Guest Column : Our Work Has Advanced Goals and Achieved Key Milestones
From AMHCA ’ s Past President , 2024 – 2025
By Deirdra Sanders – Burnett , PhD , LMHC , QS 47 th AMHCA President , 2023 – 2024
I am honored to have served you as President of the American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) during the 2023 – 2024 year . I express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for each and every one of you for your support and for investing your time , talent , and treasures into AMHCA . We faced challenges and celebrated victories . Through it all you remained focused on meeting the needs of our members and those we serve as we work collaboratively to be the “ go-to ” mental health organization .
As president of AMHCA , I have remained strategically focused on fullfilling my duties , stiving to work collaboratively — with AMHCA ’ s executive committee , board of directors , committees , staff , members , and other key stakeholders — to advance the the vision , mission , and goals and objectives of the AMHCA 2023 – 2024 Annual Strategic Plan . Collectively , not only did we advance established goals and objectives , we achieved remarkable milestones during the 2023 – 2024 year . Additionally , we courageously launched new initiatives . As I transition to the role of immediate past president for the 2024 – 2025 year , I would like to pause and reflect on our key achievements , in particular those identified in the 2023 – 2024 strategic plan .
Here ’ s a Partial List of the Hallmarks of Success We Accomplished During AMHCA ’ s 2023 – 2024 Fiscal Year
• Increased membership
• Completed annual elections
• Increased support for members
• Increased conference attendance
• The board of directors held regular meetings of its executive committee , as did other AMHCA committees
• Updgraded AMHCA ’ s infratructure — by restructuring staff roles to better serve our members
• Added one new state chapter during the 2023 – 2024 year , AMHCA of Idaho , https :// www . amhcaofidaho . com , resulting in a total of 33 AMHCA state chapters https :// www . amhca . org / about / chapters
• Collaborated with conference presenters , Dr . Judith Beck , and TPN , Trusted Provider Network ( TPN . health – https :// app . tpn . health / search / events ) to enhance member education programs
Click here to read more by Dr . Sanders – Burnett about the work done last year by AMHCA ’ s regional directors and committees .
• Increased leadership development by launching the Inaugural Leadership Institute , holding four training sessions
• Encouraged expansion of the Counseling Compact , which 38 states have joined and which allows improved access to mental health therapy services through portability and reciprocity across state lines .
• After many years of effort , and through our alliances and partnerships with other professional organizations , we won Medicare-provider status for Licensed Mental Health Counselors . Effective Jan . 1 , 2024 , Licensed Mental Health Counselors have been able to bill Medicare independently for their services diagnosing and treating mental illnesses .
2023 – 2024 Vision and Objectives ( completed by July 31 , 2024 ; also , titles are current as of July 31 , 2024 )
We accomplished the follwing the following standards for each component of AMHCA ’ s mission statement C . A . R . E . E :
1 . Collaboration : Developed and maintained alliances and partnerships with other professional organizations and associations to increase AMHCA ’ s visibility at the local , state , and national level .
2 . Advocacy : Increased access to care with Medicare provider status . Engage in activities that support human rights , inclusion , diversity , and social justice .
3 . Research : Supported research priorities that support evidence-based treatment outcomes and the co-occurring biological underpinnings of mental health disorders .
4 . Ethical Practice : Denounced biased treatment on the basis of gender , ethnicity , nationality , or any other factor . Promoted a diverse and inclusive AMHCA community with genuine effort to achieve ethical conduct that benefits the entire Association , those we serve , and the community at large .
5 . Education , Training , and Professional Development : Provided and supported professional development opportunities for members at all levels ( i . e ., national , state , local )
2 The Advocate Magazine 2024 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org