Current CTAMFT Legislative Updates
2025 Legislative Session:
The CT 2025 Legislative session will run from January 8, 2025 through June 4,2025. This session CTAMFT Advocacy Committee has 3 advocacy initiatives.
- Portability: CTAMFT is working in conjunction with AAMFT to update CT licensing laws to ease the portability of MFT licenses across state lines. This initiative will decrease barriers for out of state MFTs looking to practice in CT and CT MFTs looking to practice in other states. This initiative will also enhance access to care for patients and providers looking for referrals. CT is looking to join seven other states that have already passed portability laws and to be the first state in New England region with updated portability laws. This initiative will strengthen the MFT profession as a whole and expand the systemic mental health workforce.
- Mental Health Parity: The mental health parity initiative is a collaborative effort as CTAMFT is working with CT Parity Coalition to ensure Mental Health Parity in CT and equal access to every person and every condition. CT Parity Coalition is looking to continue to work begun in the 2024 legislative session.
- Systemic Parity: CTAMFT is looking to address the disparity in systemic treatment reimbursement rates. This is not new problem, however recent events have exacerbated the disparity. As MFTs this disparity hits us disproportionately and does not meet the needs of patients, providers or the mental health community.
Please see the documents and links below for more information
CTAMFT_Collective_Summary_2025.pdf
MFT_Portability_one_pager_2025.pdf
MH___Systemic_Parity_one_pager__2025.pdf
https://networks.aamft.org/portability/home
Other Important Legislative Changes
Telehealth:
The new Telehealth legislation, Public Act 24-110, that was passed effective upon passage on June 4,2024, granted permanency, platform choice and some parity protections for all CT licensed Telehealth providers which is exactly what CTAMFT has advocated for in regards to Telehealth laws. CTAMFT Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, worked in collaboration with all 7 of the fellow Mental Health Provider associations as well as many other Mental Health Advocacy groups to achieve success on this permanent Telehealth legislation.
Here are details from the bill that you may want to know:
In order to be considered lawful telehealth services providers must:
-be duly licensed providers in Connecticut that are providing services within their scope of practice
-maintain professional liability insurance
-must utilize HIPAA compliant platforms that enables them to communicate with their patients that is in real-time, interactive, 2 way communication.
Prior to providing Telehealth services providers must:
-have knowledge of their patients medical history
-provide patients their provider license number and contact information
-inform the patient of the treatment modalities and limitations of telehealth
-obtain patient consent to treat via telehealth
-determine if a patient has healthcare coverage and whether or not the patient elects to use this healthcare coverage or pay the provider privately
-disclose any costs that are not covered by health insurance carriers, or are elected by patients not to be billed through health insurance carriers
-have out of pocket costs mutually agreed upon by provider and patient in advance of telehealth services
Telehealth providers are also mandated:
-to maintain records in a manner which is compliant with HIPAA
There were also outlines made for out-of-state telehealth providers, including a requirement for out-of-state telehealth providers to apply for approval to practice with CT residents with the CT Department of Public Health.
There are many more pieces to this expansive public act if you wish to read through it all, please see link below.
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2024/ACT/PA/PDF/2024PA-00110-R00HB-05198-PA.PDF
Universal Intake Form: Special Act 24-10
A very important Special Act was passed in the CT 2024 Legislative Session. Special Act 24-10, originated through the communication of providers and families of the mental health community’s youngest patients - children - and the Committee on Children. This conversation produced an idea to streamline the mental health system, specifically the intake and initial parts of obtaining mental health treatment with The Universal Patient Intake Form for Recipients of Behavioral Health Services for Children. Obviously, this is a complicated and important task to undertake, so as part of this special act, a workgroup encompassing mental health providers serving children patients as well as children advocates will be established to take on this challenge. CTAMFT’s Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, has worked in collaboration with legislators on the benefits and concerns that the universal intake form may bring. Per the act, this workgroup shall commence no later than January 1,2025 and shall include many representatives, including an MFT, and deliver recommendations to the Commissioner of Public Health no later than January 1, 2026.
Mental Health Parity Initiative:
One of CTAMFT’s 2024 advocacy initiatives was around mental health parity. As many of you know, parity between access, authorization, and reimbursement in medical and mental health insurance coverage is a major problem for many providers and patients in our state. You may not know this, but there has been federal laws mandating mental health parity since 2008 and state mental health parity laws since 2019. However, despite this being the law of the land both statewide and nationally, insurance companies simply do not abide by the law. Why? Because there are no legislatively defined consequences for them to not follow these laws. CTAMFT Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, worked in alliance with the 6 fellow mental health provider state associations, mental health advocacy coalitions and advocacy groups as well as CT legislators, the CT State Attorney General’s office and the CT State Comptroller office to advance and improve the mental health parity laws. In the 2024 Legislative Session a bill (SB 402) was proposed in the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and did not pass. CTAMFT Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, continues to meet with fellow advocates and legislators on this topic and has taken up this initiative again formally in the 2025 legislative session.
In the 2025 legislative session, CTAMFT continues to work with CT Parity Coalition and many other advocates and legislators to advance our Mental Health Parity Initiative. H.B. 6145 has been introduced and has the support of over 60 legislator co-sponsors. If you would like to know more about this bill or see it's current co-sponsors see here https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB06145&which_year=2025
Connecticut Student Loan Repayment Program:
Another exciting event from the 2024 CT Legislative Session was the development and implementation of a CT Student Loan Repayment Program that includes MFTs!! Please see the link below for more information on this loan repayment eligibility requirements and more detailed information.
https://www.ctslrp.org/
Please see our Medicare and CONNIE pages for updates on these topics
Some of the CTAMFT 2024 CTAMFT Testimony Submissions:
2024_hb5488_ctamft__testimony_.pdf
2024__SB217_ctamft_testimony.pdf
2024_hb_5197_ctamft_testimony.pdf
2024_sb402_ctamft_testimony.pdf
2024_HB5198_ctamft_testimony.pdf
About our Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, LMFT
CTAMFT's Advocacy Chair, Jaime Rodriguez, has served as our advocacy chair for 2 terms. She is currently representing MFTs on several committees and coalitions. These committees include Health Information Technology Advisory Council (HITAC). HITAC is an appointed position to represent the mental health community and MFTs in the progress, development, policies, procedures and regulations around Health Information Technology and the statewide Health Information Exchange, also known as CONNIE. Jaime also serves on the CT Parity Coalition, which is a large CT coalition comprised of many members of the mental health community; such as patients, providers, lawyers, mental health advocacy groups and patient advocacy groups. Jaime Rodriguez also speaks as the CTAMFT representative on the Behavioral Health Interprofessional Coalition which includes representatives from all 8 of the licensed MH providers of our state. Jaime is seen as an important stakeholder and representative of MH Providers and Patients in our state and is often offered opportunities to speak as a guest speaker and expert speaker on multiple topics and discussions on mental health in our state. Jaime additionally serves as the Family TEAM Lead of CT, for AAMFT's Family TEAM. This team is a collection of MFT advocacy and legislative leaders from many states across our country fighting for the advancement of the Marriage and Family Therapy profession on a national and state level. If you are interested in joining the advocacy committee, serving on an advisory council or committee or being a support to Jaime in her work for CTAMFT please reach out to her at advocacy@ctamft.org
Former 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 Connecticut'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.