JOIN 

PRIOR TO TRAINING: Remember to bring your lunch and join us at Colleague Collaboration with David Swindall, LMFT, M. Div., from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm! Registration opens at 1:45 PM ~ Training runs from 2:00 - 5:00 PM (Break at 4:00 PM).

Interested in presenting at a SMHCA meeting?  Fill out this presenter submission form.

  • Mental Health Access Improvement Act Reintroduced in Congress. MORE INFO >

    • Tuesday, February 12, 2019
    • Thursday, February 28, 2019
    • Online

     Mental Health Access Improvement Act Reintroduced in Congress

    Measure would allow mental health counselors to bill Medicare for treating seniors.  MORE INFO >

    Legislation has been put forth that will allow mental health counselors to bill Medicare for treating older adults with mental health conditions.

    You are receiving this email because we are asking our members to contact two Senators and your Congressional Member in the House of Representatives, to express your support for the Mental Health Access Improvement Act. 

    Please mention Senate Bill 286 in your communications.

    Use the links below to find your Members of Congress

    Senate: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact

    House of Representatives:                                                                 

    https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

    Talking Points for Advocates of the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (provided by AMHCA):

    There are four main talking points for advocates to share on emails, social media, and in phone calls. These talking points are designed to be clear statements in order to allow you, your colleagues and your network to feel comfortable showing your support for this legislation during your email communications and calls to Congressional offices:  

    • Studies show that 730 thousand Seniors on Medicare are at risk for opioid addiction.
    • Unfortunately, though, there’s a shortage of mental health and substance abuse providers in the Medicare system to help these seniors at risk.
    • As the baby boomer population ages, the 166,000 licensed mental health counselors across the country are specifically trained to address substance abuse. 
    • The Mental Health Access Improvement Act would expand the availability of cost-effective providers under Medicare to help treat these Seniors and address the opioid epidemic. 
    • Medicare Patients Suffer from Inadequate Access to Care: Medicare beneficiaries are often at the highest risk for mental health problems, such as depression and suicide, yet older Americans are the least likely to receive mental health services, with only 1 in 5 receiving needed care. Many Medicare beneficiaries have no access to a mental health professional.
    • Mental health counselors around the nation are ready to address the needs of Medicare beneficiaries suffering from mental illness.

    For more information go to:http://www.amhca.org/blogs/joel-miller/2019/02/01/bipartisan-mental-health-access-improvement-act-re

      Thank you for your support,

      Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association


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    • Techniques from Strategic Family Therapy for engaging families, adults and children in treatment

      • Friday, March 15, 2019
      • 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
      • Troy University, Tampa Campus, 5201 W Kennedy Blvd # 110, Tampa, FL 33609
      • 26
      Register

      Techniques from Strategic Family Therapy for engaging families, adults and children in treatment

      presented by Alan J. Lightfoot, Ph.D.

      3.0 CEUs

      Lessons from strategic family therapy can provide valuable tools for mental health counselors in the engagement and delivery of services to individuals and their families.

      The uniqueness of strategic family therapy lies in how counselors focus on the problems of families. The goal of strategic family therapy is to motivate the family to change signature behavioral patterns associated with the issues through "second-order" change - achieved by changing the rules within the family system to create new behavioral responses to the issue.

      Learning Objectives:

      1. Participants with acquire and practice strategic methods for structuring the therapeutic relationship with individuals and families. 
      2. Participants will acquire and practice strategic methods for engaging reluctant identified clients or absent family members. 
      3. Participants will acquire and practice strategic methods for delivering tasks, information, referrals etc. that have the potential to improve outcomes. 
      If time permits participants will acquire and practice methods for sustaining neutrality in more complex family relationships.

