The Advocate Magazine 2024 Volume 47 Number 1 | Page 6

INSIDE AMHCA

Free Medicare Webinar on Submitting Claims
Do you know the specific requirements for filing reimbursement claims related to coding , billing , documentation , patient privacy , fraud prevention , and ongoing education ? To be sure your claims comply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ( CMS ) requirements , watch the 90-minute webinar “ Making Informed Decisions Before Submitting Claims to Medicare ,” presented by NBCC and the Medicare Mental Health Workforce Coalition .
Download the webinar Download the PowerPoint
AMHCA Election Results Are In — Ackerson Is New Pres- Elect ; Wizwer Reelected Norh Atlantic Region Director ; and Cummings Is New Souther Region DIrector
Three AMHCA positions on its board of directors were filled in the spring elections : President-Elect , North Atlantic Region Director , and Southern Region
Director . All began three-year terms on August 1 . AMHCA thanks Dr . Fredrick Dombrowski , who moves from president to past president , and Dr . Aaron Norton , for his six years as Southern Region Director . Following are excerpts of the winners ’ candidate statements , edited for length .
Courtney Ackerson , LMHC , Is AMHCA ’ s New President-Elect , 2024 – 2025
The AMHCA Leadership Institute recently discussed the concept of “ running toward leadership ,” which I feel encap- su sulates my jour- ney ney to AMHCA . Through my leadership roles within the Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association ( IMHCA ) and AMHCA , I have honed my skills , preparing me to sprint towards leadership within AMHCA .
In addition to being the inaugural executive director of IMHCA , I have been a clinician across various settings , including inpatient and outpatient services from 2011 to 2017 , and policy development within behavioral health for a health management company .
My top three goals as AMHCA president include : Increasing membership by 20 percent , expanding non-dues revenue programming , and revitalizing the Foundation for AMHCA Scholarships .
Watch Ackerson ’ s video
Seth Wizwer , LCMHC , LCPC , Won Reelection as AMHCA ’ s North Atlantic Region Director
A Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in New Hampshire , I am the immediate past president of the NHMHCA . I am deeply committed to advancing the field of of mental health , and I am dedicated to serving our community and advocating for the needs of our profession .
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AMHCA Is the First Mental Health Association to Include AI in Its Code of Ethics
The most recent “ AMHCA Code of Ethics Addendum : Addressing Artificial Intelligence ” ( AI ) states that :
AMHCA Code of Ethics
“ CMHCs clearly disclose to clients when
Revised 2015 , 2020 clinical services are provided by any modality other than direct person-to-person contact . In order to support client autonomy , CMHCs must disclose the extent , if any , to which clinical services are provided through , or in conjunction with , the use of artificial intelligence , machine learning , deep learning , or any other human simulation modality . CMHCs must obtain client consent before initiating these clinical services .
“ CMHCs remain ultimately responsible for all clinical services they provide including their choices about client evaluations , treatment planning , interventions , and assessments . When CMHCs use technology to support clinical services , they are also responsible for ensuring that such technology is sufficiently safe , appropriate , and effective .”
One of the magazine ’ s consulting editors — Aaron Norton , PhD , LMHC , LMFT — reports that he has used AI for therapeutic purposes and has also addressed appropriate and inappropriate use of AI in university settings .
“ AMHCA made history as the first of the mental health professional associations to explicitly refer to AI in its Code of Ethics ,” he said .
Click here to read the two ethics addendums on artificial intelligence . Click here to download a free PDF of the AMHCA Code of Ethics .
6 The Advocate Magazine 2024 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org