Managed Care and MFTs

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managed care and associated ceus,
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Managed Care CEUs

In 2009, legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for MFTs was passed in the House of Representatives (H.R. 3962) version of Health Care Reform (“HCR”). Further, a commitment was made to include the MFT provision in the Senate version of HCR. Although CAMFT was hopeful that Medicare inclusion for MFTs be placed in the final HCR bill (which was scheduled to go forward in 2010), based on the new make-up of Congress, it is unlikely that HCR will move forward. Whether or not HCR does move forward, does not mean our issue is dead. Congress is likely to enact some type of Medicare legislation in 2010, and our challenge will be to get into the vehicle that will go to the President.


The Department of Veterans Affairs (“DVA”) recently indicated that their plan was to complete the new MFT qualification standards by September 2010. Subject Matter Expert (SME) workgroups have been established and are meeting weekly to develop separate qualification standards. Once the draft qualification standards are developed, the DVA will formally submit a request to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish a new, separate occupational series for MFTs. CAMFT remains committed to helping usher these long overdue standards into reality to enable the VA facilities to recruit and hire MFTs in VA Medical Centers, Outpatient Clinics, and Veterans Outreach Centers.



Federal Mental Health Parity Regulations



Federal regulations (which are necessary to implement the Federal Mental Health Parity law which passed in 2009) were released on January 29, 2010. The public comment period to express concerns or suggestions about the parity regulations will close April 29, 2010. CAMFT will be submitting comments requesting greater clarification of certain sections, including but not limited to scope of services, and exact conditions/diagnoses included within mental health and substance use coverage. If you wish to view or comment on the parity regulations, please see the following link: http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=090000648096e4d2



U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission



Currently, federal regulations only allow licensed psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers to work as “Substance Abuse Experts” within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”.) The stated knowledge, training, and education requirements to become an NRC Substance Abuse Expert are well within the MFT scope of practice, and therefore MFTs should be included as potential providers. CAMFT will submit a Petition for Rulemaking (or a 10 CFR 2.802 action) to request that the NRC amend their regulations to allow MFTs to be included as Substance Abuse Experts.



Government Employees Health Association



Effective January 1, 2010, the Government Employees Health Association (a company that provides health care insurance to federal employees/retirees) will include MFTs as covered health care providers. The Government Employees Health Association provides health care insurance to over 400,000 employees/retirees. For more information about becoming a panel provider for the Government Employees Health Association, please call 816-257-5500.

bbs approved ceus online

bbs approved ceus online

For mental health professionals

Aspira Continuing Education’s courses are focused strictly on mental health CEU requirements. Our founders and course writers include practicing clinical mental health professionals, making our courses relevant to today’s continuing education requirements. Our courses satisfy CEU requirements for the following professions in the following states:

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT/LMFT/MFTI)
California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas
Clinical Social Worker (CSW/LCSW/ASW)
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Oregon
Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC I/CADC II)
California
Prevention Specialists (CPS)
California
Clinical Supervisors (CCS)
California
Professional Counselors (LPC/CPC)
Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oregon, Texas
Mental Health Counselor (MHC)
Florida

Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Children's and Adolescents' Mental Health

For more on this subject, click below
Online CEUs for MFTs, LCSWs, Social
Workers
Like adults, children and adolescents can have mental health disorders that interfere with the way they think, feel, and act. Mental health influences the ways individuals look at themselves, their lives, and others in their lives. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life.



Child, Adolescent and Family Branch
The Child, Adolescent, and Family Branch of the Federal Center for Mental Health Services promotes and ensures that the mental health needs of children and their families are met within the context of community-based systems of care. Systems of care are developed on the premise that the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and their families can be met within their home, school, and community environments.



Caring for Every Child's Mental Health
Systems of Care the Caring for Every Child's Mental Health communications campaign is a public information and education program to:

Increase public awareness about the importance of protecting and nurturing the mental health of young people.
Foster recognition that many children have mental health problems that are real, painful, and sometimes severe.
Encourage caregivers to seek early, appropriate treatment and services.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
The mission of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the United States. This site includes an article on school planning for disasters and the aftermath of September 11, 2001.



Youth Violence Prevention
The CMHS initiative on school violence focuses on the collective involvement of families, communities, and schools to build resiliency to disruptive behavior disorders.

Make Time to Listen,
Take Time to Talk 15+
The campaign is part of the CMHS School Violence Prevention Initiative and is designed to provide practical guidance to parents and caregivers about "how to" create time to listen and take time to talk with their children.

