AMHCA Advanced the Profession in FY 2023 – 2024
From the Interim CEO / ED
By 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
AMHCA Advanced the Profession in FY 2023 – 2024
It is an honor and a joy to work as AMHCA ’ s Interim CEO / ED . I appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with amazing and talented members , strategic board members , many hard-working chapters , and dedicated stakeholders who helped accomplish these 2024 milestones :
• Coffee & Conversation : Held a forum ( listening session ) for members and leaders of AMHCA to ask questions , provide support , and share ideas with the Interim CEO / ED .
• Suicide Prevention Certificate : Collaborated on launching a new certificate program for clinicians for suicide prevention .
• Fall Colloquium : The Fall Colloquium , with high attendance , included Dr . Kent Butler as the keynote speaker and Dr . Sylvia Fernandez ( CACREP ) as our special guest .
• Adoption of AMHCA Position Statement Guidelines : Guidelines provide a standard for AMHCA to receive recommendations for AMHCA ’ s support or non-support of a political issue .
• Wellness : AMHCA launched its first-ever wellness events , on “ Aromatherapy ,” and “ Chair Yoga , Meditation , Breathwork , & Sound Bath .”
• Ethics Consultation : AMHCA ’ s Ethics Committee continued to provide consultation to members from clinicians who can provide an experienced , ethical perspective .
• Graduate Students & Emerging Professionals : In addition to providing opportunities each month for students to ask questions in a safe space , we renewed our partnership with Triad , the parent company of the Association for Advanced Training in the Behavioral Sciences ( AATBS ).
• National Organizations : AMHCA participated in cross-functioning events with other national organizations to invite individuals into professional engagement and encourage graduate students to join professional organizations .
• Advocacy : Continued participating in the Medicare Mental Health Workforce Coalition to advance parity for authorized providers in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling profession .
• Updated Board Manual , and Policies & Volunteer Manual : The updates of both documents uphold newly incorporated values and organizational expectations .
• Accounting Systems : Engaged a new accounting firm and increased revenue by 7 percent .
• Membership : Increased by 3 percent and the member retention rate was 80.54 percent .
• Chapter Establishment and Engagement : Chartered Idaho as an AMHCA chapter ; and collaborated as a presenter with chapters in South Carolina , North Carolina , and Georgia .
• Counseling Compact Commission : Served as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee of the Counseling Compact Commission .
Continuing AMHCA ’ s Advancement in 2025 — Join Us !
In addition to already launching a TeleMental Healthcare infographic ( bit . ly / 3F9W1hJ ) aimed to help educate the public on selecting appropriate TeleMental healthcare providers , AMHCA ’ s plans include :
• Vodcast : Relaunching the “ Perspectives ” vodcast with industry leaders and AMHCA leaders for conversational enlightenment .
• Foundation : Revitalizing the AMHCA Foundation to be vibrant and comprehensively functional .
• Advocacy : Continue collaborating with other helping-profession organizations for parity .
• Credentialing Committee : Revamping the committee to offer an array of credentials to help clinical mental health counselors earn and display to the public the acquired standards for competency of care and service . I have also explored a new platform and renewal process to leverage this asset for AMHCA .
• Past Presidents Ad-Hoc Committee : Proposing to form a group to review and celebrate AMHCA ’ s many accomplishments , with a focus on acknowledgements of AMHCA ’ s 50th Anniversary Celebration .
• Leadership Symposium : Increasing the opportunity for networking , as well as for personal and professional growth .
AMHCA Board of Directors
President , 2024 – 2025 Yoon Suh Moh , PhD president @ amhca . org
President-Elect Courtney Ackerson presidentelect @ amhca . org
Past President Deirdra Sanders-Burnett , PhD pastpresident @ amhca . org
Treasurer vacant
Secretary Corey Milsap , PhD secretary @ amhca . org
Parliamentarian vacant
Director-at-Large Luis Charles Hines , PhD directoratlarge @ amhca . org
North Atlantic Region Director Seth Wizwer northatlanticregiondirector @ amhca . org
Southern Region Director Cheryl Cummings , PhD southernregiondirector @ amhca . org
Midwest Region Director Napoleon Harrington , DBH midwestregiondirector @ amhca . org
Western Region Director Shannon Thompson westernregiondirector @ amhca . org
Graduate Student Representative Marcela Kepic , PhD graduatestudentrep @ amhca . org
AMHCA Staff
• Interim CEO / ED Beverly Smith , PhD DrBSmith @ amhca . org
• Director of Communications Whitney Meyerhoeffer wmeyerhoeffer @ amhca . org
• Director of Membership Melissa McShepard mmcshepard @ amhca . org
• Director of Events Rebecca Woodson rwoodson @ amhca . org
The Advocate Magazine 2025 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org 55