There are many ways in which one can advocate for the counseling profession as well as clients. I noticed that counselors I have spoken to view the advocacy they perform to be the work they conduct with clients. Specifically, the community agency I interviewed, Family Resources, considered the work they conduct to ensure local families have appropriate resources and care as a critical aspect of their advocacy efforts in the field. The interview with the agency highlighted the importance counselors place on their client’s welfare. They consider their role as client advocate to be the reason they work as counselors. In addition, Family Resources are actively involved in sharing ideas with other agencies in Allegheny County to improve the field
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It is common knowledge that we are living with an aging population but it is no less alarming that the elderly’s mental health care is not sufficient for the growing population. It seems to me to be an obvious solution to ensure that more qualified and capable counselors close the gap in mental health care in this area. However the reality is that LPCs and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) still cannot access Medicare for their services. I chose this topic to attempt to make a difference in changing the status quo and challenging those who are able to enact change on a systematic level. It felt especially powerful writing to my own senators and seeking his co-sponsorship for Medicare inclusion for counselors and therapists. Conducting the research for this assignment and becoming educated about the challenges counselors face has given me impetus to make a difference in my own capacity, as my efforts combined with others will effect change. Erford (2018) asserts counselors have become valued professionals through continuous advocacy efforts (p. 440). It is through advocacy education that awareness is created and a stirring in those who want to make a difference will propel the profession forward. Conversely, inaction does not benefit the public nor …show more content…
Specifically, through my research on advocacy in the profession I have more clarity on pressing issues such as the inability for LPCs, LMFTs and Licensed Social Workers (LSWs) to be fully independent and experience equality with insurance companies in their efforts to diagnosis mental health disorders and illnesses as other similar professionals in Pennsylvania are. The Pennsylvania Counseling Association is actively involved in Bill SB530 which confronts this issue directly and calls for equity and parity in credentialing from insurance companies (Pennsylvania Counseling Association, 2018, para 7). Furthermore, my investigations also brought my attention to the issue of conversion therapy and current and active advocacy to ban it in the United States. Upon some reflection, this too would be an important area of advocacy I will seek to engage in. Through my engagement in this project, I have learned that writing to my local government representatives is a helpful method of advocacy, and I will continue to write to the legislators about issues the profession encounters. I will use the Stephanie T Burns website suggested in the textbook which offers helpful tips and advice on how to advocate (Erford, 2018, p. 451). My intent is to remain aware of the challenges the profession faces and contribute to the advancement
It is common knowledge that we are living with an aging population but it is no less alarming that the elderly’s mental health care is not sufficient for the growing population. It seems to me to be an obvious solution to ensure that more qualified and capable counselors close the gap in mental health care in this area. However the reality is that LPCs and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) still cannot access Medicare for their services. I chose this topic to attempt to make a difference in changing the status quo and challenging those who are able to enact change on a systematic level. It felt especially powerful writing to my own senators and seeking his co-sponsorship for Medicare inclusion for counselors and therapists. Conducting the research for this assignment and becoming educated about the challenges counselors face has given me impetus to make a difference in my own capacity, as my efforts combined with others will effect change. Erford (2018) asserts counselors have become valued professionals through continuous advocacy efforts (p. 440). It is through advocacy education that awareness is created and a stirring in those who want to make a difference will propel the profession forward. Conversely, inaction does not benefit the public nor …show more content…
Specifically, through my research on advocacy in the profession I have more clarity on pressing issues such as the inability for LPCs, LMFTs and Licensed Social Workers (LSWs) to be fully independent and experience equality with insurance companies in their efforts to diagnosis mental health disorders and illnesses as other similar professionals in Pennsylvania are. The Pennsylvania Counseling Association is actively involved in Bill SB530 which confronts this issue directly and calls for equity and parity in credentialing from insurance companies (Pennsylvania Counseling Association, 2018, para 7). Furthermore, my investigations also brought my attention to the issue of conversion therapy and current and active advocacy to ban it in the United States. Upon some reflection, this too would be an important area of advocacy I will seek to engage in. Through my engagement in this project, I have learned that writing to my local government representatives is a helpful method of advocacy, and I will continue to write to the legislators about issues the profession encounters. I will use the Stephanie T Burns website suggested in the textbook which offers helpful tips and advice on how to advocate (Erford, 2018, p. 451). My intent is to remain aware of the challenges the profession faces and contribute to the advancement