Washington Mental Health Counselors Association

Insights Newsletter

April 2025

Table of Contents

• Building Belonging in a Time of Retreat: WMHCA’s Commitment to JEDI Values
• April is Diversity Month
  
• Policy and Professional Advocacy Committee Update
• Call for Proposals: Expanding Clinical Insight and Best Practices in Therapy
• WMHCA's New Member Referral Program

• Greenwood Center Social Connection Program

• Subscribe to WMHCA's Job Board
• Department of Health Update-HELMS

Building Belonging in a Time of Retreat: WMHCA’s Commitment to JEDI Values

Dear Members,

In a time when the very foundations of our field are being tested, I feel compelled to speak plainly and passionately about where we stand—and why it matters.

Recently, the American Psychological Association (APA) announced that it will no longer require the recruitment and retention of diverse staff and trainees as part of its accreditation process. This decision is not only disheartening—it is, in my view, a betrayal of the values we claim to hold as mental health professionals. At a moment when marginalized communities continue to experience disparities in access, representation, and care, this move signals a retreat from progress, and from justice.

This is not the direction our field should be moving in.

Cristina Louk, PhD, LMHC

WMHCA Conference Chair/

Professional Development & Education Committee Vice-Chair

April is Diversity Month

Embracing Diversity: A Path to Better Mental Health

April Diversity Month is a time to celebrate the rich tapestry of cultures, backgrounds, and experiences that make up our communities. For mental health professionals, this month offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the importance of diversity in mental health care and to promote practices that foster inclusivity and understanding.

The Importance of Diversity in Mental Health

Policy and Professional Advocacy Committee Update

We’re continuing to focus on the Washington State Legislative Session and are happy to report a big success.  On Monday, April 7^th, PPAC Chair Sharon Shadwell and WMHCA Executive Director Shannon Thompson joined Governor Ferguson as he signed HB 1190 into law.  This bill provides access to the Health Evidence Resource for Washington State (HEAL-WA) for Mental Health Counselor Associates as well as Psychological Associates.  We are continuing to work other bills but it looks like the insurance contracting fairness bill (HB 1589) is not moving forward in the Senate after a higher level of resistance than anticipated from the insurance companies.  We do feel good about getting this bill through the House this year and are already working on using the data we’ve collected through membership surveys to help build a case to hold insurance companies more accountable around contracting in the future.  Please let us know if you’d be interested in getting involved with PPAC. 

The Policy and Professional Advocacy Committee

Call for Proposals: Expanding Clinical Insight and Best Practices in Therapy 

WMHCA invites mental health professionals, researchers, and educators to submit workshop proposals for our upcoming professional development series. This year, we seek engaging and insightful workshops that explore key areas of therapeutic practice, clinical supervision, and emerging trends in mental health care.

We encourage proposals that highlight practical strategies, clinical interventions, and innovative approaches to treatment in the following focus areas:

More about the content areas we are looking for can be found HERE.

We invite proposals that include:

• Personal reflections and case studies from therapists in the field
• Evidence-based practices and clinical strategies
• Interactive exercises, worksheets, or hands-on tools for therapists
• Discussions on professional growth, self-care, and therapist well-being

By contributing to this event, you will help strengthen the professional community, foster inclusivity in therapeutic practice, and provide invaluable insights to clinicians navigating the evolving landscape of mental health care.

WMHCA will start to schedule the next round of proposals in the fall.  More information and the proposal application can be found on our website.

WMHCA's New Member Referral Program

At WMHCA, we believe our strongest advocates are our members—and we want to thank you for spreading the word! When you refer a colleague who becomes a new WMHCA member, you’ll receive a $10 credit toward any future WMHCA workshop.

It’s simple:

1. Invite a colleague to join WMHCA.

2. Make sure they list your name as the referral during sign-up.

3. Once their membership is confirmed, you’ll receive a $10 workshop credit.

There’s no limit—refer multiple colleagues and earn multiple credits! It’s our way of saying thank you for helping grow our community of dedicated mental health professionals.

Start referring today and invest in your professional development—on us!

*new student membership are not eligible for the referral program

Greenwood Center Social Connection Program

The Greenwood Senior Center is celebrating the fourth anniversary of its Social Connection Program. Lack of social connection has been shown to have the same negative health impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Roughly one third of U.S. adults ages 50-80 report feeling lonely, isolated, or both some of the time or often. Such concerns prompted the creation of the Social Connection Program. What started as a small project has grown into a full-fledged program with many offerings focused on increasing social connection among older adults. The program has a strong focus on helping people understand the underlying reasons for social isolation and loneliness. Some participants desire additional, ongoing counseling to supplement their program participation. Come join Teresa Tam, the Social Connection Program Coordinator, on May 27, 2025 @ 12:00 to learn more about the program and partnership possibilities as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State. REGISTER FOR INFO SESSION

Subscribe to WMHCA's Job Board

Did you know WMHCA has a job board?  All members can post to the job board for free.  In order to automatically get the postings from the job board you have to subscribe.  You can subscribe to the job board and check out the listings HERE.

The Washington State Department of Health announced the upcoming launch of a new licensing system for all health professionals and facilities in Washington the last week of April. The Health Enforcement and Licensing Management System (HELMS) will help create efficiencies, improve user experience, streamline processing, strengthen data access, and reduce paper-based activities. 

April Credentialing Freeze 

Ahead of the HELMS launch, all licensing and credentialing systems will be unavailable from, April 24, 2025, at 5 p.m. until the morning of Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

Anyone with an expiration date at the end of April should renew their license ahead of the credentialing freeze to avoid delays. 

What you need to know: 

• Renewals will not be processed between April 24-29, 2025.
  
• Finish incomplete applications ahead of the freeze. Draft applications will not be saved in the transition to HELMS.
• No updates or changes will be made to licenses for health professionals and facilities during the freeze. Search tools like Provider Credential Search and Facility Search will still be available but will not be updated during the freeze. 
• For more information on the licensing freeze and the new licensing system, please visit DOH.wa.gov.  

More information about HELMS can be found HERE.

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