Attention Associate License MFTs and MFTs in the School Candidates – 2/16/2016

Hope you’re all staying warm with all this chilly weather. Brrrr!

We have some exciting news!  We now have confirmation of the Public Health Committee raising the MFT Associate License bill at this Tuesday’s (2/16/2016) meeting.  We have requested that the Committee introduce the version of the bill that passed out of the Committee last year.  Below is a provided link to last year’s language for your information.

Is anyone available to testify?  We are also accepting electronic testimonials if you cannot attend. Task force Chair Jes Joseff will be there along with a couple of others.  The bill:
1.) Allows recent graduates to be eligible for 3rd-party reimbursement, which would make them more marketable for jobs
2.) Closes the gap between graduation and becoming eligible to be certified by the state Dept. of Ed for school-based MFT certification
3.) Creates parity with social workers.

When this bill passes, with an associate license you can be hired right out of school for a school-based position, without waiting for full licensure.  It means that schools can now be in a position to hire MFT clinicians if they have been a good match during their internships.  We have been overdue for this adjustment to the law.

Special thank you to Dr. Laundy and Dr. Cohen for writing testimony as they are the original advocates for the MFTs in Schools law from 2007.  Now we need certified MFTs, “almost graduated” MFTs (please send to students) who need the jobs they have trained for, as well as those of senior clinicians who saw the original bill pass.  Please come and be a representative at the capital TOMORROW.

Special areas of interest are New Britain and Hartford, the districts of the Co-Chairs.

Link to last year’s bill: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/TOB/h/pdf/2015HB-06861-R02-HB.pdf

Please pass this along to others!

Call for Posters, 2015

The Poster Session Committee invites the submission of proposals for poster presentations during the 2015 CTAMFT Annual Conference “The Couples Experience: Therapy Comes Alive!” The poster session will take place on Friday, May 1, 2015 from 12:30-1:30pm at the Trumbull Marriott. Presenters will be asked to stand by their poster during the poster session to respond to comments and questions posed by conference attendees.

A poster may be about research findings, clinical interventions, or any topic of interest to Marriage and Family Therapists. Posters can include text, charts, tables or other graphic representations suitable for conveying the message. We encourage posters that are creative and that address current issues or trends in the marriage and family therapy field. Teams may submit posters if at least one member of the team will be present during the poster session at the Annual Conference on May 1, 2015.

Posters will be based upon the quality and relevance of the proposed presentation. Poster Committee members will hold a blind review of submissions, with preference given to submissions that are consistent with the Annual Conference theme, “The Couples Experience: Therapy Comes Alive!” Accepted presenters will be notified by March 1, 2015 and must confirm attendance by March 15, 2015.

Four posters will be selected as recipients of the 2015 Poster Awards. Each poster category award winner will receive a cash prize of $100. The Poster Award categories are: Best Research-Based Poster, Best Clinically-Based Poster, Best Poster Related to Conference Theme, and Best Poster by a Clinical Fellow. The Poster Committee and CTAMFT Board will evaluate accepted posters being considered for the Poster Awards during the Annual Conference.

Completed applications shall consist of the “Poster Session Proposal Form,” which includes the “Poster Presenter Agreement.”

Posters selected for presentation must be no larger than 36” x 48”. In addition, each presenter should bring a sign-up sheet for conference participants who may want more information about their poster. For additional information about poster requirements, please contact the Poster Session Committee Chairs: Dr. Nicole O’Brien and Dr. Erica Hartwell at posters@ctamft.org.

Email the completed Proposal Form/Agreement to: posters@ctamft.org by February 1, 2015.

Professional Development Fall Conference Recap

by Rosemarie Coratola, Psy.D., LMFT
CTAMFT Secretary & Professional Development Committee Chair (profdev@ctamft.org) 

“Wonderful and much-needed presentation.”
“Very informative and current.”
These are some of the comments from participants who attended CTAMFT’s Fall Specialty Conference last month.

The conference included two half-day workshops and was filled with lively and thought-provoking discussion. Ethics and Marriage and Family Therapy was presented by Sebastian Perumbilly, Ph.D., LMFT in the morning session. The afternoon workshop presenter, psychologist Danielle Moreggi, Ph.D., discussed the DSM-5 and changes made to the previous version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), DSM-IV-TR.

