MVCA November 1998 Newsletter

PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Dr. Mary Ann Jones

In this, my first column, I wish to introduce myself. I am Mary Ann Jones, president of the Miami Valley Counseling Association (MVCA) chapter of the Ohio Counseling Association. I am employed at Wright State University where I have been associated with the Department of Human Services for over twenty years. I teach in the Counselor Education Department and am engaged in private practice. I am truly honored to be your president, and am committed to the goals and responsibilities of our organization. I hope to continue the work begun in previous years and welcome any input from you concerning the direction we, as professional counselors need to take as we address issues of the new millennium.

I am excited about plans the Executive Council has made for the coming year. MVCA plans to sponsor three full-day workshops, each offering 6 CEUs, that present timely, relevant topics. The first of these, entitled Family Dynamics with Personality Disorders , was presented by Gene Colina, LISW, on October 23, 1998. This workshop was quite informative and useful for us. Plans for our second workshop, which also promises to be relevant to our changing environment, are progressing.

This year, the Executive Council is moving forward to implement the strategic plan that was developed last year. We will continue to offer scholarships to students of excellence who are seeking training as professional counselors at local universities. We are encouraging professionals who are not currently members of MVCA to join and add their voices to ours, for only in uniting do we express our strength as a profession. These are only a few of the important goals that MVCA is pursuing in the upcoming year. I hope that, as the year progresses, we will hear from you concerning our plans. I invite you to communicate with me or any member of the Executive Council with your suggestions.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Holly Welther, immediate past-president of MVCA for the fine work she accomplished during the past year. Her dedication to the profession and particularly to our chapter have been inspiring. I wish her continued success, and look forward to her ongoing contributions to our organization.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Kriss Haren

OCA and MVCA have been watching with interest several bills in the state legislature. Of particular interest are House Bill (HB) 718 and 719. HB 718, Mental Health Parity, is similar to HB 420, which was not passed; however, it does not include parity for substance abuse treatment. This bill will probably not pass prior to the December 1998 adjournment, but Rep. Oleman has expressed willingness to reintroduce it next year. HB 719, for which OCA Executive Council and the Government Relations Committee both authorized a position of active support, was created by a coalition of mental health providers in response to the Morgan V. Fairfield Family Counseling center. EDITOR'S NOTE: Specific terms of this bill were spelled out in the May, 1998 MVCA Newsletter.

HB 477 addresses the issue of school counselors, and seeks to allow school counselors to continue to be hired under teachers' contracts.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) and the Ohio Counselor and Social Worker Board (OCSWB) have been working together in an attempt to create an employment category for licensed counselors. Currently, no classification exists expressly for LPCCs; therefore, they currently serve as Psychology Assistants and Social Workers. A few serve as administrators and even fewer as contractors. The agency required to approve creation of a new category that would include LISW, LPCC, LPC, and Psychologist license holders has put this decision on hold indefinitely. Concern centers around possible financial implications of requiring licensure. EDITOR'S NOTE: Readers are referred to the excellent article by Tim West published in the Ohio Mental Health Counselors' Association Access.

Discussions have begun with National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Ohio Chapter regarding joining efforts to promote legislation to authorize third party reimbursement for LPCCs and LISWs.

Bills not supported by OCA that will probably die prior to the December recess include HB 589 addressing licensure of art therapists, Senate Bill 157, which addresses licensure or certification of recreational therapists, and Senate Bill 261, which addresses licensure of marriage and family therapists. OCA opposes these bills for three reasons. 1) The exclusive nature of some of these bills would prevent counselors now practicing these therapies from continuing to do so. 2) Such bills would overextend an already overloaded OCSWB by adding the oversight of some of the above practitioners to its responsibilities. 3) There is a lack of sufficient rigor in the training of these specialists compared to that of currently licensed counselors.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ATTENTION SCHOOL COUNSELORS! West Central Ohio School Counselor School-to-Work Conference will be held November 16, 1998 in Student Union rooms 156A and B at Wright State University. The conference is intended for K-12 school counselors who have responsibility for career development, career guidance, career education, and school-to-work activities. Participants will receive publications that include the Occupation Outlook Handbook (OOH), OOH Child Edition, Ed Whitfield's career assessment book and an Individual Career Program (ICP) folder. The conference is limited to 50 participants, with selection criteria based on date of registration and geographic representation. Prior registration is required, and of no cost to participants selected. Featured speaker is Edwin A. Whitfield, Associate Director, Guidance and Testing Section, Ohio Department of Education. A complimentary breakfast buffet begins the program from 7:30 - 8:30 A.M. The conference will conclude at noon. To register, send the registration form that appears as an attachment to this newsletter to Richard A. Wantz, M097 Creative Arts Center, Department of Human Services, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435-0001, phone 937/775-3481, FAX to 937/775-2042, or e-mail rwantz@wright.edu.

ATTENTION MVCA MEMBERS who work with sexual offenders. The Montgomery County Family and Children First Council has adopted an action plan for reducing sexual offenses. A part of the plan is to create an accessible database of resources and treatment options that are available to juvenile sexual offenders and deviants, including those with mental retardation or developmental handicaps. If you wish to be included in the initial database that will become available to professionals who identify, assess, prosecute, defend or pre-sentence juvenile perpetrators, please send the form included as an attachment to this newsletter to Dr. Cary Hatton, Chair, Steering Subcommittee, Crisis Care, 115 East Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Womanline offers you, the professional counselor, the opportunity to provide low-cost, high-quality counseling services as a volunteer counselor. Womanline has offered professional counseling since 1971, and serves clients with a wide variety of mental health issues, specializing in abuse and trauma recovery. If you are ready to become part of our dedicated volunteer staff, please contact Kriss Haren at 223-3446.

ATTACHED TO THIS NEWSLETTER is a brochure that can be copied and used to explain to clients, managed care companies, and members of the community the qualifications of licensed counselors in Ohio.

OCA MEMBERSHIP

OCA members are professional counselors in Ohio working in a variety of settings, including schools, agencies, corrections facilities, and private practice. OCA dues support efforts to advance the counseling profession. By joining OCA, you also become a member of a local chapter, such as MVCA. Members receive OCA newsletters and information on training events, plus reduced fees for MVCA workshops. Membership starts the date you join. A membership application is attached to this newsletter. If you are not yet a member, why not join now?