The Advocate Magazine 2024 Volume 47 Number 1 | Page 4

The

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2024 : VOLUME 800 / 326 – 47 2642 , Issue # 1 Fax : 703 / 548 – 4775 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 .

48 th AMHCA President , 2024 – 2025 Yoon Suh Moh , PhD , LPC , CRC , NCC , BC-TMH , BCN

Publisher Beverly Smith , PhD , LPC , NCC , CCMHC , ACS , NCSC , CFT , HS-BCP , BCC , MAC , BC-TMH , CCTP , BCPCC , AMHCA President 2021 – 2022 , 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

Editor in Chief Whitney Meyerhoeffer

Editor Kathleen McCarthy

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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 .

© 2024 , 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 interim CEO / ED .

Cover illustration : nikolasvn

The President ’ s Perspective

Yoon Suh Moh , PhD , LPC , CRC , NCC , BC-TMH , BCN 48 th AMHCA President , 2024 – 2025

Embracing Strategic , Practical Goals to Build on the Work of Past AMHCA Leaders to Reach New Heights

Greetings , AMHCA members ! It is an immense honor , privilege , and responsibility for me to serve AMHCA and represent your voices during this upcoming year . I am grateful to each one of you for belonging to the association and contributing to the counseling profession , and in particular , to the clinical mental health community . In addition , I would like to recognize and celebrate the tireless work of AMHCA ’ s board of directors , who are listed individually by name in the box on page 5 . This year , I look forward to having a parliamentarian join the board . Interim CEO / ED Dr . Beverly Smith has fostered the efficient day-to-day operation and management of the association , and her leadership has helped advance the association ’ s mission and visions . In addition , I thank Past President Dr . Deirdra Sanders – Burnett for her phenomenal work over the past year , and I also congratulate Courtney Ackerson , AMHCA ’ s new president-elect . I look forward to working with her and helping to continue the work of those who came before us .

Here ’ s What I ’ d Like to Accomplish This Year — With Your Help

I know that my term as your AMHCA president will fly by , so I will embrace every minute to serve AMHCA . One of my first responsibilities is to elaborate on the 2024 – 2025 strategic plan . As Dr . Thomas J . Sweeney observes in “ Professional Counseling Excellence through Leadership and Advocacy ” ( 2021 , 2nd edition ), “ Leaders do not start with a blank paper to form a new plan . Wise leaders know this intuitively and act upon it ” ( p . 3 ). Considering this perspective , I have sought continuity in transition from those who came before me to my leadership . I also want my goals for AMHCA for the year ahead — which I hope to accomplish alongside each of you , AMHCA staff , and the board — to be practical and strategic . My vision relates to AMHCA ’ s mission statement : C . A . R . E . E .

• Collaboration : Considering ways to help develop and strengthen new alliances and partnerships with other professional organizations ( e . g ., collegiate recovery advocacy groups , and biofeedback and neurofeedback communities ), associations , and community partners ( e . g ., faith-based communities ) to enhance the association ’ s visibility at varying levels — local , state , regional , national , and global .

• Advocacy : Assisting in increasing access to mental health resources and services in the community and engaging in activities , actions , and practices that support human rights , inclusion , diversity , and social justice as well as healing justice .

• Research : Among other ways , commissioning a working group to curate evidencebased data , information , and resources for AMHCA members so that they may apply it to their work as clinical mental health counselors and allied professionals .

• Ethical Practice : Promoting a diverse , inclusive AMHCA community to achieve ethical practice and conduct that benefit AMHCA and the mental health community .

• Education , Training , and Professional Development : Helping generate and support professional development opportunities multiple times during the upcoming year for AMHCA members as well as the larger mental health community .

I look forward to an impactful , productive year for AMHCA working alongside each of you . Next issue : I ’ ll tell you more about myself and what the profession means to me .

4 The Advocate Magazine 2024 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org