Welcome to the section of the SVC-CAMFT newsletter, Legal Beagle written by Darlene Davis, LMFT. The chapter thought it would be helpful to keep you updated on new laws, legislative pursuits or actions, as well as ongoing legal and ethical dilemmas we all face in our career as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Interns, and Trainees. Please feel free to ask questions that you have and I will do my best to investigate and post your answer in the newsletter. Please note that articles are based on information from CAMFT and/or the BBS and have been researched to the best of my ability. This is not meant to be legal advice.  Please contact CAMFT or Board of Behavioral Sciences for any legal matters you need assistance for.

BBS Update – Meeting Thursday, August 22, 2013

Below are some of the highlights of the BBS meeting that I thought you might be interested in.

Processing Times:

MFT Intern application is taking 26 days

LMFT Examination is taking 202 days

LCSW Examination is taking 200 days

LEP Examination is taking 62 days

BreEZe Update:

Below is the current timeline for BreEZe “Go Live” date:

·       Early September 2013 – All release boards/bureaus must complete and cease all cashiering transactions on a date specified by the BreEZe team. Cashiering transactions will resume after BreEZe goes live.

·       Early September 2013 - All remaining DCA boards/bureaus must complete and cease cashiering transactions on a date specified by the BreEZe team. Cashiering transactions will resume after BreEZe goes live.

·       Mid-September 2013 –DOJ fingerprint processing for all DCA boards/bureaus will cease on a date specified by the BreEZe team. Fingerprint processing will resume after BreEZe goes live.

·       Mid-September 2013– All exam eligibility transactions to the testing vendor must be completed by

1:00 pm on a date specified by the BreEZe team. Exam eligibility transactions to the vendor will resume after BreEZe goes live.

·       Mid-September 2013 – Five days prior to “Go Live” all current systems (ATS/CAS) will be down.

·       Mid-September 2013 –Five days prior to “Go Live” the last licensing print file will be submitted to EDD. Printing of licenses and registrations will resume after BreEZe goes live. The Board will use the new print vendor Metro to print its licenses and registrations.

·       Mid-September 2013– On line license verification will reflect status as of mid-September (date cashiering transactions cease). On line license verification with updated licensing information will resume after BreEZe goes live.

·       1 day prior to “Go Live” – Staff verifies data conversion occurred, data is correct, and the data system performs as expected. Staff will indicate “Go” or “No Go” based on their verification. Release one testers may arrive at DCA offices as soon as the BreEZe team notifies the tester the system is ready for verification. Verification must be completed within the time period specified by the BreEZe team.

·       BreEZe “Go Live” date - Data system is operational and business will resume. If a “No Go” status is determined, BreEZe will not be operational and existing data systems will be restored at a time specified by the BreEZe team and DCA.

On the “Go Live” date, the online complaint feature will be available immediately. The online renewal feature will be implemented at a later date.

It should be noted that during the transition phase there are a series of milestones that must be reached in order to “Go Live” with the BreEZe system. If a milestone is not met, a decision to “go” or “no go” will be made by the BreEZe team and DCA.

What does this mean to you? If you are up for licensing renewal you might want to submit your application now. BBS will process all renewals prior to the shut-down of the cashiering office. If you submit during the shut-down period your application will not be processed until the “Go Live” is implemented. Renewal notices are sent out 100 days prior to your license expiration date.

Other procedural operations will also be shut-down for a period of approximately 5 days.

LPCC Grandparenting update:

Current California licensed LMFT’s and LMFT’s that submitted applications to be grandfathered in – 2,196 of which 70% have been processed (this means the applications have been determined to either be eligible for licensing or have sent letters of deficiencies. Non-California licensed applications – 1,236 all have been processed. There have been 458 LPCC licenses granted so far.

