[Adta] Fw: From aca - great news!

[skdmt2]

Hi leslie!
 Thanks for sharing this. it is wonderful news &  d/mts who are licensed in
their state as counselors will find this opening in the law  quite
beneficial. Also, it will probably open up additional opportunities.

Susan Kleinman, MA, DATR, NCC


-----Original Message-----
From: adta-bounces at adta.org [mailto:adta-bounces at adta.org] On Behalf Of
Leslie Best
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 7:49 PM
To: adta at adta.org
Subject: [Adta] Fw: From aca - great news!

I received this from one of our CCCL coaliton members....Passing on the good
news!

Leslie Best

-----Forwarded Message-----
>From: Paul Fornell <pfornell at csulb.edu>
>Sent: Dec 11, 2006 12:50 PM
>To: gregory.jackson at csun.edu, Patricia.Nunez at cna.com, BridgesVoc at aol.com,
JanCMS at aol.com, zglnski at sandiego.edu, wendybeehive at hotmail.com,
marielle at csus.edu, lbrew at fullerton.edu, nzuberCDLP at msn.com,
jhollend at pacbell.net, mhcooney at aol.com, labestnlife at earthlink.net,
sfprofs at aim.com, MrRehab0168 at aol.com, jackiemallen at adelphia.net,
butzigerm at comcast.net, kengelstad1 at yahoo.com, jruby at nu.edu
>Subject: From aca - great news!
>
> 
>Wanted you all to know about this!!
>
>
>
> 
>
>Congress Passes Bill to Include Counselors in VA Programs
>
> 
>
>Inclusion of mental health counselors as providers at the Department of
>Veterans' Affairs (VA), a top policy goal for the American Counseling
>Association (ACA) and the American Mental Health Counselors Association
>(AMHCA), passed both the U.S. House and Senate during the waning hours
>of the 109th Congress. The provision, included in S. 3421, the Veterans
>Benefits, Healthcare, and Information Act, opens up the VA health care
>system to mental health counselors, increasing access to care for
>veterans.  S. 3421 now goes to President Bush to be signed into law.   
>
> 
>
>The bill, which passed the House by voice vote and the Senate under
>unanimous consent, includes the ACA and AMHCA provision to add mental
>health counselors to the list of appointed positions within the Veterans
>Healthcare Administration (VHA).  The provision would also delineate the
>qualifications mental health counselors would need to be appointed to a
>position in the VHA.  
>
> 
>
>Currently, the VA cannot hire mental health counselors at the same pay
>grade as clinical social workers, nor can mental health counselors apply
>for supervisory positions open to clinical social workers and others.
>Partially as a result, the VA is the largest employer of social workers
>in the United States, and the VA employs very few mental health
>counselors on a full-time basis. 
>
> 
>
>The ACA and AMHCA supported provision will allow mental health
>counselors to be eligible for better paying jobs with a greater
>potential for promotion at the VA. Currently, licensed mental health
>counselors do not have a federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
>General Schedule (GS) occupational classification, which is necessary
>for a counselor to be employed by the U.S. Government. With enactment of
>the provision, OPM will be required to create an occupational
>classification for mental health counselors.
>
> 
>
>Among S. 3421's other provisions, is authorization of an additional $180
>million for the provision of readjustment counseling and related mental
>health services provided at VA Vet Centers.  The bill also adds funding
>to increase the number of clinicians, including mental health
>counselors, treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and
>authorizes an additional $2 million for VA community based outpatient
>clinics to support the provision of mental health services.  Finally,
>the bill expands access to bereavement counseling for immediate family
>members as a service to be offered at Vet Centers when a servicemember
>dies on active duty. 
>
> 
>
>The counselor language that was included in S. 3421 was taken from S.
>1182, a bill passed by the Senate in December of 2005.  ACA and AMHCA
>worked with two of its members, Carla Hattan, president of the Kansas
>Mental Health Counselors Association (KMHCA) and Bill Davis, a mental
>health counselor in the state, to get comparable counselor legislation
>introduced in the House.  In May 2006, ACA and AMHCA achieved this goal
>when Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME) introduced
>the "Veterans Mental Health Care Access Improvement Act of 2006" (H.R.
>5396).  Movement on the legislation seemed to have stalled in the Fall
>of 2006, until the House's action on the final legislative day of the
>109th Congress.
>
> 
>
>ACA and AMHCA would like to thank the Chairman (Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID))
>and Ranking Member (Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)) of the Senate VA Committee
>as well as Reps. Moran and Michaud from the House VA Committee for
>ensuring that the LPC provision was included in the final version of the
>bill.  Finally, ACA and AMHCA would like to thank each of its members
>who advocated for passage of this legislation.  The result shows that
>grassroots advocacy, coupled with cooperation from state branches and
>the efforts of federal lobbyists, can achieve legislative victories for
>the counseling profession.
>
> 
>
>For more information, please contact Brian Altman at ACA at
>800-347-6647, ext. 242 or by e-mail at baltman at counseling.org or Beth
>Powell at AMHCA at 800-326-2642, ext. 105 or by e-mail at
>bpowell at amhca.org.
>
> 
>
>To unsubscribe from the GR-Listserv, please send an e-mail to
>clum at counseling.org.
>
> 
>
> 
>
>Brian Altman
>
>Legislative Representative 
>
>American Counseling Association
>
>800-347-6647, ext. 242
>
> 
>
>
>
> 
>
>ACA 2007 Annual Convention, 
>
>Detroit, Michigan, March 21-25, 2007
>
> 

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