The AAMFT Blog

Core Supervision and Training Competencies for Family Therapists Working in Healthcare Settings

Family therapists were integral in the foundation of the integrated care movement. Leaders such as Don Bloch, Jeri Hepworth, Bill Doherty, Susan McDaniel, Mac Baird, and Larry Mauksch wrote much of the seminal integrated care literature on Medical Family Therapy. Over the years, leaders in a variety of professional fields have worked to formalize processes for providing behavioral health services in healthcare settings. The constant evolution of the integration of psychosocial and behavioral work within healthcare settings requires re-training the current and preparing the next generation of the work-force to apply their skills and knowledge in new ways. Family therapy offers a unique set of skills to integrated behavioral healthcare models but also shares a degree of overlap with other behavioral health disciplines. To help prepare the family therapy profession for flourishing opportunities in health care settings, AAMFT convened a working group of medical family therapy and integrated behavioral health care leaders to create and publish a set of competencies for training family therapists to work in diverse healthcare settings. This team worked across small and large group formats to identify key domain areas, associated skill sets, and target indicators relevant to this work. For a thorough description of the steps traversed in this effort, and for a detailed presentation of the content produced, see American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy [AAMFT] (2018).

Core competencies for family therapists working in healthcare settings are situated in four principal areas: (a) clinical skills; (b) training and supervision; (c) healthcare management and policy; and (d) scholarship. Each of these areas are further anchored in six domains – systems, biopsychosocial/spiritual, collaboration, leadership, ethics, and diversity. The following is a summary of core competencies related to supervision/training skills.

Supervision and Training Skills

Supervisors have long known that a unique skill set is needed for family therapists to practice in medical or healthcare settings, and they have worked to adjust their supervisory proficiencies to match these needs (Edwards & Patterson, 2006; Pratt & Lamson, 2012). Additionally, as the work of family therapists in healthcare settings grows, their responsibilities and roles expand to include training and supervision of both family therapists as well as potentially other healthcare professionals such as medical providers in training and other mental health disciplines functioning within the healthcare setting Competencies for family therapy trainers and supervisors in healthcare settings, regardless of trainees’ discipline(s), continue to be anchored by the core domains of systems, biopsychosocial/spiritual, collaboration, leadership, ethics and diversity.

The foundation for family therapists providing supervision and training in healthcare settings is through systemic thinking. This lens is applied in supervision to help strengthen supervisees’ ability to see patients within their family systems and how those family dynamics and behaviors influence disease management and recovery processes. Additionally, the supervisor should be able to appropriately teach supervisees how to include the patient- and family- system as part of the healthcare team, honor the intersecting social locations of supervisees as well as apply concepts of family systems to their role as a trainer.

In training efforts, family therapists will be able to teach about the culture of healthcare from a systemic lens. For example, attention should be paid to teaching about reciprocal interactions and the impact of self-of-provider / self-of-staff on the healthcare system and team dynamics. Additionally, supervisors keep these systemic interactions of the healthcare system in mind as they facilitate opportunities for inter-professional collaboration. Lastly, it is critical that supervisors continue to see that each person in the larger system has intersecting needs and identities that require awareness and responsiveness as relationships and connections are built and nurtured.

The use of the biopsychosocial-spiritual (BPSS) framework (Engel, 1977, 1980; Wright, Watson, & Bell, 1996) is also critical for family therapists serving in a supervisory role in a healthcare setting. This framework should pervade a supervisor’s work such that they are ensuring trainees are educated in the foundation of the BPSS framework and utilizing it in their clinical work with patients, collaboration with other medical team members, administration and research endeavors. An example of a supervisor looking for evidence of the BPSS framework might be asking supervisees to think through the patient check-in and triage process and helping them evaluate if all of the areas of the framework are addressed.  

Family therapists in the supervisor/trainer role will want to be sure their own collaboration skills are exemplary and serve as a role model for proactive and effective communication with team members. For example, therapists should be able to articulate and execute brief, clear communication methods (e.g., Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation [SBAR] http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/Tools/SBARToolkit.aspx) that convey assessment and therapeutic outcomes to the patient care team, and aid the supervisee in receiving and incorporating constructive feedback from team members.

