AMHCA Endorses Counseling Compact
AMHCA Endorsement Letter to the National Center for Counseling Compacts
The Board of Directors of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) fully endorses passage of the Counseling Compact by state legislators. AMHCA advocates for over 130,000 licensed clinical mental health counselors in the United States who are licensed to assess, diagnose, and treat mental disorders.
The members of our board emphatically endorse the Counseling Compact because it provides for:
- Greater individual and family access to mental health services offered by licensed counselors
- Consistently high standards of public health safety in the participating states
- Continuity of care for patients who need continuing mental health counseling when patients or counselors relocate or travel to other states
- Military personnel and spouses to maintain their licenses to practice when relocating so that their services are readily available to the public
- Increased mobility for fully licensed clinical mental health counselors
- State licensure that is preserved and strengthened in the respective participating states
After rigorously reviewing the proposed Counseling Compact legislation, the members of the AMHCA Interstate Counseling Compact Committee have unanimously recommended compact adoption. The compact maintains standards of public safety while adhering to state ethical and legal mandates.
AMHCA urges its members and the leaders of AMHCA State Chapters to engage state legislators to consider passing the Counseling Compact. Our packet to state leaders includes:
- Copy of our letter of endorsement to the National Center for Interstate Compacts
- Separate letter of recommended instructions to promote the Counseling Compact
- Link to the toolkit provided at CounselingCompact.org
- Recorded PowerPoint presentation that can be shared with state legislators and members
The American Mental Health Counselors Association fully endorse the passage of the Counseling Compact proposed legislation in several states. Already, members are actively engaged in their states to pass the compact. We are pleased that the AMHCA state chapter in Georgia, Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia, was instrumental in being the first state to pass the Counseling Compact.