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A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
THIS WAS AN exciting year for AAMFT, setting up some wonderful opportunities for our members and our profession in 2017. The accomplishments would not have been possible without the leadership and participation of so many of you.
Emerging Professionals
A true surprise in 2016 was the quickly developing Emerging Professionals Network.
Today, there are over 1,000 members participating in this group and it continues to grow. Considering it was only launched in February and the goal was to conduct a survey and offer select training webinars, it is exciting to think how this growth can foster the EP Network’s development in 2017. Initial plans for the future of the EP Network include podcasts, webinars, and face-to-face meetings during events. None of this would be possible without the participation of so many people helping to make this group successful.
A Sincere “Thank You” to Many
and all participants in making the effort to advance the profession through your leadership development.
COAMFTE
Approaching 130 programs, the highest number ever, the efforts of Commissioners and site visitors who have dedicated their professional lives toward the assurance of high quality education of marriage and family therapists is moving. Thousands of students, aspiring to become MFTs, are able to pursue education and skill development benefits from these hard working volunteers associated with COAMFTE-accredited programs.
Annual Conference
The 2016 Annual Conference, with over 130 volunteers, received outstanding evaluations and was one of the highest revenue generating conferences since 2000. In 2017, AAMFT will be experimenting with expanding the conference and inviting the public to attend specific presentations about marriage and family therapy. The goal of these efforts is to provide a public service to the host community. AAMFT is able to experiment with this new addition because of the exceptionally hard
work and dedication of the many members who have put the conference in a position of strength.
Advocacy
With nearly 200 members participating in the Family TEAM, AAMFT is strengthening its grassroots advocacy.
In June, several AAMFT members visited Capitol Hill to lobby Congress to allow LMFTs to be covered by Medicare. As part of the Family TEAM, AAMFT members flew in from Louisiana, Michigan, New York, North Dakota, and Texas to speak with members of the U.S. House of Representatives who serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The visit was strategically timed as the Energy and Commerce Committee was planning to debate and amend legislation (HR 2646), the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which makes several significant changes that impact mental health.
These hardworking volunteers, combined with over 3,000 members contributing to the Practice Protection Fund, have positioned AAMFT to advance our advocacy programming. Looking forward, 2017 will see increased expansion of Family TEAM programming and reengagement of the AAMFT–PAC efforts.
Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards
In 1994, the Eagles released a live album, Hell Freezes Over, referring to the longstanding proclamation that they would never tour again being disproven. For many longstanding members of AAMFT, this next “thank you” may have a touch
of the Eagles déjà vu. I want to extend a sincere thank you to the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Approved Supervisors
In 2013, member task force participants recommended that AAMFT make some controversial changes in the Approved Supervisor training program. These changes were necessary after AAMFT received numerous complaints regarding the quality of outside training and was facing a 10-year decline in the number of Approved Supervisors. Today, thanks in large part to the changes implemented, the Approved Supervision program is approaching the highest participation numbers in a decade and is growing in strength every day. Looking forward to continued gains, AAMFT is beginning to make some headway in diminishing the oft-quoted barrier to licensure involving difficulty in finding an Approved Supervisor. My sincere “thank you” goes out to everyone who helped to reestablish the Approved Supervisor designation to its highest form in quality.
Leadership Development
Hoping for about 70 attendees at the Leadership Symposium in Santa Fe and an inaugural cohort of maybe 10 for the Leadership Certificate, I was pleasantly surprised and excited to welcome 150 attendees to the event, with the Leadership Certificate Program enrollment topping out at 32 participants— exceeding all expectations. With a robust training program
and expectations, Certificate of Leadership participants are managing the didactic, interactional, and self-reflection materials extremely well. In 2017, the first cohort will have completed the Certificate program and a second cohort will be up and running. I look forward to someday seeing a Leadership Certificate awardee secure a leadership role that provides opportunities for advancement to the member, but also the profession. Thank you to the dedicated instructors, mentors,
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