Assuming a leadership role is often required of family therapists working in a healthcare setting. Supervisors in these roles are asked to train and prepare other family therapists to be competent future leaders in their healthcare systems. This leadership preparation should start with the supervisors’ identification of personal strengths and challenges and include the creation e of their own professional plans to further skill development. Supervisors should also be prepared to lead the effort in including relationally-based integrated behavioral healthcare with community partners. For example, supervisors should facilitate collaborative trainings and engagement between community partners/research teams and providers/staff from healthcare settings.

Within any type of healthcare setting, family therapists in a supervisory role must be knowledgeable of the various ethical codes of learners to conduct appropriate clinical services and research. Such familiarity could include ethics around various technologies, the conduct of research, and modeling and teaching appropriate roles with patients, families, and colleagues. The supervisor might also be called to articulate and demonstrate the scope of practice for family therapists in the healthcare setting so that they may participate in integrated care teams in a manner consistent with AAMFT’s Code of Ethics (2015).

Competencies for supervision and training culminate in an ability to educate and train learners to work with and advance practice and research benefitting diverse populations. Supervisors and trainers should provide learners with evidence-based practice, research, and culturally-sensitive measures, assessments, and interventions across clinical, research, supervision and teaching foci. Additionally, teaching supervisees/learners to be aware of patients and their families’ healthcare beliefs and cultural practices is important, insofar as these phenomena may impact many different levels of care. Most importantly, supervisors should cultivate a sense of cultural humility so that the process of awareness of and attention to diversity continues throughout the personal lives of learners.

Conclusion

Core supervision and training competencies for family therapists working in healthcare settings cut across systems-, biopsychosocial/spiritual-, collaboration-, leadership-, ethics-, and diversity- domains. Crossing primary (e.g., family medicine, pediatrics), secondary (e.g., OBGYN, emergency medicine), tertiary (e.g., hospice care, alcohol and drug treatment), and other care environments (e.g., employee assistance programs, military care systems), these skillsets are essential for the effective integration of family therapists into medically-oriented treatment and interdisciplinary care teams.

Note: As outlined in this blog’s introductory text, previous installments have highlighted clinical and scholarship competencies for family therapists in healthcare settings and a final installment will cover healthcare management and policy competencies

Read Part 1 of this series: Clinical Competencies for Family Therapists Working in Healthcare Settings

Read Part 2 of this series: Core Scholarship Competencies for Family Therapists Working in Healthcare Settings

 

References

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (2018). Competencies for family therapists working in healthcare care settings. Retrieved from www.aamft.org/healthcare

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (2015). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/Content/Legal_Ethics/Code_of_Ethics.aspx

Edwards, T., & Patterson, J. (2006). Supervising family therapy trainees in primary care medical settings: Context matters. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32, 33-43 doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2006.tb01586.x

Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196; 129-36.

Engel, G.L. (1980). The clinical application of the biopsychosocial model. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 535-44. doi:10.1176/ajp.137.5.535

Pratt, K. J., & Lamson, A. L., (2012). Supervision in Behavioral Health: Implications for   Students, Interns, and New Professionals. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 39, 285-294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-011-9267-6

Wright, L.M., Watson, W. L., & Bell, J. M. (1996). Beliefs: the heart of healing in families, and illness. New York, NY: Basic Books

 

Authors:

Lisa Tyndall, Ph.D., LMFT

Tai Mendenhall, Ph.D., LMFT

Laura Sudano, Ph.D., LMFT

Jackie Williams-Reade, Ph.D., LMFT

Stephanie Trudeau, Ph.D.

Randall Reitz, Ph.D., LMFT

Jennifer Hodgson, Ph.D., LMFT

Angela Lamson, Ph.D., LMFT

Legislative Victory for MFTs in South Carolina

In March of this year, South Carolina MFTs used the power of grassroots effort for a big legislative win! Marriage and Family Therapists in South Carolina have been a small but mighty force in our state from the beginning, and we have every intention of carrying on the legacy of our founders. Advocacy can seem like an overwhelming task, especially when you don’t have professional training or experience, but as the following story shows, one small connection can create mighty impact.

