MVCA February 1999 Newsletter
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Holly Welther
I can't believe that my term as President of MVCA is half over - time goes so quickly! Thus far, it has been a busy and productive year. For the first time in our organization's history, we are taking a strategic approach in defining our purpose for the future.
Four goals have been identified for the current year. They are:
1. To promote the counseling profession to the community and to counselor trainees. It is vital to increase awareness on the part of the general public and providers of mental health services and managed care companies of the training, competency, and overall benefits of recognizing counselors as qualified providers.
2. To increase membership. Increased membership in our professional organizations will add volume and support to lobbying efforts aimed at advancing the counseling profession.
3. To provide pertinent and affordable training that meets the CEU requirements for license renewal. Workshops offered by MVCA this year address training requirements set forth in the new licensure law, including workshops identifying changes in the law and on new supervision requirements.
4. To obtain up-to-date information on legislation affecting the counseling profession and to disseminate this information to MVCA members. Kriss Haren, legislative representative, gathers current information and provides articles for publication in the MVCA Newsletter so as to facilitate this goal.
It is important to remember that we counselors are the most effective representatives of our profession. MVCA members help to chart the future of our profession by being active, involved advocates. Consider attending a meeting of the MVCA Executive Council. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at Womanline, 301 East Sixth Street, Dayton at 5:30 P.M. If you need directions, please contact one of the Executive Council members listed in this newsletter.
FROM THE EDITOR
Jane Shirley
A new calendar year has begun. The holidays are past, and most of the cold and flu season is behind us (I hope). Dominating the news in these first few weeks of the year are stories and innuendos of political scandal and intrigue. Appropriate behavior and accountability seem sorely lacking in our society; a possible sign of rampant personality disorders.
As mental health professionals, we need to set an example of integrity and accountability both as individuals and in our professional organizations. By defining and stating our goals, MVCA is encouraging our members to hold us accountable. As a member of MVCA, OCA, ACA, and AMHCA, I have been disappointed at the fragmentation, power struggles, and lack of accountability to members on the part of some organizations. It seems to me that it is more important than ever for professional counselors to work together to promote credibility and professionalism of all counselors. As members of these professional organizations, we have the right and the duty to demand accountability on the part of our leaders. In an attempt to more fully inform MVCA members and allow accountability, I plan to begin a series of articles on the workings of the OCA divisions and committees that are charged with promoting our profession on the state level. With the assistance of committee chairpersons and division leaders who respond to my requests for information, I hope to inspire you, our members, to back efforts that promote our profession, and to help answer the question, "are you being served?" (Apologies to PBS and the BBC) In addition, I invite you readers to submit letters to the editor expressing your points of view and asking questions. The next MVCA Newsletter is scheduled to be published in April. Letters received before April 15, 1998, will be considered for publication and response.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Kriss Haren
This month, we present eleven topics of interest that are currently in the spotlight.
State-licensed or -certified counselors should soon be listed as providers for Medicaid as a result of the balanced budget law enacted in August. This law prohibits Medicaid managed care plans from discriminating against providers based on their type of state licensure or certification.
The balanced budget law creates a $24 billion children's health insurance program. States will have total discretion as to which providers will be reimbursed. The American Counseling Association (ACA) plans for state leaders to be involved in the implementation process.
New laws create tax breaks for post-secondary education, including graduate degrees in counseling.
ACA defeated attempts by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of School Psychologists to restrict the authority to perform assessments under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Both groups are now petitioning the Department of Education to regulate assessments with the same outcome expected.
Legislation passed by the House of Representatives in July eliminates many of the career guidance and counseling provisions from the Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act, pertaining to federal job training programs. The Senate version strengthens the career guidance and counseling provisions. Negotiations between the two houses are expected to continue into next year.
Efforts to reimburse professional counselors through Medicare look promising from a lobbying perspective; however, time ran out for this legislative session. Efforts are continuing.
CHAMPUS currently requires professional counselors to be supervised by a physician for reimbursement purposes. Search for a sponsor of legislation to correct this is ongoing.
Attempts to enact legislation to include professional counselors in the clinical training programs operated by the Center for Mental Health Services and the Public Health Service are ongoing.
Federal regulation enacted in March require state vocational rehabilitation agencies to hire people with a masters degree or higher in counseling or rehabilitation counseling to fill new positions. Iowa has already attempted to implement proposals that would circumvent these regulations. Preliminary opinions from the Federal RSA indicate that Iowa's proposals are illegal.
ACA is working with several other organizations to advocate for legislation that strengthens the confidentiality of client health records. This issue will probably be discussed in Congress next year.
ACA is lobbying for the Patient Access to Responsible Care Act (H.R. 1415/S.644), which, among other things, prohibits managed care plans from discriminating against providers based on the type of license or certification held.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MVCA WORKSHOP entitled "Supervision: Getting in Line With the New Law," will be held Friday, March 6, 1998 at the Holiday Inn, Fairborn. Presenter is Bernadine Parks, M.S., LPCC. Cost of the workshop is $ 50.00 for MVCA members and $ 65.00 for non-members. Six CEUs are pending approval by the Ohio Counselor and Social Worker Board. Registration must be made by February 27, 1998. To obtain registration information, contact Kriss Haren at 937/223-3446.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES are available for professional counselors at the special setting Womanline of Dayton offers. Dedicated volunteers make it possible for the agency to serve the ever-increasing number of women seeking the kind of support available here. If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please call Kriss Haren at 223-3446. (EDITOR'S NOTE: the new licensure law now allows supervised volunteer work done after completion of coursework to count toward licensure.)
CONGRATULATIONS to Valerie Sorosiak, MS, CT, a recent University of Dayton graduate, who has recently been hired as a full time counselor at Womanline, a professional counseling and support agency. As a student intern at Womanline, Valerie created The Safe Place, a unique counseling setting designed to aid female survivors of abuse and trauma.
COUNSELOR AND SOCIAL WORKER BOARD CONTACTS
Pat Sposito, administrative assistant for counselor licensure and testing 614/466-6462
Laurie Muetzell, coordinator for social work and counselor assistant applications 614/466-5465
Rhonda Franklin, coordinator for renewals, extensions, audits 614/466-0912
Bill Hegarty, Tammy Tingle, Peggy Fossett, investigators for all requests for investigations 614/466-0912
Tracey Hosom, Public inquiry assistant for general information and verifications 614/466-0912
Beth Farnsworth, Executive Director 614/466-0912
Patty Strayer, CEU program approval, applications provider 614/466-0912
OCA MEMBERSHIP
Do you have colleagues or acquaintances who are licensed counselors but who do not belong to OCA? Why not encourage them to join and become more accountable as professionals. OCA members are professional counselors in Ohio that work in a variety of settings, including schools, agencies, corrections facilities, and private practice. OCA membership supports efforts to advance the counseling profession. By becoming active in OCA, you also become a member of a local chapter, such as MVCA. Membership entitles one to receive OCA newsletters and information on training events, plus reduced rates at workshops of the MVCA. Membership starts on the date you join. A membership application form is included as an attachment to this newsletter. If you are not yet a member, consider joining now. OCA's webpage address is: www.ohiocounseling.org.
