Two Big Wins for the Profession !
From the Interim CEO / ED
AMHCA Board
By Beverly Smith , PhD , LPC , NCC , CCMHC , ACS , NCSC , of Directors
CFT , HS-BCP , BCC , MAC , BC-TMH , CCTP , BCPCC AMHCA President , 2021 – 2022 , and Interim CEO / ED President , 2023 – 2024 Deirdra Sanders-Burnett president @ amhca . org
Two Big Wins for the Profession !
It has been a phenomenal year for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling profession . From a legislative perspective , AMHCA has made gains and strides to address the mental health crisis that exists in our country . With the enactment of the Counseling Compact in 30 states and President Biden signing into law legislation that authorizes Licensed Professional Counselors ( LPCs ) and Licensed Mental Health Counselors ( LMHCs ) as Medicare providers starting in January 2024 , the professional has advanced , and the public will benefit .
With the Counseling Compact and Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors ( LCMHCs ) able to treat Medicare clients directly , that means individuals , families , hospitals , organizations , and our communities will have increased access to selecting the quality care that serves them best . Both of these legislative advances enable LPC / LMHCs to continue to address closing the gap in the mental healthcare provider shortage . Thus , more Americans will have an opportunity to receive therapeutic services in various geographic locations — including rural areas .
The Counseling Compact has been a game changer for our profession ! Truly , it has been one of the key factors to revolutionizing our profession in recent times . Specifically , the Counseling Compact will provide more opportunities to address mental healthcare services in rural areas and across state lines for member states by LPCs / LMHCs only . The Counseling Compact is an occupational license , so services cannot be provided by Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists ( LMFTs ), Licensed Clinical Social Workers ( LCSWs ) or Licensed Psychologists ( LPs ). Each of these professions requires its own occupational license .
Currently , 30 states have enacted the Counseling Compact , with Georgia being the first state in 2021 . LPCs / LMHCs can participate in the Compact if they :
• Have an unencumbered license in their home state ,
• Their home state is a Counseling Compact state , and
• They are licensed to diagnose , assess , and treat patients / clients .
The privilege of the Counseling Compact is that it allows LPCs / LMHCs to have the opportunity to treat a client or patient in another Compact state via telehealth or faceto-face . Please note that FBI background checks as well as an application are a part of the credentialing process to have the privilege to practice in a Compact state .
For a state to be part of the Counseling Compact , the state requirement for licensure includes having 60-hour counseling degree or 60-hours in specific counseling courses , and the LPC / LMHC must have post-degree supervised experience as well as have passed the required national exam designated by the state licensing board . Additionally , each Counseling Compact state must have written into state law that LPCs / LMHCs are licensed to diagnose .
If your state has not enacted the Counseling Compact , contact AMHCA for a team of experienced LPCs / LMHCs ( the AMHCA Compact specialists ) who can provide guidance through the process . For more information on how the Counseling Compact benefits LCMHCs , see page 6 , and visit www . counselingcompact . org . For more on LCMHC Medicare status , Medicare physician fees , and working with Medicare patients and clients , visit amhca . org / advocacy / medicare .
President-Elect Yoon Suh Moh presidentelect @ amhca . org
Past President Fredrick Dombrowski pastpresident @ amhca . org
Treasurer G . Michael Pilcher treasurer @ amhca . org
Director-at-Large Luis Charles Hines directoratlarge @ amhca . org
North Atlantic Region Director Seth Wizwer northatlanticregiondirector @ amhca . org
Southern Region Director Aaron Norton southernregiondirector @ amhca . org
Midwest Region Director Napoleon Harrington midwestregiondirector @ amhca . org
Western Region Director Shannon Thompson westernregiondirector @ amhca . org
Graduate Student Representative Rebecca Perry graduatestudentrep @ amhca . org
AMHCA Staff
• Interim CEO / ED Beverly Smith DrBSmith @ amhca . org
• Director of Communications Whitney Meyerhoeffer wmeyerhoeffer @ amhca . org
• Director , Member Management Melissa McShepard mmcshepard @ amhca . org
• Director , Events Planning Rebecca Woodson rwoodson @ amhca . org
The Advocate Magazine 2023 , Issue # 2 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org 55