On January 10th, a bill was introduced in the South Carolina House of Representatives which, if passed, would have hurt Marriage and Family Therapists in the state. It sought to reduce the number of MFT representatives on our state’s licensing board by replacing one MFT representative with a licensed addictions counselor.

When the South Carolina Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (SCAMFT) found out from AAMFT that this bill had been proposed, we did several things: First, we had discussions with Laura Evans, AAMFT’s State Government Affairs Manager, about how to proceed for the best chances of success. (Laura proved to be an invaluable help during this process.) Second, we drafted a form letter on the issue to distribute to members and post on our website. Lastly, we leveraged our network using social media and an email blast to request grassroot MFT support by asking members to contact their local representatives about the bill – which many members did.

One SCAMFT member, Allen Lollis, who has a particular interest in legislative advocacy, reached out to several of his connections in the statehouse to begin the conversation about how and why this bill would be detrimental to our field.

Another member, Elizabeth Brady, e-mailed her representative, Marvin Pendarvis, with a request for a phone call or coffee. Representative Pendarvis happened to be on the committee which proposed this bill, so he agreed to meet, and Laura assisted Elizabeth in honing her message. During their conversation, Rep. Pendarvis valued what Elizabeth had to say on the issue and committed to offering an amendment which would increase the Board size, maintaining the current representation of MFTs and creating new seats for the licensed addictions counselors. Based on sharing Elizabeth’s talking points with other representatives, Rep. Pendarvis’s amendment passed unanimously!

Through this experience, SCAMFT has been reminded what we as MFTs already know – systems are only as strong as the relationships which exist within them. Having MFTs who are civically engaged enhances the profession’s ability to advocate for itself when necessary and sets a foundation to be as proactive as possible. It is easy to get caught up in the day to day business of being a therapist and to wonder how one voice (that knows very little about politics) can make a difference, but it often takes just one connection to create lasting positive results. We encourage all states to leverage the power of their membership and to train and equip their members for advocacy. It is through this collective force that we believe MFTs will establish their staying power in the greater scope of the mental health field.

 Elizabeth Martin, LMFT, is a Clinical Fellow from South Carolina. 

Hill Week and Why It Matters – From a Student MFT

Whether you’re studying to become a marriage and family therapist like myself, or are a seasoned MFT, it’s probably safe to say you know a bit about the term “imposter syndrome.” I recall sitting in the very first class of my graduate program and wondering if I had bit off more than I could chew! It wasn’t that I was unsure of my own potential; but more so that I was greatly impressed (and slightly intimidated, if we’re being honest) by the vast amount of talent and wisdom that filled the room. If you can recall an experience like this in your own life you’ll understand the similar feeling I had when traveling to Washington, D.C. as part of the AAMFT Family TEAM.

What is the AAMFT Family TEAM?

One of the core elements of the AAMFT is to actively advocate for the profession of marriage and family therapy. This includes acting to protect the recognition and respectability of marriage and family therapy as a mental health profession. AAMFT is actively involved in many federal (and state) initiatives in order to protect and advance the profession as a whole. The role of the AAMFT Family TEAM (Family Therapist Education and Advocacy Movement) is to:

1. Provide interested members with the latest developments in our federal advocacy efforts,
2. Organize members to take action with their Congresspeople when our issues reach a critical point in the federal legislative process

2018 Family Team Visit to Capitol Hill

I was invited to attend Capitol Hill as a representative of the AAMFT Family Advocacy Team on April 10-11, 2018. The purpose of this visit was to continue ongoing advocacy for the inclusion of both marriage and family therapist and mental health counselors to be recognized as mental health care providers in Medicare programs. The two key congressional bills focused on during this visit were S 1879 and HR 3032.

As a member of a key congressional district, I was paired with AAMFT contracted Federal Lobbyist David Connolly. Mr. Connolly works closely with the AAMFT as well as the CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapy), as a trusted liaison between the organization(s) and congress. His knowledge in law and congressional matters is a key factor in the success of these visits, and I had the privilege of benefiting from the ample time he spent educating myself and other Family TEAM members on the congressional implications and the process of these bills.

