ACA News

ACA CEO Search Begins

Koya Partners | Diversified Search Group, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained by the American Counseling Association to lead the search for its next Chief Executive Officer.

Senate Finance Committee Receives 321 Public Responses to Barriers to Mental Health Care for Counselors

Senate Finance Committee press release, titled ?Wyden, Crapo Welcome Input on Addressing the Mental Health Care Crisis," highlights the 321 public responses to the initiative, including a letter from the American Counseling Association advocating for ...

Senate Finance Committee Receives 321 Public Responses to Barriers to Mental Health Care for Counselors

Senate Finance Committee press release, titled ?Wyden, Crapo Welcome Input on Addressing the Mental Health Care Crisis," highlights the 321 public responses to the initiative, including a letter from the American Counseling Association advocating for ...

Senate Finance Committee Receives 321 Public Responses to Barriers to Mental Health Care Initiative

On December 20, the Senate Finance Committee issued a press release highlighting a bipartisan initiative to address barriers to mental health care. The release, titled “Wyden, Crapo Welcome Input on Addressing the Mental Health Care ...

New No Surprise Billing Regulations for Behavioral Health Care Providers

The No Surprises Act aims to increase price transparency and reduce the likelihood that clients receive a ?surprise? medical bill by requiring that providers inform clients of an expected charge for a service before the service is provided.

ACA Submits Comments on Congressional Initiative for America?s Mental Well-Being

Recently, the American Counseling Association, along with members of the Medicare Mental Health Workforce Coalition, submitted comments on an initiative led by U.S. Reps. Michael Bennet and John Cornyn, which would modernize the delivery and ...

ACA Responds to Senate Finance Request for Information

The American Counseling Association (ACA) submitted a response to the Senate Finance Committee’s request for policy proposals to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder services. The response was addressed to Senator Ron ...

American Counseling Association Statement on Publicly Diagnosing the Mental State of an Individual

  The American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, Section E, requires counselors to take special care in providing the proper diagnosis of mental disorders in the proper manner. The public association of any individual with any term ...

NOW ACCEPTING: 2022 ACA National Awards Nominations

It's ACA Awards season again! Nominations are officially open for the next round of ACA National Awards. The Awards winners will be recognized at the upcoming 2022 ACA Conference & Expo in Atlanta, Georgia and the ACA 2022 Virtual Conference ...

Representatives Newman and Stewart Champion Student Mental Health with New Bill

Congresswoman Marie Newman (D-IL-03) and Congressman Chris Stewart (R-UT-2) have sponsored the Student Mental Health Helpline Act of 2021 (HR 5235) to address students? mental health by providing a 24/7 mental health helpline.

?Caring for America: Legislation to Support Patients, Caregivers, and Providers? Health Subcommittee Hearing Features Discussion of Key Bipartisan Bills

This week, Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) provided opening remarks at a Health Subcommittee legislative hearing titled, “Caring for America: Legislation to Support Patients, Caregivers, and Providers.” He highlighted that a legislative ...

Biden Administration Releases Report on Improving Mental Health Access for Children & Students

On October 19, the White House published a fact sheet announcing the release of a new report entitled “Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health,” which will serve as a resource for improving the overall ...

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Gets an Overhaul

The Department of Education just announced an overhaul of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program with the goal of making the program live up to its stated intention: relieving the student loan debt burden of public servants. As part of the ...

SAMHSA announces $825M in grants to community mental health centers

On September 28, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the distribution of $825 million in grants to 231 community mental health centers (CMHC) across the country. A complete list of grant recipients can be ...

President Biden?s COVID-19 Action Plan

On September 9, the Biden administration announced a six-pronged, comprehensive national strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, entitled ?Path out of the Pandemic.?

ACA Tracks Progress of the Resettlement of Refugees; Identifies Resources for Counselors

ACA would like to update counselors on the federal government?s support for the refugees settling in the United States.

Biden Administration Invests in Pediatric Mental Health Access

This announcement is a part of the Biden administration?s larger push to increase the accessibility of mental and behavioral health care services for children.

ACA Urges Congressional Leaders to Support the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act

The American Counseling Association (ACA) supports and is working to help pass the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act (HR 2264/S. 660) which directly affects the work of licensed professional counselors and their clients throughout the country. The ...

American Counseling Association CEO Richard Yep to Depart Organization After More Than Three Decades of Service

Alexandria, VA — The American Counseling Association (ACA) CEO Richard Yep, CAE, FASAE has announced that he will leave the association when his current contract expires on June 30, 2022.  Yep informed the ACA Governing Council in early ...

House Appropriations Subcommittee Favorably Reports FY 2022 L-HHS Bill

In her opening remarks, Appropriations Full Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) emphasized the fact that the COVID-19 crisis has exposed critical shortfalls in public health infrastructure, as well as in mental health care. She also reaffirmed ...