Welcome to the Alabama Mental Health Counselor Association Website!

This site has been developed to serve the needs of BOTH Professional Counselors AND Consumers. The Alabama Mental Health Counselor Association is a professional organization for counseling professionals in the state of Alabama. Please have a look around and let us know what you think!

AMHCA 2009 National Conference

July 23 -25

WELCOME AMHCA FRIENDS!!

Follow this link to the FREE Stress Blast Workshop

BIG NEWS!!!

ALMHCA won the 2009 Service to Consumers Award from the American Mental Health Counselor Association for the 2008 Mental Health Awareness Blast/Stress Blast (This was an effort hugely speareheaded by Anita Neuer and Angela Stowe. Thanks so much!!  

Gary Williams is a co-recipient of 2009 Mental Health Counselor of the Year Award from the American Mental Health Counselors Association.

Thanks to Kassie Doggett for AGAIN taking on the daunting responsibilty as Awards Chair!   

ALMHCA Winter Workshop February 20, 2009  

THANKS TO ALL WHO ENJOYED THIS OUTSTANDING WORKSHOP!

Homewood Library: Homewood , AL

Love Among the Ruins: Exploring Sexual Addiction

 Presented by Linda Hudson with Hudson Consulting Associates

Linda Hudson is originally from Tuscaloosa and completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Alabama .  She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi . Linda is a recognized expert in the area of Sexual Addiction and Sexual Trauma having worked with this population for over 20 years. Having been in recovery herself from sexual addiction for over 25 years she has both a professional and personal experience with this addiction. She is past President of the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH), the recipient of the first Merit Award for Outstanding service to SASH and currently serves as an Advisor to the Board. She is also a certified Equine-Assisted Professional at Level One and a member of the Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA).

In her role as President of Hudson Consulting Associates she provides individual, group, couples counseling, and intensive outpatient workshops for sex addicts and their spouses as well as those suffering from relationship issues, depression, and anxiety disorders. She has added horses as powerful co-therapists to the treatment team approach and they are an integral part of many treatment experiences. Trained as a family systems and addictions therapist she believes in a strong integration of body, mind and spirit. She works to assist all clients in clarifying and integrating their spiritual beliefs into their lives. She is a frequent speaker and workshop leader on sexual addiction and on topics related to spirituality. Her presentation will include assessment and treatment of clients with sexual addictions. 

Goals and Objectives

·         Have a working knowledge of sexual addiction and cybersex diagnosis criteria and a continuum of problematic sexual behaviors.

·         Examine how substances are used to enhance or inhibit responses in problematic sexual behaviors.

·         Review a number of assessment tools for sexual addiction and substance use.

·         Review common co-morbid conditions and their challenges in managing sexual addiction cases.

·         Learn a comprehensive and systematic approach to treatment planning.

·         Explore the protocol for disclosure and examine ways to integrate it into treatment planning for couples.

·         Have an understanding of the 12 Steps and the relationship between step work and creating a strong spiritual foundation.

·         Know how to develop a treatment plan that is likely to be successful.

Keynote Session Agenda

            8:30–9:45          Explore the diagnosis of sexual addiction and cybersex addition as

                                    continuum of problematic sexual behaviors.

9:45–10:15        Examine how substance abuse is often involved in sexual addiction and review challenges in treatment.

10:15–10:30       Break

10:30–12:15       Discuss a comprehensive approach to treatment planning.

12:15 –1:00       Lunch

1:00–2:30          Discuss disclosure and the importance of including spouses/partners in the assessment and treatment process.

2:30–2:45          Break

2:45–3:45          Understanding the 12 Steps and ways to integrate the tools of the program into a treatment plan.

3:45–4:00          Recommended readings, wrap-up and evaluation.

Driving Directions
Traveling north from Montgomery/Alabaster
Follow I-65 North and exit at Homewood/Oxmoor Road Exit #256A. Yield right onto Oxmoor Road . Oxmoor Road becomes Palisades Boulevard . At the 5th traffic light where the road forks, take the right road which becomes Oxmoor Road again. Travel approximately 1 1/2 miles. Homewood Public Library is on the right across from Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and School.