During our visit, I quickly learned that a key area of focus in Congress currently is enacting measures that will help decrease the current rate of opioid addiction in the United States. In my meeting with the staff person of Senator Roy Blunt, I was able to speak to how allowing MFTs and MHCs to be included in Medicare programs would directly benefit this initiative. I explained the systemic nature of our profession, and the role that plays in facilitating change within mental health diagnoses such as addiction.

A Life-changing Story

One very memorable portion of my visit occurred before I stepped foot on Capitol Hill. David Connolly met me in the lobby of my hotel to accompany me to my scheduled meeting with Congress. As we rode towards our destination in our Uber, he explained to me the legislative background of the opioid addiction. I excitedly shared how crucial of a role the training I’m receiving as an MFT student plays in helping individuals that struggle with this.

In the midst of our conversation our Uber driver spoke up, apologizing for “eaves-dropping” on our conversation. We chuckled a bit and joked about how he didn’t really have much of choice but to overhear, considering our close quarters.

Our driver went on to tell us a very personal story about his own struggle with opioid addiction. I must admit, as an MFT graduate student with an Ethics class still fresh on my brain, my first thought was to make sure it was clear that I am NOT a licensed therapist… unsure of what route his abrupt disclosure might take.

He assured us that he was sharing information he thought might be important to let Congress know, and continued to divulge. As we arrived at our destination, I shared with him my appreciation for sharing such a vulnerable story, and walked away preparing to shift mental gears and ready myself for my meeting. Mr. Connolly, on the other hand, was in awe. He expressed how much he’d learned by simply hearing the manner I spoke with the driver and encouraged me to share his story in my meeting.

In that moment it dawned on me… in such a little time training as an MFT, the way I’d interacted with the driver had become normal to me! It’s engrained in who I am, and how I think. I am a systemic thinker who, as a default of the skill, is able to help change and encourage people simply by speaking to them! Despite me not being a licensed therapist, our driver felt he could be vulnerable in the moment. He, in essence, was saying to me, "Please take my voice with you, beyond the doors that I’m unable to accompany you through.”

In that humbling moment I was overcome with such an overwhelming sense of duty. Duty both to those in my profession; but to the future clients that I may be able to reach due to changes to current Medicare legislation. In that moment I realized that a marriage and family therapist is never something you do, it’s who you become. We facilitate change, and owe it to the communities we serve to make our services more accessible and affordable to all that choose to utilize them.

Join the Movement

Please let my visit be a confirmation that you are never too new to the profession or unversed in politics to be an advocate on the TEAM. The Family TEAM is a grassroots initiative of the AAMFT that could always use more hands on deck. Ideally, we could (and should) all play out roles to advocate for our profession. As systemic thinkers we know that a change anywhere in the system, affects the system overall. As is frequently stated in my own graduate program; “the whole is bigger than the sum of it’s parts.” Be a part of the movement! Learn more about the AAMFT Family TEAM and how you can make a difference.

Join the Family TEAM

If you would, please also take a moment to utilize this quick contact form to express to your Congressperson the importance of including MFTs in Medicare. Be sure to share on social media and via email as well. Use hashtags #MFTsInMedicare to help gain visual traction for this very impactful legislation.

Take Action on MFTs in Medicare

Cynthia Wright is a student AAMFT member, and member of the AAMFT Family Team. She attends the Family Therapy Masters Program at Friends University – Kansas City, where she is currently entering the clinical phase and working as student therapist intern within her community. In her free time, Cynthia enjoys writing about the topics of faith, family, and career on her website.

Simple Practice: AAMFT's New Affinity Partner

AAMFT has a new partnership with SimplePractice, one of the fastest-growing, highest-rated, and most innovative practice management systems on the market. Their robust system is easy to use for therapists, with several options to customize, and the company was founded by a therapist trained in marriage and family therapy. 

AAMFT members receive a free 30-day trial AND your first two months for the price of one!

How has SimplePractice proved to be the best practice management platform for health and wellness professionals?
We’ve empowered over 20,000 health and wellness professionals to start, run and grow private practices across the US and the world. Through first-hand understanding of health and wellness practices by our co-founder, Howard Spector, we’ve build a platform that’s tailored to meet the specific challenges clinicians face. With over $1 billion in revenue collected through the SimplePractice platform, we are the leading choice for small business owners committed to health and wellness work in their communities.

