Washington Mental Health Counselors Association

Insights Newsletter

March 2025

Table of Contents

• General News and Updates
• Update You Member Profile and Access Your WMHCA Benefits
• WMHCA Board Election
• From the JEDI Committee: March is Women's History Month
• Legislative Updates: WMHCA's Day on the Hill

• Department of Health Rules Hearings - Removal of Practicum Requirements

• Partnership Highlight: Project Access Northwest

• March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month

General News and Updates

WMHCA's Membership Engagement & Outreach Committee (MEOC) is currently recruiting new members.

The focus of the committee is to continue to grow membership and to make sure all members have access to benefits.  The committee wants to make sure members feel supported, heard, and have the resources they need. The committee also is responsible for deciding what organizations WMHCA sponsors and for exploring ongoing partnerships with other organizations. 

The MEOC typically meets the 1st Tuesday of every month from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm.

For more information please visit our website: Membership Engagement and Outreach Committee

Update Your Member Profile and Access Your WMHCA Benefits

Login to your account on our website to check your privacy settings, make sure you are in the Clinician/Supervisor Directory if you would like and select what information you would like public on our website.You can also update your communication preferences for what type of emails and text messages you would like to receive.  Make sure you understand all your WMHCA benefits.  Please reach out if you have any questions. 

WMHCA Board Election

Here are the nominees for WMHCA's Board of Directors, voting will be open March 24th - April 4th for all active WMHCA members.

President-Elect: Cristina Louk

Graduate Student Representative: Heidi Ehrlich

General Board Members (6 open positions)

Amy Cummings-Garcia

Angela Cross

Bree Sutton

Casey Akerhielm

Cheryl Hamilton-Jefferson

Ellie Lovde

Melissa Mace

Raquel Sadler

Sharon Shadwell

Find out more HERE

From WMHCA's Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

March is Women's History Month

This March, we celebrate the women who have been influential in the field of counseling and mental health. Women have been seminal contributors to the field of psychology and counseling since its inception but are often overlooked in the history of the profession. This month, we invite you to explore some of our field's major historical contributors. 

Legislative Updates

WMHCA's Day on the Hill

We are excited to share the incredible success of this year’s Day on the Hill event on February 14, which proved to be our most well-attended advocacy event to date! Even the unexpectedly snowy weather did not deter our 12 dedicated members from joining us in Olympia to meet with legislators from across the state. During the event, we were able to participate in impactful meetings with 17 legislators from 11 districts, amplifying our collective voice on bills related to contracting fairness, medical necessity, and HEAL-WA access among other issues relevant to our profession.

The participation and engagement from our members were truly inspiring. Your passion and commitment to our cause were evident in every conversation, and we are confident that these efforts will help us build stronger relationships with policymakers and move our priorities forward.

A special thank you goes to our lobbyist Sara Stewart, whose expertise and guidance helped us prepare for and navigate the day with confidence. Your hard work and dedication made this event a success, and we are grateful for your continued partnership.

We are encouraged by the momentum from this event and invite you all to stay engaged. Advocacy is an ongoing effort, and your participation makes a difference. We encourage you to continue reaching out to your legislators, following up on the call to action emails, and participating in the Policy and Professional Advocacy Committee to help us continue our work on behalf of our members.

Thank you again for your support and dedication. Together, we are making a difference!

The Policy and Professional Advocacy Committee

WMHCA's Call to Actions

You can find all of WMHCA's recent Call to Actions on our website HERE and find out what bills are currently in the works that impact clinicians in Washington State.

Department of Health Rules Hearings:

Removal of Practicum Requirements

The Department of Health is holding a series of rules hearings.  One of the things they are proposing is to allow professional experience to substitute for practicum.  WMHCA has concerns about the removal of the practicum requirement and will be making public comment and attend the rules hearing.  If you would like to comment on this proposal you can do that through this link.  More information on Rules in Progress can be found here.

Partnership Highlight Project Access Northwest

The Pro Bono Counseling (PBC) program offered through Project Access Northwest provides free mental health services to adults living at or below 300% of the federal poverty level in Washington state. This program leverages HIPAA-compliant teletherapy platforms to ensure accessibility for clients regardless of their location within the state.

The PBC program is designed to serve adults who meet the income criteria, offering them access to high-quality mental health care. Clients benefit from tailored therapy services provided by licensed professionals (therapists, peer counselors) and student interns. There are no prescribed session limits; therapy needs are determined collaboratively by the client and provider.

Clients of the PBC program enjoy several advantages:

• Free Access to Mental Health Care: Clients receive high-quality mental health services at no cost.

• Tailored Therapy Services: Therapy is customized to meet individual needs, with no session limits.

• Easy Enrollment: The self-enrollment process is simple and secure, ensuring quick access to services.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month

From the Health Care Authority - What Therapists can do for Problem Gambling

The theme for 2025 Problem Gambling Awareness Month is “Seeking Understanding.” The Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) along with our partners are working to spread understanding about the rates of problem gambling and what can be done to address the problem.

According to Yale Medicine, about 1% of all adults in the United States along with 2-7% of youth will develop a gambling disorder during their lifetime. We see similar results in our state too. Based on the 2021 Washington State Adult Problem Gambling Prevalence study, 3.5 percent of adults who gambled were at a moderate-to-severe risk for a gambling disorder (approximately 90,000 adults) and an additional 17 percent had an increased risk for problem gambling (approximately 420,000 adults).

Problem gambling is a common co-occurring disorder among people who use alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and tobacco. It is also a significant risk factor for suicide, with suicidal ideation significantly higher among those diagnosed with problem gambling than the general population.

Additionally, gambling is becoming more popular among youth and young adults, in part due to exposure to gambling in advertisements and social media. In Washington, over 10% of students in 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th grade report gambling in the past year on the 2023 Healthy Youth Survey. This was an increase in all groups from the previous survey.

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If you would like to submit an article for the WMCHA Insights Newsletter, email info@wmhca.org.