Mental Health Access and Provider Support Act (S.B. 4202 / H.R. 8081)
Mental health counselors are essential providers for Medicare beneficiaries, but current reimbursement rates limit access to care for older adults and individuals with disabilities.
We’re asking you to take a minute to make your voice heard.
The Mental Health Access and Provider Support Act (S.B. 4202 / H.R. 8081) would improve reimbursement rates and expand access to mental health services for underrepresented communities. Your outreach can help move this forward.
Thank you for advocating for the profession and the clients we serve,
NBCC Government Affairs Team
International Institute for the Advancement of Counseling Theory
Consider joining the International Institute for the Advancement of Counseling Theory (IIACT). Everything on IIACT’s website is FREE and includes such things as their quarterly newsletter, videos, research they’ve conducted, podcasts, access to books and videos, a theoretical orientation survey, and much more.
It’s all free and underwritten by my endowment. Please join and let others know about our institute.
NBCC Government Affairs Announcement
Attorneys general in 25 states and the District of Columbia recently joined litigation challenging the Department of Education’s RISE final rule and related federal student loan changes.
While the lawsuit broadly addresses the impact of these policies on students and states, we have an opportunity to help the attorneys general better understand the specific impact these changes may have on the Counseling profession, Counseling students, and access to behavioral health care in their states.
We are asking you to contact your corresponding attorney general’s office to:
- Thank them for joining the lawsuit
- Introduce yourself as Counseling professionals, students, or educators in the state
- Share personal experiences and perspectives from the Counseling field
- Help elevate the unique workforce and access-to-care concerns facing the Counseling profession
Thank Your Attorney General for Joining the Injunction Against the US Depart. of Ed's Reimaging and Improving Student Education (RISE) Final Rule
Attorneys general in 25 states and the District of Columbia recently joined litigation challenging the Department of Education’s RISE final rule and related federal student loan changes.(To find out if your state’s attorney general signed on, you will find a complete listing of the states signing on to the litigation at this link.
While the lawsuit broadly addresses the impact of these policies on students and states, we have an opportunity to help the attorneys general better understand the specific impact these changes may have on the Counseling profession, Counseling students, and access to behavioral health care in their states.
In cooperation with NBCC, ACES is asking you to contact your attorney general if they signed on to the litigation to:
- Thank them for joining the litigation
- Introduce yourself as a Professional Counselor, student or educator in their state
- Share personal experiences and perspectives from the Counseling field
- Help elevate the unique workforce and access-to-care concerns facing the Counseling profession
We strongly encourage you to personalize your message. Sharing your own experiences as a Counselor, Counseling student, educator or advocate can help your attorney general better understand how these policies impact the future Counseling workforce and the communities you serve.
You can utilize the NBCC VoterVoice system to easily send your message. You can access the VoterVoice at this link:
The RISE Model: A Culturally Adapted CBT Framework for Helping Clients Foster Resilience in the Political Climate
The RISE Model – Reframe, Integrate, Strengthen, and Establish – offers a culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and self-affirmation framework for addressing psychological distress rooted in political climates. Developed in response to heightened sociopolitical stress, particularly among Black and Brown communities, this framework bridges evidence-based practice with cultural and identity-affirming strategies. Drawing from qualitative insights, the model highlights how reframing thoughts in context, integrating cultural and spiritual strengths, strengthening community connections, and establishing coping boundaries can foster resilience and agency. A case illustration demonstrates the application of the model in therapy, showing meaningful improvements in anxiety reduction, cultural pride, and community re-engagement. Findings underscore the potential of the RISE Model as a creative intervention that transcends symptom reduction to function as cultural reclamation and collective healing.
ACA Responds to HHS Request for Information tied to Great American Recovery Initiative
On July 1, ACA submitted comments in response to the Department of Health and Human Services’ request for information for input on policy recommendations to strengthen prevention, treatment and recovery services for substance use disorders and mental illness.
ACA’s response focused on three policy proposals addressing the behavioral health workforce shortage, as we recognize the limited supply of mental health counselors and other behavioral health professionals available to meet the needs of people living in rural and underserved communities.
The first proposal recommended expanding the existing Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Professionals to establish a post-graduate behavioral health residency program that supports provisionally licensed counselors and other behavioral health professionals as they complete their required clinical hours. The second proposal focused on expanding the behavioral health workforce by adding counseling students to the existing National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program as they are currently excluded from the program’s eligibility requirements. The third proposal aimed to expand workforce capacity by allowing professional counselor licensure boards, the Counseling Compact and relevant state board associations to apply for funding through the Licensure Portability Grant Program (LPGP).
Together, these proposals would have a significant impact on the counseling profession by strengthening the pathway to independent licensure, helping to ensure that trained behavioral health professionals successfully enter the workforce, reducing financial barriers for counseling students to support degree completion and expanding the reach of licensed counselors to practice across state lines. These changes would reduce disparities and increase access to mental health and substance use disorder services in rural and underserved communities.
ACA will continue to respond to federal and other policy opportunities that improve counselors’ ability to ensure that individuals seeking mental health and substance use disorder treatment can access affordable, timely and clinically appropriate care in their communities.
If you would like to become involved in ACA’s advocacy efforts, contact us at .