MCAP , CCMHC , CRC , CFMHE AMHCA Southern Region Director

Editor in Chief Whitney Meyerhoeffer

Editor Kathleen McCarthy

Membership in AMHCA is $ 183 / year and gives you access to the archives and any supplemental materials linked in the magazine . Join AMHCA and to get the most out of our many publications !

Disclaimer : Information printed in The Advocate Magazine does not represent an official AMHCA policy or position , and the acceptance of advertising does not constitute endorsement or approval by AMHCA of any advertised service or product . AMHCA reserves the right to edit or reject all copy .

Anti-Discrimination Policy : There shall be no discrimination against any individual on the basis of ethnic group , race , religion , gender , sexual orientation , age , or disability .

Article submission guidelines : Send copy for The Advocate Magazine to AMHCA no later than six weeks prior to issue date . Email copy to Kathleen McCarthy at mccarthy . kathleen @ gmail . com and CC wmeyerhoeffer @ amhca . org .

© 2022 , American Mental Health Counselors Association . All rights reserved . No portion of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of The Advocate Magazine editor or AMHCA ’ s executive director & CEO .

Fredrick Dombrowski , PhD , LMHC , CASAC , LPC , LADC , NCC , CCMHC , MAC , ACS , BC-TMH , HS-BCP , ICADC , DCMHS 46 ^th AMHCA President , 2022 – 2023

It is with great humility and reverence that I have the opportunity to serve you during this upcoming year . I would like to formally recognize the tireless work of Dr . Beverly Smith , who has worn so many hats during this past year . She has given every ounce of herself to AMHCA and has finished her presidential term leaving AMHCA more financially stable and more future-oriented ( see her column on page 5 ). I would also like to congratulate Dr . Deirdra Sanders-Burnett on being AMHCA ’ s new president-elect ( see page 6 for this year ’ s election results ). I look forward to engaging with her to help continue the work of those who came before us . To our past and current board members , thank you for your focus and commitment to AMHCA , and for helping us reach our goals .

AMHCA is in the middle of a momentous wave of change . AMHCA has been a driving force in support of the Counseling Compact , counselingcompact . org , which makes it easier for Clinical Mental Health Counselors ( CMHCs ) to have parity across state lines . To help connect states to the Counseling Compact , we have coordinated our efforts with other national organizations . In addition , AMHCA continues to work with lawmakers as we advocate for Medicare reimbursement for CMHCs , and AMHCA continues to advocate for opportunities for CMHCs to work in Veterans Affairs hospitals to support those who serve in all branches of the U . S . military . Through our coordinated efforts , AMHCA has been able to provide education and training to various helping organizations to provide support for people everywhere who are receiving mental health treatment .

Through AMHCA ’ s Certification Board , we provide formal board affirmation of our members ’ expertise < www . amhca . org / members / career / credential >. AMHCA ’ s clinical specializations affirm that an individual , when compared to and by their peers , meets expertise above and beyond basic criteria . Where state licensure allows CMHCs to practice , AMHCA certifications affirm that a CMHC has skills that designate them as an expert . AMHCA has also enhanced our formal Fellow designations to promote a focus on Multiculturalism and Social Justice ( see Dr . Smith ’ s column on page 5 ). As CMHCs , we are on the front lines of advocacy for various marginalized groups . As such , this new Fellow focus reflects our commitment to diversity , equity , and inclusion , while also recognizing CMHCs who have devoted their work to underserved populations .

During this new fiscal year , AMHCA is excited about meeting our members ’ needs . For example , many states have legalized recreational marijuana ( see page 20 ), and we know that many AMHCA members work with people living with co-occurring substance use and mental health diagnoses . We are working to help reduce the stigma associated with obtaining needed treatment while strengthening our connections to other national organizations so that our members can obtain additional education and research regarding the relationship between co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders .

While enhancing connections with our state chapters , we will look for opportunities to support them , to learn about their strengths and needs , and to identify ways we can promote our shared goals . AMHCA is also considering whether we can create new chapters in currently unrepresented states and U . S . territories .

We can only accomplish these goals by connecting with knowledgeable , passionate , committed AMHCA members . On behalf of AMHCA ’ s board of directors , we consider our members experts who are doing life-changing work in their communities . We believe in you , and we do this work for you ! We look forward to continuing to support you . This is going to be an exciting new year for our association and for the profession we share !

4 The Advocate Magazine 2022 , Issue # 2 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org