Updates

CTAMFT's Advocacy Chair is Jaime Rodriguez, LMFT. For more information on how you can be a part of our advocacy committee, please contact Jaime at advocacy@ctamft.org. 

Current Connecticut Legislative Session Efforts:
The 2023 legislative session has come to an end and the 2024 short legislative session will start up in February. Once the 2024 session starts up, check this space for some quick updates and directions for calls to action. 



Some of the CTAMFT 2023 CTAMFT Testimony Submissions:

Letter to request legislation be introduced to address MFT licensure disparities 

Current CTAMFT legislative happenings

CTAMFT 2023 Mental Health Champion Award Recipients

CTAMFT annually recognizes Connecticut legislators that exemplify prioritizing the Mental Health community in their legislative work.  This year CTAMFT has chosen 5 recipients of the CTAMFT Mental Health Champion Award.  These recipients are Senator Heather Somers (R), Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria (R), Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D), Representative Liz Linehan (D), and Senator Ceci Maher (D).  Representative Linehan and Senator Maher are in leadership roles on the Committee for Children.  Representatives Klarides-Ditria and McCarthy Vahey as well as Senator Somers are all in leadership roles on the Public Health Committee.  These legislators were pivotal members in passing the licensing modernizations of the 2023 legislative session including, parity in licensing which led to a significant licensure fee reduction for MFTS.  These legislators also continue to show commitment to mental health issues in Connecticut, encapsulate respect for our mental health providers as well as prioritize funding for mental health programming.  Our CTAMFT Chair, Rebecca Ruitto, and CTAMFT Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez met with Senator Somers, Representative Klarides-Ditria, and Representative McCarthy Vahey on Friday at the capitol building to personally present their Mental Health Champion Awards, thank them for their commitment to MFTs and discuss important topics for the upcoming 2024 legislative session. Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, is still planning in person meetings with Representative Linehan and Senator Maher.  We would love for our members to reach out to these legislators and congratulate them on being a Mental Health Champion of 2023 and thank them for their service to MFTs and the mental health community at large. It is especially meaningful if one of these legislators is your representative.  It means so much for them to hear from you! Find your legislators here https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp

See legislator email addresses below:

Liz.Linehan@cga.ct.gov

 maher@senatedems.ct.gov

Cristin.McCarthyVahey@cga.ct.gov

Heather.Somers@cga.ct.gov

Nicole.Klarides-Ditria@housegop.ct.gov

CTAMFT Advocacy Chair appointed to HITAC

CTAMFT’s Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez,LMFT, has been appointed to the Connecticut Health Information Technology Advisory Council by Senator Martin M. Looney.  The passage of Public Act 16-77 and 17-2 designated the role of Health Information Technology Officer (HITO) as well as the establishment of the Health IT Advisory Council (HITAC). HITAC was established to advise in the development and implementation of the state-wide health information technology plan and the state-wide Health Information Exchange (CONNIE). Connecticut Mental Health Associations have all been working together with CONNIE staff and OHS (Office of Health Strategy) staff to address ongoing mental health provider concerns regarding CONNIE. As a result of this important interprofessional advocacy work, it was determined that mental health provider representation was necessary on the Advisory Council that will influence OHS’s development of CONNIE policies, procedures and regulations.  The Behavioral Health Inter Professional Coalition that contains representation from all CT Mental Health Provider State Associations (MFTs, Social Workers, LPCs, LADCs, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, APRNs) were thus allowed a collaborative nomination to the Advisory Council.  CTAMFT’s very own Jaime Rodriguez, LMFT was chosen as the top choice and nomination by all Interprofessional members to represent Connecicut’s mental health providers.  This nomination was approved and appointed by Senator Looney on Friday, October 20, 2023.  Jaime’s ability to incorporate a systemic approach has facilitated an increase in the collaboration amongst various mental health associations in the state and the ongoing recognition of MFTs contributing to larger systemic decisions within Connecticut.  Jaime will continue to work with all state mental health provider organization representatives in this process to best represent the mental health community in regards to CONNIE policies, procedures and regulations and their implementation.  We are so proud of our Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, for her continuous advocacy efforts and embodying the power of systemic thinking!!  

