AAMFT Restructure Vote Results Are In

Dear Connecticut Membership;

The results are in from AAMFT’s recent call for partial by-law changes that would include eliminating the state divisions.

The vote DID NOT PASS. This means the vote to eliminate the state divisions did not pass. The result percentages per state were published, and in CT, we were very close to 50% in favor of keeping the CT division intact; while 50% voted for elimination of divisions. Many of the other states were either slightly or significantly in favor of the change, and a few states were strongly opposed. We do not know the total number of voters per state, so we do not yet know what percentage of the CT membership that voted. We do know that AAMFT needed a 2/3 vote (66.6%) to pass and only received 61%.

What does this mean for us here in CT? For now, it means that nothing changes in terms of how your dues are distributed, including day-to-day operations of the Connecticut division. We do anticipate that AAMFT will have a backup plan, which we expect to hear more about at this year’s national conference in Austin, Texas next week, September 3-6, 2015. I am pleased to represent you, along with several of our Board members, as well as our Student Representative. We will gather as much information as possible and share it with you after reviewing at our next Board meeting on September 11, 2015 at Fairfield University.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to talk to all of us on the Board and who contributed to the rich discussions and provided feedback. Thank you for taking the time to vote on this important topic.

Warm regards for a happy fall, and I will be in touch soon.

Kindly,
Heather Ehinger
President, CTAMFT

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.

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.

2014 CTAMFT Annual Conference – Become a Sponsor!

image courtesy Playlist.com

Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities

Would you like to feature your practice or business to a highly targeted audience of practitioners, including MFTs, Clinical Social Workers, PhDs, PsyDs, and Professional Counselors?

Becoming a sponsor of the 2014 CTAMFT Annual Conference: The New Brain Science of Connection, or advertising in the conference program, is a fantastic way to reach this audience!

For more information about this year’s conference, including sponsorship/vendor/advertising opportunities, please download the information sheet.

And as always, please feel free to contact our Association Manager, Shannon, for further questions.

Annual Conference Recap and 2014 Save-the-Date

Late this past April, hundreds of us gathered together at the Mystic Marriott for our 2013 CTAMFT Annual Conference; “Healing Through Family Therapy.” We shared time learning, acknowledging colleagues, networking, and having great fun! This was the second year of an extended offering and the first time regionalization efforts resulted in a conference that was coordinated with our neighboring divisions, this year being Rhode Island division. We also had two keynote presenters, Dr. Kenneth Hardy and Dr. Eliana Gil, both of whom provided excellent learning opportunities. Much of the presentation material is available online at ctamft.org. We are also working on offering a couple of the workshop presentations for continuing educational opportunities through video downloads to those who were unable to attend and are interested in the topics. We will provide more details on those offerings soon.

All whom were in attendance at this year’s conference had the honor of witnessing a very special award presented to our colleague and friend Nelba L. Márquez-Greene, LMFT. Nelba, in the midst of personal tragedy and sorrow at the loss of her daughter, Ana Grace, has been a strong and vocal advocate for the need of a focus upon nurturing and supporting family wellness along the entire continuum of American families, from urban to suburban settings. Speaking as an MFT, Nelba has raised awareness of the unique and relevant role MFTs play in this important social endeavor. She has served CTAMFT as a former board member and has contributed to the professional conversation through her work which outlines the importance of inclusion of cultural diversity as an essential lens in training and service provision. It is with great respect and admiration that CTAMFT presented Nelba Márquez-Greene the “Service to Families” Award in recognition of her advocacy efforts in the support of family wellness and the role MFTs play in contributing to the greater good of children and families.

Another acknowledgement for “Service to the Organization” was presented to Wendy Haggerty, Association Manager of CTAMFT. In her three years of service to CTAMFT, Wendy has brought to the organization a sophisticated degree of organizational development, marketing and event planning expertise, a deep understanding of working with the unique structure and goals of a professional membership organization, and a warm hearted diplomacy in her interactions on a state and national level.

