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October 15th, 2013
WKMHCA leadership met in Mayfield,
Kentucky to discuss the program for the spring WKMHCA meeting at Barkley Lodge
in association with West Kentucky Counseling Association (WKCA). They also
reviewed the proposed changes to the licensure law which will be discussed at
Kentucky Counseling Association (KCA) Fall Conference October 24th. The group discussed the changes being
suggested by members of the Kentucky Professional Counselor’s Board. Several LPCCA’s who are currently being
supervised by one of the leaders were in attendance.
Amy Washington, President of KMHCA,
offered to present a session on working in groups with adolescents. Amy has had
extensive experience in working with groups of adolescents with significant
behavioral and emotional problems through girl’s and boy’s group homes in Western
Kentucky. In addition Donna Barrix suggested contacting presenters who could
do a session on Sandbox Therapy. These
were the primary topics presented by the group for discussion. Both topics were approved and the leaders
agreed to seek further information about these topics to help with planning the
spring program.
Discussion about the proposed licensure
law changes was very positive with members expressing their approval of the
proposed changes. There were some
questions related to the nomination of new Kentucky Professional Counselor
Board members. The new law, as
proposed, gives the authority of nominating new board members exclusively to
Kentucky Counseling Association. Amy
Washington, current president of KMHCA, indicated that she felt it would be a
good idea to include KMHCA in these decisions and the best way to have this
documented was to have KCA consider adding to their bylaws that KCA would include KMHCA in the process of
nominating new candidates for these board positions. This would be a blending of previous procedure for nominating
candidates to the governor who makes the appointments to this board.
Originally, KCA was responsible for making these nominations, but when the
licensure law was passed, it was written in the new law that KMHCA was
responsible for nominating professionals to the governor for appointment to the
board. WKMHCA leaders and members in
attendance in this meeting expressed interest in having KMHCA continue to play an
important role in this process.
WKMHCA leaders and members also expressed
concern that requiring two tests as a part of licensure would be burdensome to
applicants for licensure. They
indicated that the cost of the tests for persons not working in permanent
positions and the pressure to study and prepare for two very comprehensive
exams would present barriers which might not prove helpful in building the
profession.
WKMHCA leadership made it clear that all
interested counseling professional counselors would be welcome to attend and participate
in the spring conference. CEUs and EILA
credits will be offered for these trainings.
Further information about dates and times will be published in time to
plan for attending this meeting.
Submitted by Jan Roberson
Submitted by Jan Roberson