CEU Provider processing:

For the past 18 months, the Board has undergone an extensive committee process to revise its regulations related to continuing education (CE). The resulting proposed regulations remove the Board’s authority to directly approve and license CE providers. Instead, the Board will recognize “approval agencies” that have already established stringent requirements for CE providers. The Board will also recognize a limited number of entities as CE providers, allowing these named entities to offer CE courses directly to Board licensees without approval from an approval agency.

The Board approved a 6 month “Phase In” to allow current CEU providers to apply to the new approval agencies during their renewal period once the regulation is approved and the 6 month period has lapsed. No renewals will be honored after January 1 2015. An example: I am a current CEU provider approved by the BBS. The legislation gets approved July 2014. My 2 year renewal begins November 2014. I have until my current CEU provider registration expires to apply to one of the new CEU approval agencies (which CAMFT will be one of them).

DSM V Update:

The DSM V diagnostic criteria will be implemented into the LMFT, LCSW, and LPCC tests beginning July 2014. Please note the State of California and the Counties in California have not adopted the DSM V as of yet.

Legislature Updates:

I have listed only the Bills that have been signed into law by the Governor as to minimize confusion.

SB 282 (Yee): Confidential Medical Information: Required Authorization to Disclose

This bill would extend a provision in law, currently in place for physicians and surgeons, to marriage and family therapists. The provision requires that a patient’s demand for settlement or offer to compromise, be accompanied by authorization to disclose medical information to the insuring or defending organization.

At its May 23, 2013 meeting, the Board adopted a “support if amended” position on this bill, and requested that the Board’s other license types be included.

Status: This bill has been signed into law by the Governor. (Chapter 58, Statutes of 2013)

Darlene Davis, LMFT
Executive Director HOPE; Healthy Outcomes for Personal Enrichment
MFT Stipend Coordinator for Greater Sacramento
Instructor of University of Phoenix
www.darlenedavismft.com
www.hope-counselingcenter.org

Topic 1: Expanding Your Private Practice - Hiring and Supervising Interns by Deborah Cohen, LMFT

Deborah Cohen, LMFT gave an informative presentation on how to expand your private practice by hiring interns.  Deborah has supervised successful Interns in a fee-for-service private practice for the past eight years. She discussed the multiple benefits to hiring MFT Interns in your private practice such as increased income, enjoyment of teaching, the opportunity to attract more fee-for-service clients, and much more.  Although the experience can be very rewarding, she also recognizes that hiring and supervising interns can be stressful without proper planning and management.  Deborah reviewed how to prepare your private practice for Interns by setting up websites, and securing office space.  She reviewed business management, BBS and other legal requirements, and the interviewing process.  MFT Interns in her practice also spoke about how seamless the process was for them and how much they enjoy and appreciate the opportunity.  The workshop was very informative and inspiring and sparked the interest of several licensed individuals eager to expand their practice.  Deborah will be offering a conference call series that provides a step-by-step process for a full-proof plan to get Intern(s) hired and up and running.  She is also offering ongoing support for successful private practice for supervisors and  interns, including a support network for other private practice supervisors (for more info click here) .  If you would like to learn more about these exciting opportunities, contact Deborah Cohen, LMFT at  debcohen@hotmail.com  and 916 491-1216. 

Topic 2: Overview of Affect Centered Therapy (ACT) by John Omaha Ph.D.