Our Pamela Griffin Student Scholarship Awards were also presented during the conference and we congratulated Sarah Brixner (Southern Connecticut State University) and Trina Wong (Fairfield University) as recipients of the local scholarship awards this year. We are also pleased to have awarded Laura Filloramo (University of Saint Joseph) the scholarship to attend the AAMFT Annual Conference happening later this year.

We would like to take this time to acknowledge our 2013 Conference Committee who did exceptional work to deliver this year’s Annual Conference. The Committee succeeded in delivering two very organized and delightful days. The dates, location and overall theme have been confirmed for our 2014 Annual Conference. Please mark your calendars for April 24-25, 2014 for “Innovations in Marriage & Family Therapy” to be held at the Trumbull Marriott.

Changes in Connecticut

We are re-posting Dorothy’s President’s Letter, recently featured in the Connecticut Connection, to better ensure that all members learn about the changes in store for CTAMFT.

_________________________________________________

Dear Members,

We all understand that change is inevitable and even though change has always been a part of life it seems that change is happening faster than ever before. Being able to adapt and respond effectively in a constantly changing world has become a necessary skill. How we respond to change is a funny thing. When we initiate change we may view it as stimulating and full of opportunities. When change is imposed on us, our experience is likely to be quite different.

“The Drama of Opposites” written by Charlette Mikulka, a presenter at our upcoming 2013 Annual Conference, helps to illustrate this point in family life. The changes and “growth” of our professional association also demonstrates this to us as a group. So what types of changes are we referring to now you may be asking yourself?

A significant change that has been determined by the Board to be important in adapting to the changing times, as well as being fiscally responsible, is the elimination of future printings of the newsletter. Communication platforms have shifted so significantly over the last two years and we believe that we can reach our members most efficiently and effectively in an electronic format. Even Newsweek magazine has recently announced that they will publish their final print edition December 31st, as they go completely digital in 2013. We have already been publishing a Monthly E-News and our plans include enhancement of this communications vehicle as we move ahead.

Another change that is underway is the offering of a new marketing/advertising program that provides an opportunity for members and other organizations promoting workshops and trainings to gain inclusion on our website and reach members via email with a Listserv package. This is in part due to diminishing income from individuals seeking MFT CEUs for workshops, a change that has been occurring over time due to many providers choosing to offer just NASW CEUs, which meet the requirements for MFTs as well. This new program will go into effect as of January 1st, 2013, and will include the limiting of Listserv postings that are advertising directly to members for workshops and trainings to those that have either contributed via applying for MFT CEUs or have taken advantage of the new marketing/advertising program.

A final note on change has to do with our 2013 Annual Conference on April 25-26. Following a year of engaging our neighboring divisions in discussion about collaborating for growth opportunities, the Rhode Island division has elected to join us in hosting an expanded conference offering. Our upcoming conference will encompass two days and feature multiple popular presenters including: Dr. Kenneth Hardy, Dr. Eliana Gil and Charlette Mukulka. There will be new social and networking opportunities along with special offers from the Mystic Marriott to enhance your visit and encourage overnight stays. We will also offer multiple ticketing options to accommodate various needs. Further details and registration will be available soon.

On a closing note, I would like to remind members that one way to accept change more readily is to be a part of it and understand all that goes into the decisions that are being made on behalf of the organization. We are actively recruiting at this time for committee involvement and hope that you will consider getting involved. Some of our more active committees include: Membership, Annual Conference, Professional Development, Ethics, the Student Committee and the Legislative Task Force. For further information please email us at manager@ctamft.org.

-Best Regards, Dorothy Timmermann, LMFT

Letter from the President – We’re Back in Action!

Dorothy Timmermann, LMFT, CTAMFT Board President

Welcome back to the CTAMFT E-News following our two months summer hiatus. We hope that everyone has gotten a chance to enjoy a bit of summer relaxation time.

Your Board of Directors is back in action after meeting a couple weeks ago for the purpose of orienting the new members and staff. I’d like to officially welcome our new Board Members: Normajean Cefarelli (Clinical Fellow), Betsey Lebow (Clinical Fellow), Jeffrey Schutz (Pre-Clinical Fellow) and Michelle “Mika” Vinci (Student Representative). Their enthusiasm for serving our organization is very exciting.

