The AAMFT Blog

December Board Meeting Highlights

The AAMFT board of directors met last month in Alexandria, Virginia (December 9-10, 2019). Our December meeting is usually conducted via video conference. However, with the long stretch of time and the work done since our August meeting in Austin—and the important work ahead in 2020—a face-to-face, two-day meeting was vital. In this report I want to just highlight some of the exciting and important work the Board will be taking on in 2020.

I’m pleased to report that the Board remains deeply committed to a larger vision of inclusivity in our association. We will propose another bylaw change this year that aims to simplify the membership categories, while preserving a clear majority on the board of those eligible for the Clinical Fellow designation. The board is convinced that with nearly 60 percent of the voting members supporting the bylaw change last year, we have an obligation to honor and amplify the wishes of that majority. Moreover, we will re-double our commitment to help the broader membership see both the vision and the sound association practice and logic of those proposed changes.

Thus, in acknowledging the need for AAMFT to lift the unintended barriers to inclusivity and simplify our member categories, the board authorized staff to prepare the language for a new and tighter focused bylaw amendment for us to review at the March 2020 meeting. The new drafted language will specifically attend to preserving the majority Clinical Fellow designation in the composition of elected leaders. The board is committed to better articulating the compelling need and benefits of this change for AAMFT and our members.

Another major board initiative for 2020 which I want to highlight, is that the board authorized the appointment of a steering committee to lead a comprehensive review of the AAMFT strategic plan. I want to punctuate that this is big and very exciting! It will be the first major substantive review of the plan since 2013. Yes, we have made minor tweaks and adjustments in our biennial review years (2015 and 2017, respectively). After careful consideration and discussion with an association consultant, the board voted in July 2018 to defer a substantive review of the strategic plan until 2020.

The first task of the strategic plan steering committee will be to identify the process and priorities for developing the new plan. I should note, this process will involve all levels of governance and stakeholders—members, network leaders, commissioners. The aim of the steering committee is to develop policy-informed processes for AAMFT to be continuously thinking and planning strategically and generatively. You can look for more details about the planning process and opportunities for member engagement after the March 2020 board meeting.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not share the pleasure I had to honor and recognize the individual contributions of our 2019 outgoing board members: Past president Chris Habben, Treasurer Adrian Blow, Board members Sharon Ramsay and Silvia Kaminsky, and Student/Pre-Allied Mental Health member, Bryan Doster. On behalf of the entire board, I sincerely thank them for their exemplary service to the association.

—Respectfully yours,
Timothy F. Dwyer, PhD, LMFT
AAMFT President

HIPAA Compliance on Social Media: A Guide for Private Practices

Although this article is intended to help therapy practices and mental health providers, it is not intended to replace the advice of professional legal counsel. If you have any doubts about whether your social media marketing efforts may be in violation of HIPAA, please consult with an attorney. This content is provided by Brighter Vision, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the views of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy. 

Social media studies from 2019 have reported that there are 3.2 billion social media users in the world today – that’s about 42% of the entire population! – and this number continues to grow every single day. With that kind of data, there’s simply no denying that social media is a great outlet to expand your private practice’s marketing strategy.

Social media not only allows you to connect with your existing clients on a different level, but it also allows you to provide educational materials that will help establish your expertise with new potential clients. Plus, it's a great way to continue to build your overall brand.

Sadly, as beneficial as social media marketing is for businesses, many private practice owners shy away from social media for fear of unknowingly violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

HIPAA violations can come with some pretty substantial penalties - fines, sanctions, even loss of license in some cases - so we totally get why ignoring digital marketing and social media may seem like the easy way to go.

But we're here to tell you that you don't have to choose between HIPAA compliance and growing your practice online. Using social media doesn't have to feel like walking through an ethical minefield. You simply need to understand what is and what is not allowed by law.

Read on to learn how you can use social media to grow your practice all-the-while maintaining HIPAA compliance.

What Is Protected Health Information (PHI)?

Because HIPAA was enacted several years before social media (as we know it today) really took off, there's no official set of HIPAA social media rules. However, the same HIPAA privacy standards apply to social media use.

HIPAA guidelines define Protected Health Information as "anything - vague or specific - that could reveal the identity of a patient." Well, speaking of vague, what the heck does that really mean?

There are actually 18 items that are considered to be "individually identifiable health information” under HIPAA.

Types of PHI:

1. Names, including nicknames and names used on social media
2. Address, or any other geographical location information
3. Dates, except for the year (i.e. birthdate, appointment dates, admission/discharge dates, etc.)
4. Phone number
5. Fax number
6. Social security number
7. Email address
8. Medical record number
9. Any other account numbers
10. Health plan beneficiary number
11. Any other certificate or license numbers
12. Vehicle information such as license plate numbers or the make/model/color of a vehicle
13. Web URLs or social media links
14. Device identifiers or serial numbers
15. Internet protocol addresses (IP addresses)
16. Biometric identifiers such as fingerprints, retinal scans, or voice recordings
17. Photos, even if they're not showing anyone's face
18. Anything else that compromises the patient's identity

Using any of the above information about a client on social media - even with their permission - could be considered a HIPAA violation and should be avoided to protect your clients’ privacy. But that shouldn't mean that your practice should be precluded from having a presence on social media.

Maintaining HIPAA Compliance on Social Media

According to Healthcare Compliance Pros, 74% of Internet users are active on social media. Not only that, 80% of those who use social media actually use it to research doctors, hospitals, medical news, and other medical-related information.

Without a doubt, social media is a great way to help position yourself as an expert in your field and attract new patients.

But, before you start posting across the various platforms, it's important to make sure you really understand what's allowed and what isn't.

 

A Snapshot of the Minority Fellowship Program

The AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program 2020-2021 applications are due February 14, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST.

To learn more about the 2020-2021 Application below are the remaining webinar dates:

Application Webinar on Thursday, January 23, 2020, 11am-12pm EST. Click here to join the webinar!

Application Webinar on Thursday, February 06, 2020, 11am-12pm EST. Click here to join the webinar!

Email the Minority Fellowship Program staff with any questions or concerns at [email protected].

Here is a snapshot of the Minority Fellowship Program!