Advocacy

 

Since its inception in 1976, AMHCA has taken a strong position on the need to advance the profession through high standards for counselors’ preparation-including the establishment of licensure, credentialing, and payment for services.

 

AMHCA leaders' and members' efforts to advance this agenda for over 40 years has resulted in the rapid growth of clinical mental health counseling.

 

Keep public policy supporting you, your profession, and your clients with AMHCA's powerful advocacy initiatives in Congress and state legislatures.

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy in counseling refers to actions taken by counselors to support and promote the rights, needs, and well-being of their clients, as well as to address systemic barriers that may impact them. It often involves working to ensure that clients have access to resources, services, and opportunities that foster personal growth and mental health. Additionally, advocacy can extend beyond individual clients to include broader efforts aimed at social justice, equity, and community improvement. Essentially, it's about being an ally and a champion for positive change—both on a personal and societal level.  

Advocacy for the counseling profession involves actively promoting the value, importance, and integrity of counseling as a field. It focuses on supporting counselors in their work, ensuring recognition of their expertise, and influencing policies that affect the profession. This type of advocacy includes efforts to:

  1. Educate the public about the role and impact of counseling in addressing mental health, personal development, and social challenges.
  2. Champion legislative change, such as lobbying for funding, licensure standards, or increased access to counseling services.
  3. Support professional development, ensuring counselors have access to resources, training, and opportunities to grow in their practice.
  4. Address systemic issues, advocating for better pay, work conditions, and respect within allied health systems.

Advocacy here helps protect the profession's integrity while fostering collaboration and creating systems where counseling can thrive.  

  1. Types of strategies
    1. Advocacy strategies are techniques or approaches used to promote a cause, influence public opinion, or create social or policy change. Here are some examples:
      1. Awareness Campaigns: Using social media, posters, advertisements, or events to inform the public about an issue and motivate them to take action.
      2. Grassroots Organizing: Building a community-driven movement by engaging volunteers, hosting town halls, or creating local chapters to rally support from the ground up.
      3. Lobbying: Directly engaging with policymakers or legislators to advocate for specific laws, regulations, or policies.
      4. Storytelling: Sharing powerful personal stories through videos, blogs, or public speaking to create emotional connections and raise awareness.
      5. Partnerships and Alliances: Collaborating with other organizations, nonprofits, or influencers to amplify efforts and reach a wider audience.
      6. Petitions: Creating and circulating petitions to gather public support, which can then be presented to decision-makers.
      7. Legal Action: Using legal avenues like lawsuits or court cases to challenge policies or practices that go against the advocacy goals.
      8. Protests and Demonstrations: Organizing marches, rallies, or sit-ins to draw attention to the cause and showcase collective support.
      9. Media Outreach: Engaging with journalists, writing op-eds, or holding press conferences to get media coverage for the cause.
      10. Education and Training: Conducting workshops, seminars, or classes to educate people on the issue and empower them to advocate themselves.
    2. Each of these strategies can be adapted based on the cause, the audience, and the resources available. Would you like help exploring any of these in more detail?
  2. Best practice in communicating with policy makers (see Federal Advocacy Guide)
  3. Roadmap to Advocacy
    1. Seek information on what is happening on federal and state levels. Check with your state board and state AMHCA branch of what issues are in the forefront.
    2. Ask yourself several questions in order to zero in on what you’d like to advocate for:
    3. What are some of the struggles that my clients have on a day to day basis?
    4. What stands out to me that is close to home?
    5. What do I want to fight for?
    6. What do I feel passionate about?
  4. Gather more information on your chosen issue and educate yourself
    1. Explore what advocacy networks exist and what others are already doing
    2. Connect with others who are advocating for change
    3. Locate pending bills and legislation on state and federal levels
  5. Choose your approach- call to action
    1. reach out to reps
    2. letters/emails/calls
    3. social media
    4. local efforts

Legislative Representation

Advocacy in counseling refers to actions taken by counselors to support and promote the rights, needs, and well-being of their

Instructions on how to find legislative representatives in each state

State Voting Sites

Instructions on how to find information on bills and bill status in each State