We have also transitioned our Newsletter staff and would like to introduce Colleen LaFrancois as our new CTAMFT Newsletter Editor, along with John Suchocki as our Clinical Consultant & Contributing Writer. Colleen is a former Corporate Vice President of Marketing who now owns and operates LaFrancois Marketing Consultants, a full-service marketing, PR and events firm based in Old Saybrook. Colleen offers exceptional writing, editing, verbal and presentation skills. Colleen’s true passion is working with non-profit groups to help creatively solve problems and develop exciting programs and products. This role with CTAMFT is a perfect blend of her interests and skill set, and the organization’s needs. John will work with Colleen to provide clinical expertise and be an ongoing contributing writer for the Newsletter. John has been licensed as a Marital and Family Therapist since 1998, holding several progressively responsible positions in the field. Currently, he is a Service Director at Community Health Resources in Manchester, CT where he manages several outpatient and community in-home clinical programs for youth and families. John is also the co-founder and co-director of a private practice (Life Counseling, LLC) that offers counseling services for youth, adults, couples, and families, supervision for therapists, and consultation services.

Please take a moment to read this E-News in its entirety. There is information regarding an upcoming Professional Development offering on “Social Media” as well as a Save-the-Date for our 2013 Annual Conference. A Call for Submissions for the next Newsletter is also included. In addition to articles reflecting the theme of “Technology and Your Practice,” we are inviting you to contribute member announcements such as professional accomplishments and milestones, interesting news items, responses to previously published articles and Letters to the Editor. Finally there is a note in remembrance of Jane Lobdell, a member who passed this summer but lives in the hearts and memories of many in our community.

2013 Annual Conference Save-the-Date

CTAMFT is excited to announce the expansion of our 2013 Annual Conference to include the Rhode Island Division and a two-day event that will begin in the afternoon Thursday, April 25th through Friday, April 26th; once again at the beautiful Mystic Marriott. With a focus on Family Therapy: Working with Children and Adolescents, we are finalizing our agreements to welcome Dr. Eliana Gil and Dr. Kenneth Hardy as our two keynote speakers. Single day admission will be available in addition to the full conference admission to offer flexibility to attendees. We do hope that many will plan ahead and share extended time with fellow CTAMFT members and other guests including our neighbors from RIAMFT. More details will be available soon.

Letter from the President—Spring Ahead!

Spring Ahead!

Dorothy Timmermann, LMFT, CTAMFT Board President

Mystic Marriott

Spring is a time when the energy around us seems to be renewed and our work often benefits from that collective energy. Your CTAMFT Board and Staff find ourselves moving at a fast pace with multiple priorities and exciting happenings. You have already heard much about this year’s Spring Conference and we are excited to report that we already have over 100 of our members registered to join us! We will kick-off the conference on Thursday evening with “Innovations that Work,” a special regional networking event with our AAMFT colleagues Tracy Todd, Director of Professional and Public Affairs, and Past President Linda Schwallie. Later that evening we are offering a free movie screening of the new documentary film, “After Happily Ever After”, a funny and thought-provoking look at what drives most Americans to marry in a lifetime and how some of them make marriage work. John Gottman, Betsey Stevenson and Stephanie Coontz all weigh in on the subject, along with an engaging group of long married couples. Spend the night at the beautiful Mystic Marriott and wake up refreshed for the Spring Conference on Friday, April 20th, 2012.

Also during this time of year, AAMFT hosts the Spring Leadership Conference and once again Connecticut will send delegates to participate on our behalf. Meetings have been set with key legislators on Capitol Hill with an emphasis placed on parity and gaining Medicare coverage for services provided by MFTs. A critical meeting will also take place with AAMFT to discuss the possibility of elimination of the USDE requirement for COAMFT accreditation and how that will need to be worked on a local level. Other local legislative issues are also at the forefront of our work and we will continue to update you all on issues and progress along the way.