Traveling south from Cullman/Birmingham
Follow I-65 South and merge onto I-59 North/I-20 East via Exit #261A, on the left, toward Gadsden/Atlanta. Merge onto U.S. Hwy. 31 South via Exit #126A. Turn right onto Oxmoor Road . Travel approximately 1/2 mile. Homewood Public Library is on the left across from Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and School.

Traveling east from Tuscaloosa/Bessemer
Follow I-59 North and merge onto I-65 South toward Montgomery . Take the Homewood / Oxmoor Road Exit #256B. Yield right onto Oxmoor Road traveling east. Oxmoor Road becomes Palisades Boulevard . At the 5th traffic light where the road forks, take the right road which becomes Oxmoor Road again. Travel approximately 1 1/2 miles. Homewood Public Library is on the right across from Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and School.

Traveling west from Anniston/Leeds
Follow I-20 West toward Birmingham . Merge onto U.S. Hwy. 31 South via Exit #126A. Turn right onto Oxmoor Road . Travel approximately 1/2 mile. Homewood Public Library is on the left across from Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and School.

Registration form:

Please print clearly

Name:                                                                              Phone:  _________________

Email: _________________________ Street Address:  _________________________

City:  __________________   State :  ________  Zip:  _________

Will you need CEUs (.6 CEUs/6 contact hours are allotted for the workshop)?    □ Yes         □ No

What type of sandwich would you like for lunch?                         

□ Turkey          □ Ham             □ Roast Beef               □ Vegetarian                                       

Check Registration Type:

□ Member ($85 pre-registration; $100 on-site)

□ Non-member ($100 pre-registration; $115 on-site)                                                 

□ Student ($50 pre-registration; $75 on-site)

*Please let us know by 1/22/09 if you will need special accommodations.

Pre-Registration (until 2/11/09):                        On-Site Registration (after 2/11/09):

$85      Members                                              $100    Members

$100    Non-members                                      $115    Non-members

$50      Students                                              $75      Students

Complete the registration form & mail to:

Mica Lacefield

211 Birch Terrace

Florence , AL 35630

Please include check made out to ALMHCA

       PRE-REGISTRATION ENDS       2/11/09

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ALCA Annual Conference November 19-20

ALMHCA members were nominated for awards and here are the results:

Jamie and Mark - Individual Publication
Allen Wilcoxon - Jean Cecil
Quinn Pearson - Research
Robyn Williams - AlMHCA Member of the Year
Gary Williams - Outstanding Practitioner

Congratulations!

Our luncheon was co-sponsored with ALACES and it was wonderful.  Thank you Judith Harrington who was such a fine speaker!

ALMHCA Board at Annual Planning Retreat 9/20/08

News from the AMHCA Annual Conference...

AWARDS!!!

ALMHCA Past-President, Anita Neuer, was named as the Mental Health Counselor of the Year by the American Mental Health Counselor's Association at a beautiful awards luncheon in San Diego. Congratulations Anita!  What an honor!

ALMHCA received the Service to Consumers Award for participating in the Southern Women's Show. This award was also presented in San Diego.

 President-Elect, Mica Lacefield, attended the training sessions and was also asked to make a presentation about the reasons that the Alabama Chapter is strong and active.  Another honor. All reported that Mica made a terrific presentation.  Thank you for representing Alabama Counselors so well.   

STRESS BLAST A HUGE SUCCESS!

A least 50 stress presentations done across the state!   

ALMHCA 2008-2009 Board

ALMHCA Board participates in a long-range planning retreat.  The following are the major goals and objectives generated at that meeting:

ALMHCA’s Strategic Long Range Plan

July 2005

 ALMHCA’s mission statement:

Our mission is to enhance the profession of mental health counseling in Alabama through advocacy, education to the general public, professional development of counselors, and the promotion of licensure.

Goal I:  ADVOCACY

To promote increased awareness for the validity of mental health counseling in the state of Alabama .