      Training Fees

      Registered & Paid in Advance Guarantees Seat:

      $10 Member

      $25 Nonmember

      $0 Student

      (members need to be logged in to be able to register at the member rate)

      Not Registered / Walk-ins - Seat Not Guaranteed; Assigned First-Come:

      $15 Member 

      $30 Nonmember 

      $5 Student 

      Troy University, Tampa Campus, 5201 W. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 110, Tampa, FL 33609


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    • 2019 SMHCA Annual Spring Symposium

      • Saturday, April 06, 2019
      • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
      • Westside Conference Center, 3018 USF Banyan Circle, Tampa, FL
      • 36
      Register


      Attention Graduate Students, Interns, Provisional MHCs, and New Professionals in the Tampa Bay Area

      The Annual Spring Symposium will be presented on Saturday, April 6, 2019.  This annual event is FREE!  It has been a life-saver for those taking the licensing exam and a welcomed activity of SMHCA for many years. The location is Westside Conference Center located at 3018 USF Banyan Circle in Tampa.  There is no charge for the Symposium.  It's SMHCAs way of welcoming you to our profession.   Mark your calendars!!!!

      Learn what to expect after graduations, how to find a qualified supervisor, how to prepare for the state examinations, the latest update on legislation, and enjoy the opportunity to network with Qualified Supervisors and Agencies in the community for internship and employment opportunities.

      CLICK HERE FOR AGENDA

      Westside Conference Center, 3018 USF Banyan Circle, Tampa, FL 33613

      Parking for symposium


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    • Qualified Supervisor / Agency Exhibitor Tables for 2019 Spring Symposium

      • Saturday, April 06, 2019
      • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
      • Westside Conference Center, 3108 USF Banyan Circle, Tampa 33613
      • 7
      Register

      Qualified Supervisor & Agency Exhibitor Tables for 2019 Spring Symposium

      The Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association would like to invite all Qualified Supervisors and Agency Representatives interested in hiring students or recent graduates to set up a free table and network at the annual Spring Symposium!

      The Spring Symposium is an opportunity for you to market your supervision to graduate students, meet other supervisors for referral sources, all at NO COST to you.  There are a limited number of tables so register quickly!

      Setup opens at 8:30 am. 

      CLICK HERE FOR PARKING INFORMATION

      Westside Conference Center located at 3018 USF Banyan Circle, Tampa

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    • Therapeutic Role-Playing Games

      • Friday, April 19, 2019
      • 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
      • Troy University, Tampa Campus, 5201 W Kennedy Blvd # 110, Tampa, FL 33609
      • 38
      Register

      Therapeutic Role-Playing Games

      presented by Matt Fahy, LMHC

      3.0 CEUs


      "Role-playing games like "Dungeons and Dragons" have risen in popularity in recent years, even being featured on hit shows like Netflix's 'Stranger Things.' But a Tampa Bay area mental health therapist is putting a new spin on it." -

      WUSF Public Media, WUSF News, By DAYLINA MILLER • AUG 10, 2017

      "With imaginative role-playing games children and young adults can develop the social skills to build creativity, confidence, teamwork, anger management, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Areas of therapy work will include separation, loss, grief, failure, overcoming fear, and trust issues." - Matt Fahy, LMHC

      Learning Objectives:

      1. Participants will learn the basics tabletop role play games. 
      2. Participants will be able to identify populations that benefit from therapeutic role play games. 
      3. Participants will be able to identify benefits of using therapeutic role play games.
      4. Participants will be able to identify the parts of the game interventions are necessary and where they are intrinsic to the game.

      Training Fees

      Registered & Paid in Advance Guarantees Seat:

      $10 Member

      $25 Nonmember

      $0 Student

      (members need to be logged in to be able to register at the member rate)

      Not Registered / Walk-ins - Seat Not Guaranteed; Assigned First-Come:

      $15 Member 

      $30 Nonmember 

      $5 Student 

      Troy University, Tampa Campus, 5201 W. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 110, Tampa, FL 33609


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    • EQ, IQ and No Clue: Creating Emotionally Intelligent Relationships

      • Friday, May 17, 2019
      • 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
      • Troy University, Tampa Campus, 5201 W Kennedy Blvd # 110, Tampa, FL 33609
      • 38
      Register

      EQ, IQ and No Clue: Creating Emotionally Intelligent Relationships

      presented by Ken Donaldson, LMHC CAP MAC

      3.0 CEUs

       We all have multiple different types of relationships, but we, for the most part, have not been taught solid relationship skills. In this experiential and interactive presentation the participants will learn the basics of emotional intelligence (EQ) and the impact it has on all relationships; at home, in the community, at work and with your clients.