What’s the inspiration behind SimplePractice?
To put it simply, we’re inspired by the work health and wellness professionals do and we want to help them start, run, and grow their businesses.

Trained as an MFT, SimplePractice co-founder Howard Spector set out to start his own private practice. At that time, he could not find software that was both flexible for his unique needs as a therapist while still keeping him in control of important tasks like client communication, scheduling, and billing. Drawing on his years of experience leading software teams and running his own small businesses, Howard set out to create a platform that was unique for him and his peers. He teamed up with co-founder Ralph Zimmermann, a technologist with deep experience in security and mobile applications.

With a multidisciplinary approach they focused on smart design, HIPAA compliance, and automations specific to health and wellness in order to create a system that keeps you in control of every aspect of your business while still providing the flexibility you need to run your unique health and wellness practice from anywhere: desktop, tablet, and smartphone. Today SimplePractice is a team of technologists, designers, engineers, accountants, entrepreneurs, writers, therapists, an SLP, and more, all working to support our customers and build the best possible tools for private practice owners to start, run, and grow their health and wellness businesses.

Any challenges the company has faced and been able to overcome?

Everyday we face the same challenge as other small businesses: deciding how to prioritize our resources. Time and effort are finite, and everyday we’re forced to prioritize what we work on and build. Since we’ve launched, we’ve focused on speaking with and listening to our community of customers in order to understand the best way we can serve the health and wellness community.

 

Why I Practice Gratitude

 The Power of Gratitude

When I first started working with young clients as a therapist at the Boys and Girls Club I would often begin our sessions by reading a storybook. My youngest clients were five years old and enjoyed the stories, characters, and colorful illustrations. Their anticipation and joy was palatable. I would carefully select each book and was amazed at the plethora of available storybooks covering important topics like empathy, being present, feelings, and gratitude. One day I accidently discovered the power of gratitude when I read Ladybug Girl Gives Thanks by Jacky Davis (2016). My clients’ interest in talking about gratitude was immediate and ongoing. Simply put, it made them happier. I found this positive response repeated with my adolescent clients. I soon came to realize that gratitude had a healing power that was hard to ignore.

What is gratitude? It’s about acknowledging something good in your life and appreciating that it was given. It’s the realization that we have a profound connection to others. It’s understanding that we are not alone in the world no matter how difficult life seems. I also found that gratitude interventions could be used with a variety of therapeutic modalities and is equally effective when working with individual clients, groups, or families. There are many methods of gratitude induction including making lists and sharing them. My clients often expressed their feelings of gratitude through art, drama, and games.

Gratitude and Well-Being

According to a study in Applied Psychology: Health And Well-Being gratitude interventions have positive outcomes on well-being. The study concludes that grateful contemplation has a lasting positive impact on our outlook on life (Rash, Matsuba, and Prkachin, 2011). Research described in the Clinical Psychology Review also supports the use of gratitude interventions citing improvement in many areas including personal growth, resistance to trauma, and day-to-day functioning (Wood, Frosh, and Geraghty, 2010).  

Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson believes gratitude helps shape the brain in both positive and lasting ways. He describes how new mental activity changes the structure of the brain allowing us to modify our behavior. “As a result, even fleeting thoughts and feelings can leave lasting marks on your brain, much like a spring shower can leave little trails on a hillside” (2009, p. 5). Dr. Robert A. Emmons states, “By measuring brain activity of participants researchers found that gratitude, like other complex emotions, causes synchronized activation in multiple brain regions, involving social concepts, emotional responses, logic, and sensory processing. But gratitude also lights up parts of the brain’s reward pathway and the hypothalamus, which controls the release of hormones that regulate bodily processes” (2016, p. 24). In other words gratitude amplifies a positive outlook on life helping clients see a path to improved health and emotional fitness. Gratitude helps shift the emotional shadings of our psyche both consciously and unconsciously.

