ACA News

ACA Attends the Inaugural HHS 'Music is Medicine' Event

This week, the ACA Government Affairs and Public Policy team attended the inaugural Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 'Music is Medicine' event. 

Professional Identity and the Counseling Compact

The Counseling Compact — an agreement among states to legislatively recognize other states’ counseling licenses — has generated a lot of excitement and momentum since December 2020 when the initial draft was finalized.

White House announces new initiative on Women’s Health Research

In a recent Presidential Memorandum, President Joe Biden established the new White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, aiming to mobilize the Federal government, private sector, and philanthropic organizations to enhance women's health.

Labor HHS Releases Report Which Includes Billions in Mental Health Provisions

Recently, the House Appropriations Committee released the report for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024 (L-HHS), which includes $2.7 billion for SAMHSA mental health activities and programs.

Senate Finance Legislation May Expand Mental Health Care

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), released a set of policies aimed at expanding mental health care under Medicaid and Medicare, in addition to lowering prescription drug cost for seniors.

ACA Attends Congressional Briefing on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

  Recently ACA attended the Congressional Briefing “Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act: What Has Changed (and Hasn’t) 15 Years Since Passage,” sponsored by REDC.  Since the passage of the Mental Health Parity and ...

Workplace Wellness Policies Could Soften the Effects of Workaholism

Employers should consider more ways to facilitate time off for the employees who are least likely to take it — workaholics. That’s the conclusion of counseling experts who conducted a workaholism study published in Career Development Quarterly

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Release Final Rule for Medicare Reimbursement

  November 3, 2023 (Alexandria, VA) — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Rule. Many of the policies within the rule relate to mental health counselors (MHC) and marriage and ...

President Biden Signs Artificial Intelligence (AI) Executive Order

President Biden recently signed an Executive Order which focuses on regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Executive Order establishes new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, ...

ACA 2025 Conference & Expo in Orlando FAQs

The American Counseling Association will continue with its longstanding plan to host its 2025 Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida. In a letter to members, ACA President Edil Torres Rivera, PhD, and CEO Shawn Boynes shared the rationale ...

What Does a Government Shutdown Mean for Counselors?

The Federal government is headed towards a shutdown unless Congress acts soon. Government funding expires Sunday, October 1, 2023, and lawmakers are still divided. Each year, Congress must pass spending bills before the October 1st ...

Many Appalachian Teens Feel Lack of Control over College Access, Study Suggests

Alexandria, Va. (September 27, 2023) — High school students in poor, rural Appalachian areas face several obstacles in attaining a college education. One of those impediments may be their own sense of powerlessness over their academic futures, ...

ACA Attends Congressional Maternal Mortality and Maternal Mental Health Briefing

  On Tuesday September 19th, the ACA Government Affairs team attended a Congressional Briefing: Saving and Supporting Moms, sponsored by Mom Congress, to address the growing crisis of maternal mortality and maternal mental health across the ...

CMS Releases New Medicare Enrollment Information for Counselors

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new resources to assist counselors who plan to enroll in Medicare beginning January 1, 2024. These new resources are available as you start reviewing the required forms and documentation ...

Counselors Share What It's Like to Lose a Client to Suicide

Alexandria, Va. (September 12, 2023) — Mental health and school counselors need far more support than they typically receive for one of the field’s most traumatic occupational hazards: a client’s suicide, according to reports in the ...

Update: CMS Releases Revised Medicare Telehealth Factsheet

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has just unveiled an updated version of its Medicare Learning Network (MLN) fact sheet on Telehealth Services. This comes after a hiatus in updates due to the evolving landscape during the COVID-19 ...

ACA Submitted Final Response to CMS Proposed Rule

Recently, ACA submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule released earlier this summer. ACA’s response to the proposed echoes the proposals to expand ...

ACA Applauds the Expansion of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to Support American Sign Language

On Friday, September 8th the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration  (SAMHSA) issued a release announcing the expansion of 988 by meeting the needs for deaf and hard of ...

First Responders Are People, Too: Study Shows How Dehumanization Leads to Burnout

Alexandria, Va. — From medical professionals who were on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic to firefighters rescuing victims of the Maui wildfires, first responders are often hailed as heroes. But many of them experience the public’s ...

Connecticut Becomes 30th State to Sign Interstate Counseling Compact into Law

The dream of many licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines took another step forward as Governor Ned Lamont signed into law his state’s Counseling Compact legislation. This milestone makes Connecticut the thirtieth ...