      Learning Objectives:

      1. Participants will learn the basics of emotional intelligence
      2. Participants will develop emotional literacy for your counseling practice
      3. Participants will discover simple EQ Mindfulness practices
      4. Participants will review research regarding EQ and sex, love and romance
      5. Participants will practice developing a happy, healthy and humorous EQ lifestyle

      Training Fees

      Registered & Paid in Advance Guarantees Seat:

      $10 Member

      $25 Nonmember

      $0 Student

      (members need to be logged in to be able to register at the member rate)

      Not Registered / Walk-ins - Seat Not Guaranteed; Assigned First-Come:

      $15 Member 

      $30 Nonmember 

      $5 Student 

      Troy University, Tampa Campus, 5201 W. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 110, Tampa, FL 33609


      Show details

    Past events

    Friday, February 15, 2019 Marital Counseling in Culturally Diverse America
    Friday, January 18, 2019 Emotional Support Puppies, Peacocks, and Tarantulas: Oh, My! A Counselor's Clinical, Ethical, and Legal Guide to Addressing Emotional Support Animal Letter Requests
    Friday, November 16, 2018 Science of Happiness: Positive Psychology’s theory of wellbeing - PERMA
    Friday, October 19, 2018 Unlocking The Power of Collaboration!
    Friday, September 21, 2018 Military and Veteran Culture for Mental Health Professionals
    Wednesday, August 01, 2018 AMHCA 2018 Conference with special SMHCA event!
    Friday, June 15, 2018 Private Practice Symposium: Ethics in a Digital Age ~ SMHCA Going Green with electronic handout
    Friday, June 15, 2018 2018-2019 Elections Results!
    Friday, May 18, 2018 2018-2019 Board Elections Open May 18th!
    Friday, May 18, 2018 Suicide Risk Factors and Prevention
    Saturday, April 21, 2018 Qualified Supervisor and Agency Exhibitor Tables for Spring Symposium
    Saturday, April 21, 2018 2018 SMHCA Annual Spring Symposium
    Friday, April 20, 2018 The Art of Ethical and Effective Mediation
    Friday, April 06, 2018 The Psychology of School Shooters
    Friday, March 16, 2018 Using Exposure and Response Prevention for the Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
    Tuesday, March 06, 2018 Leadership Clock: Is Now Your Time to Lead?
    Friday, February 16, 2018 Batterers' Intervention Program: A Process of Accountability for Batterer's
    Friday, January 19, 2018 Treating Psychological Conditions with Cannabinoid Medications THC and CBD
    Friday, November 17, 2017 Working with Complicated Grief
    Friday, October 20, 2017 Confidentiality & Duty to Warn: Ethical and Legal Implications
    Friday, September 22, 2017 Mental Health Treatment with Muslim Patients
    Thursday, June 22, 2017 4-Day Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples
    Friday, June 16, 2017 Private Practice Symposium
    Friday, May 19, 2017 Humor and Healing
    Saturday, May 13, 2017 Qualified Supervisor and Agency Exhibitor Tables for 2017 Spring Symposium
    Friday, April 21, 2017 Florida's Marchman Act
    Friday, March 17, 2017 Mindfulness:Training for Wellbeing
    Friday, February 17, 2017 Ethics Update: How to Chat, Post, Follow, Like...
    Friday, January 20, 2017 Medication Errors

    Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
    Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved

    Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association
    P.O. Box 110002 
    Bradenton, FL 34211

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