MFTs in Schools
Connecticut has enacted mental health programming grants that have been announced for multiple school districts across Connecticut. These districts will be looking to hire new staff for the specific role of School Mental Health Specialist, a role that CTAMFT Advocacy Team worked to acquire a new legislatively defined job title that includes MFTs and all other qualified mental health providers replacing the non inclusive titles of “School Social Worker” or “School Counselor” that was blocking MFTs from being hired for these positions. If you are interested in working in the school system take a look and monitor the district websites for job postings. There are also several awards for mental health summer programming that have been announced as well so feel free to check those out too! Recipients of School Mental Health Specialist Grants can be found here. 

Other CTAMFT Advocacy Initiatives

Interprofessional Collaboration
CTAMFT's Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, has worked very diligently at developing, fostering and repairing relationships with all LMHPs (Licensed Mental Health Professional) State organizations. 

Jaime has participated in the newly developed Behavioral Health Interprofessional Collaboration (BHIC), which includes all 8 Connecticut LMHPs. (MFTs, LPCs, SWs, LADCs, APRNs, PAs, Psychologists and Psychiatrists). 

With this unified front, CTAMFT has taken joint actions on 3 major advocacy initiatives this session alone.  Collaborated CONNIE efforts has been the largest collective undertaking. Telehealth and Licensing Fees also utilized an integrated push from multiple mental health provider associations.

Advocacy Chair has cultivated a collaborative professional relationship with the CCA Advocacy team through the shared goal of inclusion in mental health legislative language.  

Harnessing the systemic approach and combined voices of all Connecticut mental health professionals has significantly impacted our advocacy efforts and provided a live example of the power of systemic intervention MFTs bring to the field for both fellow colleagues and legislators. 

NEW URGENT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CENTERS IN CT

Back in the 2022 legislative session funding was appropriated in HB 5001: AN ACT CONCERNING RESOURCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY, for Urgent Mental Health Crisis Centers for youth and adolescents.  CTAMFT Advocacy Committee not only advocates and testifies for MFTs and the Mental Health Community, but it also follows up through the implementation of all mental health legislation, so we would like to update all our members about the opening of these urgent mental health crisis centers in Connecticut.

The first three of the four urgent crisis centers are now open statewide through The Village for Families and Children in Hartford, The Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut in New London and Wellmore Behavioral Health in Waterbury; with the last soon to open in Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven. For additional information about referring clients in need of urgent mental health care, being a referral source for these urgent mental health crisis centers or employment at these urgent care centers please see the center specific links below.  Please also see the link to the Public Act No. 23-137 for the language of this integral children’s mental health legislation.  CTAMFT Advocacy matters and never stops supporting MFTs and the greater Mental Health Community in Connecticut! If you would like to be a part of CTAMFT’s Advocacy Committee and support the work of CTAMFT, email Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, at advocacy@ctamft.org

https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/ACT/PA/PDF/2023PA-00137-R00HB-05001-PA.PDF

https://thevillage.org/programs/urgent-crisis-center-ucc/

https://www.childandfamilyagency.org/urgent-crisis-center/#:~:text=We're%20open%20Monday%2DFriday,of%20hurting%20themselves%20or%20others.

https://www.wellmore.org/urgent-crisis-center

CONNIE

CTAMFT  is currently collaborating with several committees to address the concerns related to the upcoming mandate of provider enrollment. For specifics of current CTAMFT recommendations, please visit our CONNIE page, here. 


Private Insurance Concerns
CTAMFT continues to hear and understand the ongoing concerns and barriers to providers accepting private insurance.

CTAMFT Advocacy is still engaged in the private insurance workgroup  that is comprised of legislators, mental health professional representatives and insurance carrier representatives.

We encourage you to document any and all private insurance carrier issues and submit them to the Insurance Commissioner, Andrew Mais, directly at the following email: cid.admin@ct.gov

Federal Advocacy Efforts 

MFTs in Medicare

Provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 signed into law in December 2022 added MFTs and MHCs as Medicare-eligible providers. This currently has an effective date of January 2024 and would be the first addition of licensed behavioral health providers to Medicare since 1989!

MFTS will be eligible in traditional, Medicare advantage, RHCs and FQHC settings. 

What next? AAMFT will be working with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services throughout the remainder of 2023 regarding:

• Provider enrollment

• Provider rules/fee schedules

• Educating stakeholders about changes

What steps do CT MFTs need to take today?

• Currently there are no action steps for MFTs in Connecticut to take. We encourage you to continue to check AAMFT’s website and your emails for communication regarding updates. CTAMFT will also be working towards updating our website to create a space to share these updates with members as we get closer to the 2024 implementation date. 

AAMFT has additional information and resources here.