Each spring, the CTAMFT Elections Committee is also busy seeking candidates to serve us in numerous Board of Director positions. Shortly you will be receiving E-Voting information so that you can help elect those positions in your member category. We are enthused about this year’s quality candidates and excited about welcoming new members to the Board.

So let’s all spring ahead together! Thank you for your continued support and involvement with CTAMFT.

Enhance Your Value as a Knowledge Worker
Macdara MacColl, CTAMFT Editor

You may have heard the phrase many times: Knowledge Economy. People from President Obama to elementary school teachers have adopted the mantra that we must prepare ourselves to compete in a Knowledge Economy. What you may not have realized is that you, as a marriage and family therapist, are already a knowledge worker in that vibrant economy. Think about it: as MFTs, the coin of our realm is knowledge—our training and experiential knowledge that allows us to work with the myriad constrains and challenges facing our clients.

As clinicians, you also know that your knowledge is not fixed. You didn’t stop learning once you gained your degree or license. On the contrary, those achievements marked a beginning of your growth and development. You’ve been innovating every day of your professional life—trying new interventions, shifting your therapeutic stance, collaborating with different systems.

In a Knowledge Economy, innovation is crucial. But so is collaboration. In fact, the economist who first proposed the idea of a Knowledge Society, Peter Drucker, articulated a radical idea when he first wrote about the topic in the 1950s. In a traditional capitalist economy, competition is key. Businesses jealously guard their secrets. But in a Knowledge Economy, Drucker argued, collaboration is as important as competition. We must share our knowledge and insights because shared innovations beget more innovations. When we share what we know, we all benefit.

“[I]n a knowledge economy we have a world that revolves around the trading of ideas, knowledge and innovative insights,” said Ron Young, Chief Knowledge Officer of Knowledge Associates International Ltd.

CTAMFT Networking

On Thursday April 19, CTAMFT clinicians have an opportunity to enhance their value as Knowledge Workers and increase the value of our profession as a whole by participating in “Innovations that Work,” an evening of collaboration and sharing of our knowledge.

Join us at the Mystic Marriott and share what’s worked in your practice; what interventions have you created; what collaborations with schools or mental health providers or businesses have enhanced your systemic reach; what marketing techniques have brought clients through your door. As Knowledge Workers, we all benefit from shared innovation, so join us for a rich and rewarding evening of information and inspiration.

 

Promote Your Practice at the Annual Conference

image courtesy Playlist.com

We are very excited to present this year’s CTAMFT Annual Conference, April 20th at the Mystic Marriott with keynote Michele Weiner-Davis, internationally renowned relationship expert. We also have wonderful afternoon speakers including: Dr. Tammy Nelson, sex & relationship expert, and Dr. Rosalyn Dischiavo, founder of the Institute for Sexuality Education, Enrichment & Enlightenment. There will be a Self-Care presentation midday with Dr. Krista Wells, plus the Poster Session and a NEW Career Fair. There is an opportunity to earn 7 CEUs for the day. We anticipate a great crowd this year.

We are seeking those who may be interested in promoting their practice, agency and/or services directly to the attendees. We have a special offer for those specifically providing services to couples to sponsor a table at our luncheon with your business name or logo and a brief synopsis of your offerings that will be marketed through signage on the tables. This table sponsorship will also include a business-sized ad in our Conference Program. We have a limited number available so this is offered on a first-come basis and the cost is $95.

Please email Wendy Haggerty for further details. Also attached you will find other opportunities to promote your business at the Annual Conference.

For more info & online registration, please visit CTAMFT.org

Thank you,
the 2012 Annual Conference Committee

Don’t Miss Out!!

Remember that today is the last day for early bird pricing for this year’s Annual Conference in Mystic, CT. It’s a beautiful location for a superb learning experience. Clinical members, come Thursday April 19th for the “Innovations That Work” networking event. Mingle with local and national members and get the $149 room rate for the night so you’re up fresh and early for the Conference on April 20th.

Students, take advantage of this reduced rate and don’t miss out on the Career Fair, being held for the first time this year. There is also a FREE Student Networking Event from 5-7pm on Friday following the conference.

Questions? Contact us by email.