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!

Student Corner

2015 Pamela N. Griffin Scholarship – Application Deadline Extended

Would you like to attend the 2015 national AAMFT Conference next fall in Austin, TX? Or perhaps the CTAMFT’s Annual Spring Conference April 30 – May 1, 2015 in Trumbull, Connecticut? Here’s how you can apply to receive either $500 for the national conference or full admission to CTAMFT’s 2015 Annual Spring Conference!

Pamela N. Griffin established a trust to award scholarships to MFT students entering the field of Marriage and Family Therapy. The intent of the scholarship is to support students wishing to attend CTAMFT, AAMFT and other MFT conferences.

The amount to be awarded in 2015 will be $1,250 – and distributed in two ways:

1. One (1) award of $500.00 for the 2015 AAMFT National Conference (or another MFT conference of applicant’s preference).
2. Five (5) awards of $150 to one student member from each MFT program in CT (i.e., one student will be selected from each of the following programs: SCSU, UConn, University of Saint Joseph, CCSU and Fairfield University) to attend CTAMFT’s annual conference on April 30 – May 1, 2015.

Please link here to learn more about this scholarship, as well as to download a copy of the application. The application deadline is Saturday, February 28, 2015.

Student Committee Corner!

Jessica Floyd, Student Representative and Mika Vinci, Student Consultant
CTAMFT Student Committee (students@ctamft.org) 

Pamela N. Griffin Scholarship Award
Would you like to attend the national AAMFT Conference in Wisconsin next year? Or perhaps this year’s CTAMFT Annual Conference: The New Brain Science of Connection?  Here’s how you can apply to receive either $500 for the national conference or full admission to this year’s CTAMFT conference!…

Pamela N. Griffin established a trust to award scholarships to MFT students entering the field of Marriage and Family Therapy.  The intent of the scholarship is to support students wishing to attend CTAMFT, AAMFT and other conferences.

The amount to be awarded will be $1,250 per year, and distributed in two ways:

1. One (1) award of $500.00 for the AAMFT National Conference (or another MFT conference of applicant’s preference).
2. Five (5) awards of $150 to one student member from each MFT program in CT (i.e., one student will be selected from each of the following programs: SCSU, UConn, University of Saint Joseph, CCSU and Fairfield University) to attend CTAMFT’s annual two-day conference.

To receive awarded funds, recipients must submit proof of conference attendance (i.e., proof of registration and attendance).

Application Criteria and Procedures:

• Applicant must be a current MFT student in a Connecticut MFT program.
• Applicant must be an AAMFT Student Member (must submit AAMFT ID# on application).
• Applicant must have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher (must submit scan or photocopy of current transcript or written proof from Department Chair or Faculty Supervisor).
• Applicant must complete Pamela N. Griffin Award Application Form.
• Applicant must submit a brief essay (250 words max.) describing goals as a future MFT and how the conference will enhance that goal.
• Applicant must receive a signature on the application form from their MFT Program Director or MFT faculty member.
• Final award will be made upon proof of registration and attendance to Conference (local or national).

Selection Process:

• The $500 award will be selected via a lottery, drawn at random by CTAMFT’s Board of Directors.
• For each of the $150 scholarship awards, one student from each of the five MFT programs in CT will be selected by lottery, drawn at random by CTAMFT’s Board of Directors.

Submit applications electronically to manager@ctamft.org.

Student Committee Corner!

by Jessica Floyd, Student Representative and Mika Vinci, Student Consultant
CTAMFT Student Committee (students@ctamft.org) 

Welcome to CTAMFT’s first Student Committee Corner! Student Committee Corner is a new column in our newsletter aimed at giving our student membership information that’s relevant to you and your studies.

As we look forward to 2014, we are pleased to share some of the goals CTAMFT’s Student Committee has set for the coming year.

A large priority for us is to increase awareness of events, including workshops and lectures, at schools throughout the State where CTAMFT student members can attend, learn and network. A new page has been added to the “Students” section of the Website titled, “Student Events.”

Second, we are pleased to share that due to popular demand, the Student Committee will be bringing back CTAMFT’s student dinner on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at the Trumbull Marriott – in conjunction with CTAMFT’s 2014 Annual Conference. We will also be giving you the opportunity to network at this dinner with potential job contacts. Be sure to save the date and stay tuned for more information!

Finally, please note that CTAMFT has a Student Committee member located at each of the MFT programs throughout the State. Please feel free to reach out to your school’s contact with questions or suggestions for us at any time.

• Fairfield University: Trina Wong , Mika Vinci
• University of Saint Joseph: Miranda Hughes , Laura Filloramo
• CCSU: Veronica Rodriguez , Jessica Floyd
• UConn: Elizabeth Rivera
• Southern: Guy Orly
• Capella: Jacquelynn Russo-Boudinot