 Objective 1:  Legislators given information on an annual basis regarding our status as service providers, our credentialing, parity, and other issues which can be affected by public policy.

 Objective 2:  The Public is given information on a regular and intentional basis with information about counseling, accessing counseling, and mental health issues.

 Objective 3:  Individuals trained in counseling will be educated about the importance of obtaining and maintaining licensure.

 Objective 4:  Professional counselors are encouraged to join and actively participate in professional associations (i.e. American Counseling Association, American Mental Health Counselors Association, Alabama Counseling Association, Alabama Mental Health Counselors Association).

 Objective 5:  Counselors and membership are encouraged to be knowledgeable about and be active in issues regarding public policy (i.e. send information to members about counseling issues and write legislators about issues important to counselors and counseling)

 Goal II:  Education of General Public

To de-stigmatize and promote utilization of services and increase knowledge regarding mental health issues

 Objective I:  The membership, other counselors, and general public will be provided with resources about mental health issues (i.e. website, information tables, tracts, fliers).  At least once a year, ALMHCA will have a presence at a major public event (i.e. Southern Women’s Show).

 Objective II:  Membership will have resources made available which can be used in counseling practice.  This includes reproducible resources clinicians may distribute to consumers or the general public.

Objective III:  Website will remain updated and maintained and serve as a place for the general public to find information regarding mental health issues.

 Objective IV:  When available, media (such as television, billboards, radio) will be used as a means to promote and educate the general public about counseling and mental health issues.

 Goal III:  Professional Development of Counselors

To increase professional counselors’ awareness, knowledge and skills in the practice of counseling

 Objective 1:  Ensure that numerous sessions representing issues of mental health counseling are offered at the annual Alabama Counseling Association Conference.

 Objective 2:  The ALMHCA newsletter and website will promote the annual American Mental Health Association Conference.

 Objective 3:  ALMHCA will host an annual workshop which will include a timely topic of interest to counselors and their practice

 Objective 4:  Each Viewpoint will contain at least one clinical article offering information to counselors about a topic of interest in our field.

 Objective 5:  Regional workshops provided by ALMHCA at least every two years in order to reach membership and counselors in all areas of the state (for example, north Alabama , south Alabama )

 Objective 6:  ALMHCA membership encouraged to join and be active members in the Alabama Counseling Association.

 Goal IV:  Promotion of licensure

To encourage, endorse, and recommend counselors seek and maintain professional licensure

 Objective 1:  Public encouraged to seek a Licensed Professional Counselor for services.  Will make available to the public (through website, brochures, promotional materials, etc) the qualifications and credentialing of licensed professional counselors.

 Objective 2:  Promotional materials and division activities use the term ‘Licensed Professional Counselors.’

 Objective 3:  ALMHCA will be active and involved in legislative issues involving parity and concerns of Licensed Professional Counselors through educating the membership and encouraging members to take steps to influence public policy.

 Objective 4:  New LPC’s who are members of ALMHCA will be published in the newsletter in the summer and winter issues.

Goal V:  Membership

To continue to increase membership and participation of members in ALMHCA

Objective I:  Develop and implement a strategy to communicate with and recruit student members.  Provide means of training and mentoring students to become future leaders in the profession.

 Objective II:  Develop and implement a strategy to recruit individuals who are members of ALCA but not members of ALMHCA.

 Objective III:  Develop and implement a strategy to recruit Licensed Professional Counselors who are not members of ALCA or ALMHCA.

 Objective IV:  ALMHCA will provide numerous member benefits which encourage individuals to maintain their membership with our organization.  Through continual assessment, ALMHCA will evaluate the meaningfulness of the benefits provided and seek to make programs and services available to membership which promote and enhance counselors and the counseling profession.

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Board Members Always Appreciated!

If you would like to have some great fellowship, promote your profession, advocate for good mental health in the State of Alabama, please think about joining us!

Those interested in getting more involved in ALMHCA should contact President-Elect  Angela Stowe at amstowe@uab.edu regarding opportunities for service. 

Top Reasons to Join ALMHCA: