Government Affairs Newsroom

Earlier this month, the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies released a proposed spending bill that would increase funding for SAMHSA’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by $2 million.

NBCC’s Government & Legislative Affairs Department is working with agencies and officials in New York and Michigan as they strive to protect and clarify their scopes of practice for counselors.

Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Grace Napolitano (D-CA), who co-chair the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, have introduced H.R. 2431, the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2019.

Have you ever thought about contacting your senators and representatives about counselors serving Medicare beneficiaries but are worried you wouldn’t know what to say?

NBCC’s Government & Legislative Affairs Staff has been working closely with Senate allies to advance S. 785, the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act.

Have you ever wondered who Medicare serves, how it is funded, and what this would really mean for counselors? NBCC’s Government and Legislative Affairs Department is here to help!

Volunteers in Oregon were recently interviewed on local TV and radio about S. 286/H.R. 945, the federal bills that would allow mental health counselors to treat Medicare beneficiaries.

Legislation proposed by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) would direct the VA to work with the Office of Personnel Management to create an occupational series for mental health counselors.

The NBCC Government Affairs team is tracking Arizona House Bill 2569 (H.B. 2569), aimed at decreasing occupational licensing requirements for newcomers who wish to work in the state.

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has introduced H.R. 100, the Veteran Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act, which would direct the VA to publish a review of efforts to hire mental health counselors.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)/National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Substance Use Disorder Loan Repayment Program is open for applications through Feb. 21.

Recently, Psychotherapy Networker, a trade publication for mental health professionals, published an article highlighting the Mental Health Access Improvement Act.

In government affairs, oftentimes conflict means opportunity. The new Congress, seated on Jan. 3 with a Republican Senate majority and a Democratic House majority, will be forced to compromise with each other on large funding, health care, and other pieces of legislation.

Last month, Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, giving them more influence over the federal legislative agenda for the next two years.

On Oct. 24, President Trump signed the Substance Use–Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act into law.

With midterm elections completed, national attention is turning toward the next Congress. NBCC’s focus, however, remains unchanged.

Congress has approved sweeping legislation to combat the opioid crisis, and the bill includes student loan repayment assistance to counselors and other behavioral health professionals. The bill now goes to President Trump.

President Trump signed legislation on Sept. 21 that directs the VA to work with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create an Occupational Series for mental health counselors and a staffing plan for counselors to fill vacant positions in the agency.

Three key programs supported by NBCC that benefit the counseling profession will receive funding increases under a federal bill signed by President Trump.

Read the inaugural edition of the Counselor Advocacy Networker, NBCC’s exclusive monthly newsletter for counselors who have signed up to be members of the Counselor Advocacy Network. Inside this edition, you’ll find an update on Medicare legislation, a report on VA priorities, and much more!

NBCC is pleased to announce the creation of the Counselor Advocacy Network (CAN). Through this network, NBCC hopes to identify counselors who are committed to being advocates for the profession.

NBCC partnered with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) to urge the new Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs, Robert Wilkie, to make greater use of counselors and MFTs.

Reps. John Katko (R-NY-24) and Grace Napolitano (D-CA-32) have introduced legislation to increase access to counselors and other mental health professionals and address the shortage of behavioral health professionals in rural and underserved areas.

NBCC made meaningful progress on the creation of a federal occupational series for counselors and increasing employment by the Department of Veterans Affairs in a recent spending bill released by Congress.

Congress remains focused on the opioid crisis ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

The House of Representatives is in recess until September, and the Senate may have a similar break coming soon.

The opioid crisis has been in the spotlight on Capitol Hill for months, and NBCC has been pressing for inclusion of Medicare legislation in the package.

On June 13, H.R. 5102, the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2018, passed the House.

The President’s fiscal year 2019 budget proposes eliminating SAMHSA’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), which provides scholarships to minority mental health and addiction professionals in counseling and other behavioral health fields.

The NBCC's Vice President for Legal and External Affairs has seen major legislative progress in advocating for board certified counselors in his decade with the organization.

The NBCC is partnering with other counseling organizations in urging a coordinated grassroots campaign on Medicare legislation. The organizations are working hard to increase constituent contacts with lawmakers.

Lawmakers are currently setting funding levels for the 2019 fiscal year and it is important that they hear from their constituents about the importance of the Minority Fellowship Program.

At a recent congressional briefing held by the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging, Rep. John Katko (R-NY) gave an impassionate plea for attendees to support H.R. 3032 and expand access to mental health and addiction treatment for America’s seniors.

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16) has introduced H.R 5531, tThe Opioid Emergency Response Act. The bill contains a seven7-point plan to address the opioid crisis, including a section authorizing mental health counselors to serve as Medicare providers.

The Senate passed S. Resolution 447 last week, which recognizes March 22, 2018, as National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day.

On March 23, President Trump signed H.R. 1625, a massive spending bill that keeps the federal government open through the end of the fiscal year.

The $1.3 trillion spending package passed by Congress and signed by the President contains increased funding for counseling and other behavioral health programs.

NBCC is endorsing the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act, which would offer student loan repayment to counselors and other treatment professionals.

NBCC Co-Sponsors Congressional Briefing on Counselor Medicare Legislation.

NBCC Co-Sponsors Congressional Briefing on Counselor Medicare Legislation.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is holding a Virtual Job Fair on April 12 featuring over 100 health care organizations.

The NBCC is working with state counseling agencies and licensing boards to fight against proposals by some state legislatures that would deregulate the counseling profession.

Arizona House Bill 2406, which would have eliminated licensure for professional counselors and abolished the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, is dead for the session.