Legislative Update — Ariel Cohen, MA, LMFT

CAMFT Facebook Page Legislative Updates
May and June 2019

6/13/19
CAMFT Staff Attorneys Ann Tran-Lien and Kristin Roscoe attended the Board of Behavioral Sciences - California (BBS) Exempt Setting Committee meeting with BBS Executive Officer Kim Madden and BBS Regulatory Analyst Christy Berger at Azusa Pacific University Orange County Regional Campus Orange, California. #mft #lmft #supportingtherapists.

6/12/19
CAMFT Member James Guay, West Hollywood Psychotherapy participated in a Media Roundtable hosted by Congressman Rep. Ted Lieu to discuss the harmful effects of conversion therapy and advocate for the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act. #pride2019 #mft #lmft#mentalhealthmatters.

6/11/19
LEGISLATIVE ALERT: The Budget Conference Committee in Sacramento just voted to adopt the following compromise to fund the five-year Workforce Education and Training (WET) plan to train mental health professionals. The Governor’s budget will provide:
• $35 million General Fund Investment
• $25 million Mental Health Services Investment
• Budget bill language to require a county match of 33 percent for expenditures of state funds
A great win for CAMFT and for all mental health professionals! #mft #lmft#supportingtherapists #workforcetraining for #mentalhealthprofessionals.

5/23/19
CAMFT and CounselingCalifornia.com were proud sponsors of the #MHMD2019 Mental Health Matters event in Sacramento. Speakers discussed Stigma Reduction, Access to Treatment, Prevention and Early Intervention, and the importance of Trauma Focused Care for Californians and people everywhere. CAMFT - Sacramento Valley Chapter. Hosted by Mental Health America of California (MHAC).

5/22/19
A Win for Mental Health! Governor Gavin Newsom named Sacramento Mayor / Founder of the Steinberg Institute Darrell Steinberg and nationally respected neuroscientist Dr. Tom Insel to lead the charge against homelessness by respecting the role mental health plays in CA’s homelessness crisis. For more information about Governor Newsom’s direction and the Steinberg Institute, click here: http://ow.ly/Hh3H50un4aJ.

5/17/19
CAMFT advocates meeting with the amazing Senator Dianne Feinstein in DC. ✨👍#MedicareNeedsMFTS #MentalHealthAccess #MFT #LMFT#mentalhealthiseverything.

5/16/19
CAMFT members were able to meet with some amazing Congressmen and Congresswomen last night during our DC event supporting #MedicareNeedsMFTs . We are so grateful for these mental health champions! @RepJudyChu @RepDeSaulnier @RepAnnaEshoo @JimmyGomezCA @RepHuffman @RepLowenthal @DorisMatsui @RepMcNerney @RepJimmyPanetta @CongressmanRuiz @RepLindaSanchez @RepThompson #CAMFT #MFT #LMFT#mentalhealthiseverything.

5/15/19
CAMFT members are in DC to advocate for including LMFTs as providers for Medicare! Because #MedicareNeedMFTs #MentalHealth access for older Americans.

5/1/19
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
As a Marriage and Family Therapist, you know our mental health is just as important as our physical health and deserves to be treated equally. Nearly one in six Californians experience some mental illness. Additionally, 1 out of every 24 have a mental illness so serious it becomes difficult for them to function in daily life. #CAMFT is proud to support and advocate for policies that empower Californians to receive the expert treatment they need from #MFTs and other mental health professionals.

(Source: California Health Care Foundation, Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys, American Community Survey, charlesholzer.com)

Ariel maintains a full-time practice at Teen Therapy Center in Woodland Hills, CA. He works with children, teens, and families, with an emphasis on supporting the special needs community. He can be contacted at 818.674.9834 or ariel@teentherapycenter.com.