Ethics
Ethical guidelines for Marriage and Family Therapists are listed in the form of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) “Code of Ethics,” and are guidelines. However, they do not identify exact methods to carry out each of the guidelines. Ethical principals are developed through thoughtful consideration about the needs of the client(s) and not those of the therapist. Dr. Perumbilly led the workshop participants in lively discussion about case vignettes and ethical dilemmas, which led many in attendance to rethink their current practice procedures.

Specific legal and ethical issues in MFT were reviewed including 1) identifying the client or patient, 2) clinical documentation, 3) confidentiality, 4) communicating with other systems, 5) working with minors, 6) reporting of child abuse and neglect, 7) intimate partner violence, 8) use of technology and 9) therapist values.

The group also discussed managing possible risks and dealing with complaints. Record keeping was cited as an important component in this. The group was encouraged to review the AAMFT Code of Ethics that can be found at AAMFT Code of Ethics . This important topic sparked much discussion and led to many more questions, along with requests for additional information from legal and state administrative authorities.

DSM-5 Overview
Dr. Moreggi reviewed changes to the DSM that will take effect beginning October 2014 with use of the DSM-5. This revised manual is structured into three sections. The first describes how to use the manual. The second is a listing and description of all of the disorders. And the third section identifies assessment measures and conditions for further study. The chapter order better reflects the lifespan, in comparison to the DSM-IV-TR version, and age-related factors were added to the criteria when appropriate.

Some of the highlighted changes include the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) of the DSM-III, DSM-IV and IV-TR was eliminated and replaced with a Severity Specifier (e.g., No Impairment, Mild Impairment, Moderate Impairment and Severe Impairment). The Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) specifier was replaced by two options – Other Specified Disorder (OSD) and Unspecified Disorder (USD). The first allows the clinician to indicate the specific reason that the presentation does not meet full criteria, and the second is used when the symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment but do not meet the full criteria, or number of symptoms, for the diagnostic class.

Mental Retardation was changed to Intellectual Disability, and is expected to change further to Intellectual Developmental Disorder in the next DSM iteration. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) now includes Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

A new category of Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders includes PTSD, Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder. Many other changes were noted during this afternoon session.

Additional DSM-5 resources can be found at www.psych.org, www.DSM5.org, http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org and www.psychiatry.org/dsm5.

CTAMFT wishes to thank the presenters for their engaging discussions throughout the day, the Courtyard Marriott Shelton and the CTAMFT Professional Development Committee; Normajean Cefarelli, Kristen Cocchia, Erin Cushing, Jessica Floyd, Beth Golden, Roxanne Pomeroy and Alycia Toohey. Of course, this conference could not have flowed smoothly without the hard work of the CTAMFT staff – Wendy Haggerty and Shannon Eterginio, thank you both!

For additional information, or if you are interested in joining the CTAMFT Ethics or Professional Development Committees, contact – ethics@ctamft.org or profdev@ctamft.org. We would love to hear from you.

Earn Up to 6 CEUs: CTAMFT Professional Development Workshop

Earn up to 6 CEUs – October 25, 2013

The CTAMFT Professional Development Committee is proud to bring to you our Fall Workshop this year. We, your friends and colleagues, have worked tirelessly to bring our membership something special, timely and ultimately useful for your continuing education demands. We have created a full-day or half-day – morning or afternoon option – to meet your busy scheduling needs.

Plus, a really cool part, is that lunch is included with every registration!

We, as always, have worked to keep the cost of this yearly offering as accessible as possible. A full day is $90 and EITHER half-day option is $75, and all registrations include lunch.

We hope to see our friends and colleagues on the 25th, to get caught up and to learn about the changes in the DSM-5 that affects every one of our jobs. Plus, if you attend the morning Ethics session, you can claim the credits towards a reduction in your annual Liability Insurance fees.

If you have any questions, please contact Shannon, our new Association Manager.

