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 Legislative Session Efforts:
The Connecticut Legislative session began in January 2021 and concluded in June 2021.CTAMFT's Advocacy team works close with our lobbyist to track and support various legislative bills during the legislative session and throughout the entire year. Our focus in the 2021 session remained on telehealth and COAMFTE standards related to licensure. Below are updates on specific bills, as well as CTAMFT testimony:
HB 6666: An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health's Recommendations Regarding Various Revisions to the public Health Statutes
During the COVID-19 pandemic, COAMFTE adjusted their standards for accreditation and graduation requirements. CTAMFT worked with DPH regarding best steps towards ensuring Connecticut graduates would remain eligible for licensure given these changes. The solution was to introduce legislature to adjust statute language to be less hour specific and more generally reflective of COMAFTE accreditation standards.
Currently this legislation has been raised and heard at a public hearing. CTAMFT's testimony can be found here.
UPDATE: This bill was passed into law during the 2021 legislative update.
HB 6472: An Act Concerning Telehealth (Medicaid)
CTAMFT submitted testimony encouraging the permanency of current telehealth provisions made possible through Governor Lamonts Executive orders. Testimony in support of HB 6472 can be found here.
Unfortunately, HB 6472 was raised, passed through the public hearing, but has died. CTAMFT has shifted focus on another bill, HB 6470 which also addresses telehealth related to medicaid.
UPDATE: This bill was passed into law to cover telehealth through 2023. CTAMFT will be continuing to watch and engage advocacy efforts as we get closer to the 2023 deadline.
SB 1022: An Act Concerning Telehealth (private insurance)
CTAMFT submitted testimony encouraging the permanency of current telehealth provisions made possible through Governor Lamonts Executive orders. Testimony in support of SB 1022 can be found here.
UPDATE: This bill was passed into law to cover telehealth through 2023. CTAMFT will be continuing to watch and engage advocacy efforts as we get closer to the 2023 deadline.
HB 6557: An Act Concerning Social and Emotional Learning
CTAMFT submitted testimony in support of HB 6557, which would help to include school MFTs as necessary providers in a student/mental health ratio for schools.
Currently this legislation has been raised, heard at a public hearing, and is awaiting next steps. CTAMFT's testimony can be found here.
UPDATE: This bill did not pass through the 2021 legislative session.
Previous Advocacy Successes:
Associate LicenseThe much awaited Associate License is here! CTAMFT worked hard in 2019 (after nearly 8 years of advocacy work) to pass the Associate License. At the end of our legislative session in May, Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists joined the Social Work profession and were granted access to an
Associate designation by the Connecticut State Legislature. This
Associate designation is a registration between graduation and full MFT licensure. The purpose of this change is to move license-eligible candidates from graduation to full licensure in a coordinated and documented manner in order to support the MFT profession and ensure client care. Effective October 1, 2019 all practicing Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists must possess either an MFT License or Associate designation to legally practice.
For more information regarding obtaining your associate license, please visit the DPH website
here.
Ongoing Advocacy Efforts:
MFTs in SchoolsThe CTAMFT Advocacy committee is currently working towards updating informational packets for the CT State Department of Education and School Districts. This taskforce will be focused on creating a complete packet including information on Marriage and Family Therapists, and particularly the benefits of having MFTs in the school setting. This taskforce will be working in conjunction with the MFTs in Schools AAMFT TIN. We are excited for this collaboration!
Federal Advocacy Efforts
MFTs in Medicare
CTAMFT continues to support AAMFT efforts in pushing for MFT recognition as Medicare providers. This is a federal effort, and therefore must be pushed through at a federal level. For updates and ways in which you can be involved in asking your representatives to support this action, we encourage you to become part of the AAMFT FamilyTEAM and to follow their blog, which can be found here.