This morning, the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) recommended the inclusion of MFTs and LPCs as Medicare providers in their report to Congress and federal agencies. In a press conference today, ISMICC emphasized the importance of utilizing all mental health professionals to address the very serious mental health provider shortage and the growing mental health crisis. The support of ISMICC is significant to our cause, because the committee is made up of federal agency officials, such as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Established by the 21st Century Cures Act, the committee is responsible for advising Congress on the current state of serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance interventions, and recommending policies to improve mental health services. Read the report.
AAMFT would like to thank ISMICC for all the work they have done to improve the state of mental health intervention, accessibility, and affordability.
If you have not done so already, contact your member of Congress and encourage them to support H.R. 3032 and S. 1879, which establishes MFTs and LPCS as Medicare providers, by clicking here.