AMHCA NEWS

Dr. Gray Otis is AMHCA President-Elect - Click here for more information.

Reach Out to Aid Workers in Haiti
through AMHCA's Partnership with Give an Hour Network

Dear Chapter Leaders and Members,

As you may be aware, AMHCA has partnered with Give an Hour™ (www.giveanhour.org), a national nonprofit organization providing free counseling and other mental health services to members of the military, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their families, and their communities.

In response to the tragedy in Haiti, Give an Hour™ will also be offering free mental health services to all volunteers serving in Haiti, including civilians, military personnel, and loved ones of those who volunteer. Thousands of military personnel and civilian aid workers are responding to the crisis, and many will face psychological effects from dealing with such horrific circumstances. Moreover, these personnel left their families and their lives at home quickly and so families may be having a difficult time adjusting to the separation as well.

While there are more than 4,600 mental health professionals on the network nationwide, there is a critical shortage in many areas, particularly in the communities surrounding our military installations. As we raise awareness about the psychological issues surrounding combat and deployment, more people are seeking services through Give an Hour™.

Give an Hour™ is an important and well respected organization, filling a critical need. If you are willing to volunteer one hour a week (for a minimum of one year) to help our military men and women and their families heal from wartime service or to help our fellow citizens who are providing humanitarian relief in Haiti, please join the Give an Hour network.

Registration is quick and easy. Log on to www.giveanhour.org and click on "Providers." Please spread the word to your colleagues.

Also, for quick access to information about relief efforts, we have provided a link to the Red Cross from our homepage, www.amhca.org.

Sincerely,

Linda Barclay, Ph.D. LPCC/S LICDC NCC
AMHCA President

Your Profession

Church Attendance Sharply Cuts Risk of Death for Post-Menopausal Women
A new study of nearly 100,000 post-menopausal women strongly suggests that regular attendance at religious services reduces the risk of death by approximately 20 percent. Participants in the study spanned numerous religious denominations.
> Read more

Healing Combat Trauma Without Drugs
The Center for Mind-Body Medicine wins a Department of Defense grant to study methods for treating PTSD and major depression in returning veterans, using a seven-step, non-pharmaceutical approach described in the book Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression.
> Read more
> Learn about the Center for Mind-Body Medicine  

Media Violence Cited as 'Critical Risk Factor'
for Teen Aggression
You are what you watch, when it comes to violence in the media and its influence on violent behavior in young people, according to a Rutgers study. Even when other factors are considered, such as academic skills, encounters with community violence, or emotional problems, "childhood and adolescent violent media preferences contributed significantly to the prediction of violence and general aggression" in the study subjects.
> Read more

Your Practice

Listen to 1-Hour Talks About Ethical Issues, Life-Coaching, and Avoiding Mental Health Claims
Visitors to the online site for the Institute for Life-Coach Training can click any of six links to hear an hour-long discussion of the topic by the president and CEO of the Institute, along with the marketing manager of insurance company CPH & Associates. Topics include, "To Become Certified as a Coach: Necessary or Not?" "Understanding Liability Insurance," "Comparing and Contrasting Ethical Standards of Coaches and Therapists," "Risky Practice: Common Errors to Avoid," "Adding Coaching to Your Business in an Ethical and Clear Manner," and "Avoiding Liability: Common Claims in the Mental Health Field."
> Read more

What Mental Health Parity Means to Consumers 

Essential Learning congratulates everyone who participated in the political process to help pass the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. This historic legislation will truly make a difference in the lives of the consumers you serve by providing equitable insurance coverage for the treatment of mental health and addiction disorders that is on par with physical illnesses.

"As a company, we celebrate with you on this great accomplishment, and extend our warmest congratulations," said Susan Eskine, Essential Learning's CEO and Chief Development Officer, and Lorraine Watson, Ph.D., the company's President and COO. 

Learn about Essential Learning's new course, What Mental Health Parity Means to Consumers

Essential Learning hopes this brief course, along with its comprehensive course library with 78 new courses developed in 2008, helps build your knowledge and skills to provide the best possible treatment and services to the consumers you serve. E-learning not only saves you money on the cost of training, but makes learning more accessible and facilitates workforce development.

Visit the Essential Learning Web site
for more information about the company and complete course listings.

What’s New In The Insurance World
By Paul J. Spergel MA,LPC
NJCA Insurance Liaison

As you probably have heard, the parity law has passed the congress and we are now embarking on a new thinking when it comes to the topic of mental illness. This law changes the way we provide mental health treatment for our clients. The big question is “what does parity mean.” I am going to talk to you today about what this means for us and how it impacts our treatment of mental health services to our clients.

Click here for the full story.

Employment Opportunities
DoD Program Seeks Mental Health Counselors to Work with Military Families
Are you thinking about a change? Ready to move away from the traditional clinical hour? Can you see yourself learning military structure and working within that structure? Do you have a desire to travel to military installations—stateside and overseas—to support active-duty members, National Guard, and their families? Independently licensed mental health counselors are needed for the Military & Family Life Consultant (MFLC) Program. Driven by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the MFLC Program was created in 2004 to support service members and their families. MFLC services supplement existing counseling services on military installations. The role of the MFLC counselor is not a traditional counseling role. Rather, MFLCs offer confidential, informal support, outreach, problem-solving to military personnel and families—but this is not a clinical hour. Support may be provided in the form of individual coaching or in psychoeducational groups. Opportunities are available for both summer programs and as year-round consultants. Consultants generally work during business hours, but may be asked to respond after hours in urgent situations. Consultants have been placed in assignments throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, and the Pacific Rim, but consultants are not sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. The amount of time worked weekly varies according to assignment, but MFLCs on rotational assignments typically work full 40-hour weeks. When consultants travel to a distant location for an assignment and need to stay near the base, they are reimbursed for their travel, lodging, and meals. For assignments close to the practitioner’s home, a mileage reimbursement is available. Payment for rotational assignments (30 to 90 days, usually) and on-demand (1 to 3 days, usually weekends) assignments is based on $55/hour. Expertise with young children is required for assignments with MFLC Child and Youth Services, Summer Youth Programs. For more information about this important work, contact dod.inquiry@healthnet.com.

As a service to its members NJMHCA provides job postings in the field, but does not necessarily endorse all listed employers.