1. Critical Issues Facing the Counseling Profession and State Counseling Boards

2. David Kaplan ACA Chief Professional Officer dkaplan@counseling
David Kaplan ACA Chief Professional Officer Scott MacConomy ACA State Legislative Representative AASCB conference

4. Two Critical Areas Licensure Portability
Licensing board consolidation and elimination

5. Salvador Minuchin

6. Passed by the ACA Governing Council December 19, 2017
Reparative Therapy/Conversion Therapy/SOCE as a Significant and Serious Violation of the ACA Code of Ethics
Passed by the ACA Governing Council December 19, 2017

7. Promoting, conducting, engaging in or referring for reparative therapy/ conversion therapy/SOCE is a significant and serious violation of the ACA Code of Ethics

8. Conducting reparative/conversion therapy/SOCE is a breach of the mandates to:
Do no harm
Avoid the imposition of the counselor’s personal values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Practice within the boundaries of professional competence.
Avoid discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identification.

9. Licensure Portability

11. Licensing board consolidation and elimination

12. Federal Agenda Affordable Care Act Mental Health Parity
Medicare Reimbursement for Counselors

13. Medicare Legislation
Bipartisan legislation to cover LPCs and MFTs under Medicare so they can be reimbursed.
S sponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
H.R sponsored by Congressman John Katco (R-NY).
Would cover LPCs and MFTs at same reimbursement rates as clinical social workers (75% of MDs).

14. What the debate on Medicare coverage of counselors is about these days
It’s not about policy. Both the House and Senate have passed the bill language twice in the past 10 years (Senate = 2003, 2005; House = 2007, 2009)

15. Support Medicare Legislation
Ask your Senators and Representatives to support legislation this year.
This is bipartisan, low-cost legislation which has been passed twice by both the Senate and House, but has not yet become law.
Congress may be looking to help seniors as the November election approaches.

16. Licensure and the FTC The Federal Trade Commission is looking at ways to reduce noncompetitive outcomes of licensure The Economic Liberty Task Force has held two roundtables on the effects of licensure on competition, consumers, and the workforce. “Although licensing can confer certain consumer benefits, licensing requirements also impose costs on anyone who wants to enter or continue an occupation.”

17. State Initiatives
Add Diagnosis to the definition of counseling in New York.
Work with Tennessee counselors and others to keep a strong code of ethics in place.
Work with state counseling groups on effective advocacy at the state level.

18. Iowa
The Governor proposed to eliminate licensure and instead have people register with state agencies.
ACA found members who could go to Des Moines and advocate against this legislation on short notice.
Working with NASW and other groups, we showed overwhelming opposition to this bill at the initial hearing.
The subcommittee chairman understood the bills effects and the opposition, and killed it that day.

19. Portability
ACA is working with licensure boards and state legislatures to increase portability among all states.

20. How ACA can help you keep up with current and counseling events
Read Counseling Today
Read CT online
Read Counseling Insider at counseling.org/publications
Subscribe to the ACA government affairs blog: counseling.org/news/aca-blogs/aca-government-affairs-blog

21. Visit the ACA Facebook page Follow ACA on Twitter:
@Amercan.Counseling.Association
Use Google alerts
Ask Scott and David

22. Let’s schmooze!

23. Critical Issues Facing the Counseling Profession and State Counseling Boards