Dr. John Omaha, an innovator in the field of emotion regulation, gave an engaging two-hour workshop on Affect Centered Therapy (ACT) at our June Breakfast meeting.  ACT is a psychotherapeutic orientation that addresses the root cause of much psychopathology: emotion dysregulation and the personality structures that have emerged to deal with overwhelming, unresolved emotions. Dr. Omaha taught us about the three components of the etiology of psychopathology – the genetic component, the attachment component, and childhood socioemotional history, including trauma and adversity. An important part of Affect Centered Therapy is assisting the clients in creating a safe place to retreat and a container for every disturbing thing in their lives.  He also discussed how to help client create a "traumafor" a metaphor for the trauma with the objective of uncovering the childhood relationship that is like the current relationship to the traumafor.  He used the example of a client with a binge eating disorder.  The client uses food to manage her anger. Her relationship to food is similar to her relationship with her mother.  Through processing, she was able to uncover and work through a scene at the age of 5 when her mother chose her career over caring for her.  This information is used to apply ACT interventions and other therapeutic modalities to resolving deficit, adversity and trauma.  Omaha has researched and applied ACT to treatment of OCD, eating disorders, addictions and alcoholism, Crohn’s Disease, sexual compulsivity disorders, mood disorders, and personality disorders.  It was a compeling workshop that left the audience eager for more training on the subject. SVC-CAMFT is considering bringing Dr. Omaha back to conduct comprehensive 2-day workshops in Sacramento.  To learn more visit http://www.johnomahaenterprises.com/

Submitted by
Tracy Thomas

Date: Friday, September 20, 2013 from 9:30 to Noon - Networking Event 1 - 4pm (see info below General Meeting Info for more details)

Location: University of Phoenix, 2860 Gateway Oaks Drive, Sacramento 95833 (Map)

Speaker: Karen McCall

Topic:  Money Disorders: How to Identify and Change Self-Sabotaging Money Behaviors

Do some of your clients struggle with money problems? Or maybe they have a chronic money disorder – like overspending, under-earning or chronic debt -  that’s preying on their mental health and overall quality of life?

In this workshop, you will learn how to identify and address money disorders and other self-defeating money behaviors that can cripple your clients’ ability to progress and heal in therapy. We will cover:

• §  How to recognize the symptoms of money disorders.
• §  The Money Life Drain and its effect on your clients’ self-esteem, confidence and ability to heal.
• §  The intimate connection between shame and deprivation.
• §  How to work with issues of compulsive spending, chronic debt, under-earning and managing inherited wealth.
• §  The most effective process for transforming money disorders into lifelong financial health and well-being.

As the founder of the Financial Recovery Institute, Karen McCall has revolutionized the financial counseling industry by teaching people how to break free of the beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that keep them stuck in a self-defeating relationship with money. She has trained hundreds of health care professionals and entrepreneurs in how to build a lucrative and rewarding career by helping people transform their relationship with money. To find out more about Karen, her book Financial Recovery: Developing a Healthy Relationship with Money or the Financial Recovery Counselor Training, please visit her website at: financialrecovery.com

We encourage early registration as space is limited.

  Click here to register.

Cost: Pre-register: $15 stu/interns, $20 SVC-CAMFT memb, $30 non-memb., +$5 "at-door" registration. Inclu. Cont brkfst. & 2 CEUs. No cc's at door. Reserv req'd by September 17th -Laura (916) 350-1577, email:membership@sacramentovalleycamft.org or reg,pay, directions at http://www.sacramentovalleycamft.org 

Reservations required: You can register and pre-pay online at www.sacramentovalleycamft.org, or contact Laura Frederick at (916) 350-1577 or email membership@sacramentovalleycamft.org to register and pay at the door. Please help us contain the cost of presentations by making reservations in a timely manner (by Tuesday before the meeting). This is much appreciated.

*Disclaimer: University of Phoenix is a trade name and registered trademark of the Apollo Group, Inc. Its use herein by SVC- CAMFT to identify the event location is not intended to imply affiliation with, sponsorship or endorsement of the event by University of Phoenix or Apollo Group, Inc.

ASSESSMENT, INTERVENTION, and CO-MORBIDITIES

Date: October 25, 26, and 27, 2013

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: University of Phoenix, 2860 Gateway Oaks Drive, Room 301, Sacramento, CA  95833

Special Discounted Price: $650

Prerequisite: Level 1

$75 Discount for the Level 1 Home Study DVD Training (Reg. $299)

Deepen your understanding of Gottman Method Couples Therapy and expand your strategies and interventions in your work with couples!