Gratitude and Joy

I have had many conversations with children about gratitude and each time smiles and joy appeared on their faces and in their body language. According to Brother David Steindl-Rast the appreciation of what is given is what makes us joyful. “Those are the important elements of what gratefulness is. It is the appreciation of the gratuitously given opportunity. Mostly – I stress that – it is the opportunity to enjoy, but always it is the opportunity to do something with the opportunity given to us, to at least learn something and be creative and expect that there is something helpful coming, and then our openness will show us what this opportunity entails for us” (2013, p. 18). I wholeheartedly agree with him. I also agree with Brene Brown when she makes a connection between joy, gratitude, and human connectedness," It wasn’t just the relationship between joy and gratitude that took me by surprise. I was also startled by the fact that research participants consistently described both joyfulness and gratitude as spiritual practices that were bound to a belief in human connectedness and a power greater than us” (2012, p. 123).

In the middle of sorrow and darkness my clients were often able to be thankful for what they had. I often found myself humbled be their sensitivity and honesty. When they honored what they had it allowed them to better understand and accept their present circumstances. Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are by Dr. Seuss (1973) became one of my favorite books to read. I can’t remember how many times I shared this delightful book with my clients but I can tell you it was a lot.

Gratitude and Self-Compassion

My clients did not always perceive themselves in a positive way. They would often come to sessions quiet and numb. It was as if the trauma in their lives had paralyzed their very soul making it difficult to feel compassion for their own life circumstances. Their self-confidence was not only under attack by the world around them but also by their own internal dialogue. As I think back on my young clients I can see that they were not only carrying heavy backpacks full of books and homework but were also burdened with a heavy emotional load that weighed on their sense of self. Each reacted to the pressures in their lives in different but equally unhealthy ways. Because gratitude can lead to joyfulness, I found that any discussion we had about being thankful brightened their day and eased their mind. Dr. Kristin Neff reminds us how important it is to stop beating ourselves up. According to her, “One of the most robust and consistent findings in the research literature is that people who are more self-compassionate tend to be less anxious and depressed” (2011, p. 110). Savoring gratefulness became a normal activity during our sessions. As their mood lightened they became more relaxed and able to express their feelings and embrace their true self.

I have to admit that I am a firm believer in the practice of gratitude because counting your blessings tends to make you happier and less depressed. I have witnessed this reaction many times both with my clients and in my own life. Finally, I am very thankful to my young clients for teaching me about the power of gratitude.

 

References

Brown, B. (2012). Daring greatly. New York, NY: Gotham Books.

Davis, J. (2016). Ladybug girl gives thanks. New York, NY: Random House.

Emmons, R. A. (2016). The little book of gratitude. New York, NY: Gaia Books.

Hanson, R. (2009). Buddha’s brain: Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Rash, J., Matsuba, M., & Prkachin, K. (2011) Gratitude and well-being: Who benefits the most from a gratitude intervention? Applied Psychology: Health And Well Being. doi:10.1111/j1758-0854.2011.01058.x

Rast, D. S. (2013). A good day: A gift of gratitude. New York, NY: Sterling Ethos.

Seuss, T. (1973). Did I ever tell you how lucky you are? New York, NY: Random House.

Wood, A., Frosh, J., & Geraghty, A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.005

 

Richard Durborow, MA, MS, LMFT, is an AAMFT Clinical Fellow in Ventura, CA, and the founder and CEO of FeelingsCount.

Urge Congress to Support MFTs in Medicare

Bipartisan legislation that would include licensed marriage and family therapists as well as licensed mental health counselors as Medicare eligible providers has been introduced in both the US House of Representatives and US Senate. These bills are the Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2017 (HR 3032) and the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2017 (S 1879).

This week, AAMFT Family TEAM members will be on Capitol Hill advocating for the MFTs in Medicare legislation. You can join these members in supporting these bills by contacting your Members of Congress and encouraging them to support adding MFTs as Medicare providers.

Urge Congress to Support MFTs in Medicare

If you have not already done so, please encourage your Congressperson and Senators to support MFTs and cosponsor these important bills. A strong showing of support increases the likelihood that the legislation will continue through the legislative process to become law. Tell Congress to add MFTs in Medicare!

 

Additional resources on MFTs in Medicare

Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2017 (HR 3032)

Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2017 (S 1879)

Join AAMFT’s Family Therapy Education and Advocacy Movement (TEAM) to receive the latest information on advocacy initiatives such as MFTs in Medicare and how you can help!