Current Issues Facing the Counseling Profession www counseling

Current Issues Facing the Counseling Profession www. counseling. org/kaplan

David Kaplan ACA Chief Professional Officer dkaplan@counseling. org Art Terrazas ACA Director of Government Affairs aterrazas@counseling. org 2016 ACA conference

Two Game-Changing Issues • External to the profession • Internal to the profession

External to the Profession LGBT DISCRIMINATION

LGBT Societal Advances • Sex • Adoption • Same-sex marriage • A start to transgender acceptance

And in our world…. Condemnation of conversion therapy

180 Backlashes • Anti-transgender legislation • Pro conversion therapy legislation • Religious refusal legislation

Tennessee • Legislation offered that allowed LPCs to deny services to clients based on religious beliefs of the LPC, in violation of the ACA Code of Ethics. • Stripped the power of the State board to sanction LPCs. • Passed as part of an effort to attack the ACA and counseling profession.

Internal to the Profession PATHWAYS TO PROFESSIONALISM

Pathways to Professionalism LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS

Strengthening Licensure laws • New York and Diagnosis. • Congruency in laws dealing with scope and practice. • Unification of the profession. • Adoption of the 20/20 project and its outcomes.

Federal Agenda • TRICARE- Implementation • Department of Veterans Affairs • School Counseling Funding • Medicare

School Counseling Funding • Elementary & Secondary School Counseling Program has been phased-out. • The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) established over $1. 6 billion in funding for School Programs and other programs. • School Districts must apply for the grants.

The VA “ask” • The VA should add counselors to their training program under the Office of Academic Affiliations. This program is a proven pathway to a career in the VA. • Asking Senators to co-sponsor S. 1676 which calls on the VA to include counselors in the training program AND allows doctoral degrees to be recognized. • Asking Senators to support ongoing Pilot Program at the VA that creates paid internships for licensed mental health counselors.

TRICARE • “Final Rule” issued in 2014 – Only allowed for a certain segment of the Counseling Profession to become independent practitioners. – Required a certain degree. – Only allowed certain LPCs to be “grandfathered” in if they did not attend a CACREP school.

TRICARE Amendment • Will allow LPCs who had a master’s degree in counseling and licensed to become an independent practitioner until 2021. • ACA advocated for it in order to ensure that more LPCs would be able to deliver mental healthcare.

S. 1830/H. R. 2759 • Bipartisan legislation to cover LPCs and MFTs under Medicare. • S. 1830 Sponsored by John Barasso (R-WY) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). • H. R. 2759 sponsored by Chris Gibson (R-NY) and Mike Thompson (D-CA). • Covers LPCs and MFTs at same reimbursement rates as clinical social workers (75% of MDs). • 2009 CBO Estimate: $100 million over 5 years, $400 million over 10 years. Slide 17

What the debate on Medicare coverage of counselors is about these days It’s not about policy. Both the House and Senate have passed the bill language twice in the past 10 years (Senate = 2003, 2005; House = 2007, 2009)

The “Ask”: Medicare • Ask SENATORS to co-sponsor S. 1830. • Ask REPRESENTATIVES to co-sponsor H. R. 2759. • This is bipartisan, extremely low-cost legislation which has been passed twice by both the Senate and House, but has not yet become law.

Pathways to Professionalism LICENSURE

Pathways to Professionalism INITIAL LICENSURE

A movement toward CACREP • Beginning in 2018 - a degree from a CACREP accredited school is required to obtain a license in Ohio. • Kentucky, New Hampshire, and North Carolina have also introduced CACREP requirements.

• Delaware now requires the NCC for both initial and reciprocal licensure – a de facto CACREP requirement. • The Virginia Board recently voted to approve a CACREP degree for licensure.

On the other hand…. . • New Jersey is proposing to remove the licensure requirement that a degree contains the word “counselor” or “counseling”.

Pathways to Professionalism RECIPROCITY

Let’s schmooze!

Current Issues Facing the Counseling Profession www. counseling. org/kaplan