Listening Dads Are Champs 15+
Children whose fathers are highly involved with them in a positive way do better in school, demonstrate better psychological well-being and lower levels of delinquency, and ultimately attain higher levels of education and economic self-sufficiency.

Family Guide To Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy and Drug Free
A public education Web site, developed to support the efforts of parents and other caring adults to promote mental health and prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs among 7- to 18-year-olds.

Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General
This Surgeon General's report seeks to focus on action steps that all Americans can take to help address the problem, and continue to build a legacy of health and safety for our young people and the Nation as a whole.

Publications on Children and Families
Free information from the Center for Mental Health Services about children and families.

LPC Licensed Professional Counselor CEU Resources

LPC Licensed Professional Counselor CEU Resources

What is the difference between an Online Interactive CE Course and a Homestudy Course?
If you submit a completed course/exam to the CE provider via regular mail, then you have taken a homestudy course. If the course/exam is completed and submitted online, then the hours are approved as regular continuing education. Many state boards, such as the California Board of Behavioral Services, allow all required continuing education to be earned from online interactive continuing education courses. Check with your respective board to determine the amount of hours/units are permitted online.

LCSW CEU Requirements

LCSW CEU Requirements

The Board of Behavioral Sciences for California has determined that all ceus may be earned by homestudy.

What is the difference between an Online Interactive CE Course and a Homestudy Course?
If you submit a completed course/exam to the CE provider via regular mail, then you have taken a homestudy course. If the course/exam is completed and submitted online, then the hours are approved as regular continuing education. Many state boards, such as the California Board of Behavioral Services, allow all required continuing education to be earned from online interactive continuing education courses. Check with your respective board to determine the amount of hours/units are permitted online.

mft ceu online

mft ceu online

The Board of Behavioral Sciences for California has determined that all ceus may be earned by homestudy.

What is the difference between an Online Interactive CE Course and a Homestudy Course?
If you submit a completed course/exam to the CE provider via regular mail, then you have taken a homestudy course. If the course/exam is completed and submitted online, then the hours are approved as regular continuing education. Many state boards, such as the California Board of Behavioral Services, allow all required continuing education to be earned from online interactive continuing education courses. Check with your respective board to determine the amount of hours/units are permitted online.

LPCC and MFTs

LPCC Track for Pre-Licensed MFTs

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CE Courses for MFT Interns
and LMFTs
In 2009, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor licensure law was passed and signed here in California . For already licensed MFTs, grandparenting is available from January 1, 2011 through June 30, 2011. For interns who expect to be licensed before June 30, 2011, they too will have the option to apply for LPCC grandparenting. However, pre-licensed members who wish to obtain their LPCC license, and who are already in the pipeline (but will not be licensed by June 30, 2011) will need to adhere to specific education and experience requirements, as well as take the required licensing examinations.



For those who are outside of the grandparenting timeframe, the required education and experience is reviewed below. However, the specific regulations still need to be drafted by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. For example, can you count any and all supervised hours of experience towards both LPCC and MFT licensure? Will the BBS require national and/or state-developed examinations? Will the BBS allow more than one course to satisfy a particular required core course content area? These types of questions still need to be addressed through regulation, and we will share that information as the regulations evolve. As to the general education and experience required, please see the summary below[i]:





Education Requirements
Experience Requirements



· Masters or doctoral degree that is counseling or psychotherapy in content obtained from an accredited or approved institution containing not less than 48 graduate semester or 72 graduate quarter units of instruction.

· Three semester units or four and one-half quarter units of graduate study in each of following nine (9) areas: counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques; human growth and development; career development; group counseling; assessment, appraisal, and testing of individuals; multicultural counseling; principles of the diagnostic process; research and evaluation; and, law and ethics.[ii] NOTE: An applicant whose degree is deficient in no more than two of the required nine (9) areas of study listed above, may satisfy those deficiencies by successfully completing post-master’s or postdoctoral degree coursework at an accredited or approved institution.

· A minimum of 12 semester units or 18 quarter units of advanced coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues, special populations, application of counseling constructs, assessment and treatment planning, clinical interventions, therapeutic relationships, psychopathology, or other clinical topics.

· Six semester units or nine quarter units of supervised practicum or field study experience.[iii]
· A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in alcoholism and other chemical substance abuse dependency.

· A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality.

· A two semester unit or three quarter unit survey course in psychopharmacology (at an accredited or approved institution).

· A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies.

· A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting.

· A minimum of 18 contact hours of instruction in California law and ethics (school coursework may count towards this requirement.)

· A minimum of 10 contact hours of instruction in aging and long-term care.

· A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in crisis or trauma counseling.