Date: Friday October 25, 2013

Time: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Shelton, CT – Courtyard Marriott
Cost: $90 full-day; $75 half-day
Schedule:
8:00 AM Registration and Continental Breakfast
*8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Ethics in the MFT Profession with Dr. Sebastian Perumbilly (3 CEUs)
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM DSM-5 Overview with Dr. Danielle Moreggi (3 CEUs)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Morning Session: “Ethics in the MFT Profession,” Dr. Sebastian Perumbilly

Seb Perumbilly is an assistant professor in the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Southern Connecticut State University. He is actively involved with academic, clinical and research communities both in the United States and in India. He teaches Research Methods, Ethics and core courses in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). He holds an M.A. in Bioethics; and another M.A. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with a focus in MFT from the University of Connecticut.

*This workshop is eligible towards liability insurance discount.

Afternoon Session: “DSM-5 Overview,” Dr. Danielle Moreggi

Dr. Danielle Moreggi has been providing psychological services since 1997 and has been a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of CT for over 10 years. With a private practice in Milford, CT, she provides psycho-therapy, assessment, and professional consultative services, with an expertise in college student mental health. She continues to serve as full-time faculty at the University of New Haven Psychology Department in West Haven, CT since 2001; and also as a professional trainer for the New England Institute of Addiction Studies (NEIAS) since 1998.

Letter from the President – An Introduction

Denise Parent, LMFT, CTAMFT Board President

Dear Members;

You may have noticed a new picture at the top of the President’s message. The torch from former President Dorothy Timmermann has officially been passed to me as of July! It is an exciting challenge to be able to serve as your new President at this particular time in our profession’s evolution.

I am in the lucky position to be on the coat-tails of many past Presidents and Board members who have helped to achieve professional credibility for MFTs in Connecticut. In recent years, CTAMFT has supported creating pathways into schools and convened conferences that AAMFT views as competitive with national offerings. I have learned a little something from all of the excellent examples of leadership before me. And though I may never achieve my friend and colleague Dorothy Timmermann’s elegance, you can count on me to be direct, relatively calm, creative and only mildly silly as I proceed through the next two years!

We found ourselves busy over the summer for several reasons. First, we persist with our ongoing attempts to introduce a bill for a temporary license (LMFTA) for new graduates doing their 1,000 hours of supervised practice. Second, we are addressing “scope of practice” questions from the Department of Public Health. As of 2011, any new license proposal needs to be vetted through a formal committee and funded through the appropriations committee. We also met with the Association for School Psychologists to clarify some issues with the implementation of MFT in the Schools and discussed responding to concerns about state contracts with some friends in state program evaluation positions.

Sadly, our terrific Association Manager, Wendy Haggerty, has decided to devote more time to her successful sex therapy practice and spend time with her family (drat, the nerve of her!). She will be leaving the staff position, but not the membership, at the end of December. This resulted in contracting to fill Wendy’s position, for one year at the outset, with our current Marketing and Conference Manager, Shannon Eterginio. Shannon was instrumental in the smooth success of last year’s annual conference. The Board agreed that our positive experience with Shannon and her skills as a marketing, public relations entrepreneur and event planner lend themselves very nicely to doing member relations work, conference planning and public relations. Why public relations, you ask? At the end of last year the Board began to discuss the possibility of carving out a stronger niche for MFTs as expert in couple and family intervention, and we have decided that a public relations campaign may be a useful way to implement this. More to come on this after further discussion.

Last week, our Board had its first meeting after summer break. We welcomed new member MaryAnn Labella, Clinical Director at Fairfield University, as well as our new Student Representative, Jessica Floyd from CCSU. Our first meeting was to talk about last-minute details for our October 25, 2013 workshop on the new DSM-5 and ethics, (offered at low cost, $75 for early birds).

Trumbull Marriott

We also spent a great deal of time discussing the 2014 Annual Conference. Make sure to mark your calendars for The New Brain Science of Connection, which is scheduled for April 24 and 25, 2014 at the Trumbull Marriott. Our keynote speaker is Dr. Louis John Cozolino of Pepperdine University, and we have many other exciting workshops featuring neurofeedback and mindfulness interventions with families, as well as exploring how neuroscience impacts attachment across the lifespan. We have also agreed to “shake our souls” again with Jayne Deane and planned plenty of time for snacking and chatting with our members. Our Board is excited to learn more about the possibility of science supporting what we have always known – that everything happens in the context of relationship. We will be running a student poster session again, and have asked each of the five schools in the State to represent themselves at it – keep your eye out for the “Call for Posters” to be released shortly.