In this workshop, you will: 

• Refine your clinical skills
• Learn to internalize and integrate the powerful, research-based Gottman Method Assessment and Intervention techniques.
• Gain insight as to when to use these methods and when couples therapy is contraindicated.
• Become skilled in using our Level II Clinical Manual which now includes revised Gottman Core Assessments, Gottman Supplemental Assessments and more than 50 Gottman Interventions

Participants will be able to:

• Assess a couple’s “Friendship Profile,” “Conflict Profile,” and “Shared Meanings Profile.”
• Develop interventions that couples can use as antidotes to the “Four Horsemen.”
• Help couples to soothe physiological flooding.
• Apply six modes of changing the “Attack/Defend System” in a couple’s interactions.
• Assist couples in establishing dialogue about their grid-locked conflicts.
• Select and implement interventions to help couples deepen their “Friendship System” with rituals of connection.
• Select and implement interventions to help couples create a shared system of values and meaning
• Identify and implement five different co-morbidities common to couples using Gottman Couples Therapy Assessment and Intervention

ADVANCED RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: Limited enrollment, so be sure to register early. Please register and prepay online at www.sacramentovalleycamft.org or contact Laura Frederick at (916) 350-1577 or email membership@sacramentovalleycamft.org to register and mail your payment.  Registration and Payment is due by September 15, 2013.

Click here to Register for this Event.

On Saturday, September 28, 2013, Sacramento Valley Chapter of CAMFT will participate in the 4rd Annual Run For Courage 5k and 10k run in Folsom, CA and we need your support! We want to make a difference and be a visible resource in the mental health needs of our community.

Run For Courage exists to raise awareness about the rapidly growing crime of sex trafficking in the United States.  Official estimates place the number of at risk youth between 100,000 and 300,000 in the U.S. alone.  The average age of these victims is 13--the age of a typical 7th grader.  This crime crosses all economic, social and racial boundaries.  In the past three years, Run For Courage raised over $300,000 to help organizations whose programs restore these young survivors.



As mental health professionals, we are involved with Run For Courage because we want to help make a difference in these survivor's lives, most of who have no voice in society.  They desperately need us.  Please help us by supporting this wonderful mission!

To make a donation on our behalf or join our team, go to: http://runforcourage.org. You may click on either “Join a Team” or “Donate”, then search for the team by name “Sacramento Valley Chapter CAMFT”. Help us reach our goal for and run or walk on September 28. 

You can always come cheer us on at the Folsom Parkway Trails at 8:00 am or join us in a “virtual run/walk”.  There will be numerous vendors, sponsors, music and others present with food, services, information and games. Don’t miss it!



Thank you so much for your support. For more information contact Eva Tak – 916-790-4057

Run For Courage, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to combating the crime of sex trafficking. For more information, www.runforcourage.org

Carol has been greeting and feeding you at our monthly training meetings for the past two years as Hospitality Co-Chair. She will be leaving this position to serve her 11^th military assignment. In October Carol will join with Magellan Behavioral Health in the Military Family Life Counseling Program. She will serve this post at Beale Air Force Base for six months.

Carol is a long time SVC-CAMFT member. She joined the Board of Directors two years ago as Hospitality Co-Chair. We have appreciated her dedication and commitment greatly, and will miss her energy and organizational talents.

Best wishes Carol in your new endeavor.

Be where the action is!  Make our chapter the best we can be!  Join our board!

The hospitality co-chair is jointly responsible (with the other hospitality co-chair) for the registration for meetings and if agreed upon trainings. They will coordinate food, materials, and equipment as needed at registration desk and to support the needs of the meeting.  The hospitality co-chairs  are responsible for collecting and transferring of monies collected at meetings. 

Please contact president@sacramentovalleycamft.org if you are interested.

The views expressed in the Special Feature Articles do not necessarily reflect the Sacramento Valley Chapter of CAMFT or CAMFT. They should be understood as the personal opinions of the author. No information in this articles will be understood as official.  Other views and commentary are welcome and will be published as long as they are respectful and stick to the topic.

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