Government Affairs and Public Policy
Our Government Affairs and Public Policy team advocates for ACA members and the counseling profession on a range of issues, including
- Medicare reimbursement,
- the Counseling Compact and
- Increased funding for school counseling and mental health services.
Adding your voice makes our message stronger. Join us by contacting your representatives on issues that matter to you using our Action Center resources.
Join Us for 2024 Hill Day
May 15-16, 2024
Washington, DC
ACA Hill Day provides comprehensive training focused on equipping professional counselors with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to meet with their representatives in Congress and advocate for the profession.
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Become an Influential Legislative Advocate
Make a difference with your legislative advocacy by participating in an ACA-specialized legislative advocacy training. Whether in-person or virtual, these sessions are tailored for ACA Branches, Divisions, Regions and Colleges/Universities. Participants will learn essential skills and strategies to effectively advocate for mental health policies and regulations at the state and national levels.
Elevate your impact, influence change and champion the rights of clients and practitioners alike with ACA's legislative advocacy training.
Advocacy News
Biden Administration Unveils the American Rescue Plan
Jan 15, 2021
On January 14th, President-elect Joe Biden unveiled the American Rescue Plan, his proposal for Congress’ next iteration of COVID-19 relief. The plan includes $1.9 trillion in additional spending to fund a number of COVID-19, health, economic and national security priorities. Included in the plan are $1,400 in additional stimulus checks for Americans and a proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 nationally. The plan includes the following provision of note:
- Behavioral Health: The proposal includes $4 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to expand access to behavioral health services.
The plan is a serious bid that will now kickstart negotiations with Congressional leadership. The proposal is likely to receive broad support among Democrats in both chambers, but passage of the President-elect’s proposal is far from assured. The HEROES Act contained many provisions not included in the President-elect’s proposal, and with tight margins in the House, only a few progressive members who may oppose the proposal for not “going far enough” could potentially block passage. We expect that Senate Republicans will object to the $1.9 trillion price tag of the proposal, which could leave Democrats with the budget reconciliation process as the only viable path to passage.
While it should be expected that President-elect Biden will actively engage with his former Congressional colleagues to reach a deal, we are likely months away from anything resembling a deal that could achieve final passage.
The American Counseling Association is committed to working with the White House Administration and the United States Congress to secure funding that will support Mental Health Care and Substance Abuse Programs. We are asking all counselors to join us in working to increase funding and programming for Behavioral Health. Please sign-up to become an advocate today.
If you have questions, please contact the ACA Government Affairs team at advocacy@counseling.org.
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The most significant benefit of my membership in the American Counseling Association (ACA) lies in its remarkable efforts to enhance the credibility of counselors in the field. The ACA's successful initiatives, such as advocating for counselors to be recognized as Medicare providers and working on the counseling compact, have greatly contributed to this.
Eric Rodgers, LPC
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