Speaking of the five schools, the Board also hosted the five university programs to discuss common issues, share best practices and discuss new offerings. Sebastian Perumbilly from Southern CT State University will serve for the next two years as CTAMFT’s Academic Liaison, a non-voting Board position designed to increase communication/collaboration with Program Directors and the CTAMFT.

In addition, this distinguished group of Program Directors also discussed accreditation procedures, new programs, specialties of each MFT training program and confirmed that Connecticut has rich and diverse marriage and family therapy academic traditions to draw from. We all hope to create a more seamless journey from student to clinical professional and to enrich employment possibilities for MFTs. Several of the faculty and students from the five programs will be in Portland, OR for the AAMFT Annual Conference, as will I. Please stop by the Division/Program showcase or touch base with any of us while you are there if you go!

Finally, CTAMFT welcomes your input, has plenty of work to do and is particularly interested in tracking employment trends this year. So beware (it’s almost Halloween, isn’t it?)… we may come knocking on your door for one reason or another. Trick or treat!

Wishing you candy apples, vibrant leaf peeping and crisp Sunday afternoons with family and friends.

~Denise

Professional Development Workshop – register TODAY

CTAMFT Professional Development Committee is proud to present to you our Fall Specialty Workshop. We have created an opportunity to meet CEU requirements in a format that also satisfies Ethics training requirements as well as a great opportunity to get comfortable with the new DSM-5 codes. Please choose either a full day, a morning half-day or an afternoon half-day.

This workshop is being held in upper Fairfield County to hopefully capture the largest portion of the state’s MFT professional population. We look forward to seeing you there!

“Ethics in the MFT Profession” with Dr. Sebastian Perumbilly – morning session
and/or
“DSM-5 Overview” with Dr. Danielle Moreggi – afternoon session

When: Friday, October 25, 2013

Location: Shelton Courtyard Marriott

Time: Full Day – 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM – 6 CEUs
AM Half Day – 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM – 3 CEUs
PM Half Day – Noon – 4:30 PM – 3 CEUs

Cost: Full Day – $90 (Early Bird of $75 through 9/30)
Half Day – $75 (Early Bird of $60 through 9/30)

Click here to REGISTER!

AM includes ethics presentation, breakfast & lunch; PM includes DSM-5 Overview, lunch and snack

It’s Almost Here!

The CTAMFT Annual Conference is just days away!

On April 25 and 26, 2013 we are proud to bring you what we consider to be the best conference this country has to offer.

We have packed 2 days full of learning, networking and sharing, there is  something for absolutely everyone.

The beautiful Mystic Marriott helps make this 2-day event even more special.

Please contact any of the Board members if you have questions or need more information, and we look forward to seeing you there!

HIPAA and Your Mobile Devices

To follow up on some of the information from the Professional Development workshop in October, Social Media for Tharapists and HIPAA Compliance, here is a great new video with more broad ideas on how to keep your practice and your clients privacy safe.

In addition, this article helps remind us all about how important following HIPAA guidelines is, and how hard things can be when something goes wrong.

As always, please contact us at manager@ctamft.org if you’d like more information or guidance on how to get started.

CTAMFT’s New Video Workshop Series

CTAMFT is excited to offer CEU opportunities that can be taken advantage of – anytime!

Our first offering is from the October 12, 2012 Professional Development workshop on Social Media and HIPAA Compliance, presented by Katherine Allen, LMFT. This will be a 2-video series. The first downloadable video is expected to be available later this month.

We hope you enjoy this promo of the workshop video. Please visit the new store launching later this month on ctamft.org to take advantage of this offering.

Promo for CTAMFT’s New Video Workshop Series!

CTAMFT is proud to introduce a new service to its memebrship!

We are developing 1-hour downloadable videos complete with CEU opportunities for you to enhance your learning from the comfort of your home.

Our first offering is from the October 12, 2012 Professional Development workshop on Social Media and HIPAA Compliance, presented by Katherine Allen, LMFT.

We hope you enjoy this promo of the workshop video. Please check ctamft.org soon as we hope to have the first full 1-hour video ready by the end of the year.