ACA News

House Ways & Means Committee Holds Hearing on America's Mental Health Crisis

On February 2, 2022, the House Ways & Means Committee conducted a hearing entitled “America’s Mental Health Crisis,” during which the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S.828/ H.R. 432) was mentioned. ...

Winter 2022 American Counseling Association Foundation Grant Cycle is Now Open

The American Counseling Association Foundation is seeking proposals from ACA members for grants of up to $500.

HHS Announces $13M Grant to Increase Behavioral Health Care Access in Rural Communities

On January 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the availability of $13 million in funding to increase access to behavioral health care services ...

$103M Awarded to 45 Grantees through Biden-Harris Administration American Rescue Plan Funds to Promote Mental Health and Wellness Among Health Care Workers

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced $103 million in awards to 45 grantees to increase the retention and boost staffing of health care workers in the U.S. These multi-year awards, which were secured by funding ...

Public Health Emergency Extended Until April

On January 16, Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced the current COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) has been extended until April 16, 2022. The PHE was originally set to expire on January 16, 2022. The extension ...

ACA CEO Search Begins

Koya Partners | Diversified Search Group, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained by the American Counseling Association to lead the search for its next Chief Executive Officer.

Senate Finance Committee Receives 321 Public Responses to Barriers to Mental Health Care for Counselors

Senate Finance Committee press release, titled ?Wyden, Crapo Welcome Input on Addressing the Mental Health Care Crisis," highlights the 321 public responses to the initiative, including a letter from the American Counseling Association advocating for ...

Senate Finance Committee Receives 321 Public Responses to Barriers to Mental Health Care for Counselors

Senate Finance Committee press release, titled ?Wyden, Crapo Welcome Input on Addressing the Mental Health Care Crisis," highlights the 321 public responses to the initiative, including a letter from the American Counseling Association advocating for ...

Senate Finance Committee Receives 321 Public Responses to Barriers to Mental Health Care Initiative

On December 20, the Senate Finance Committee issued a press release highlighting a bipartisan initiative to address barriers to mental health care. The release, titled “Wyden, Crapo Welcome Input on Addressing the Mental Health Care ...

New No Surprise Billing Regulations for Behavioral Health Care Providers

The No Surprises Act aims to increase price transparency and reduce the likelihood that clients receive a ?surprise? medical bill by requiring that providers inform clients of an expected charge for a service before the service is provided.

ACA Submits Comments on Congressional Initiative for America?s Mental Well-Being

Recently, the American Counseling Association, along with members of the Medicare Mental Health Workforce Coalition, submitted comments on an initiative led by U.S. Reps. Michael Bennet and John Cornyn, which would modernize the delivery and ...

ACA Responds to Senate Finance Request for Information

The American Counseling Association (ACA) submitted a response to the Senate Finance Committee’s request for policy proposals to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder services. The response was addressed to Senator Ron ...

American Counseling Association Statement on Publicly Diagnosing the Mental State of an Individual

  The American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, Section E, requires counselors to take special care in providing the proper diagnosis of mental disorders in the proper manner. The public association of any individual with any term ...

NOW ACCEPTING: 2022 ACA National Awards Nominations

It's ACA Awards season again! Nominations are officially open for the next round of ACA National Awards. The Awards winners will be recognized at the upcoming 2022 ACA Conference & Expo in Atlanta, Georgia and the ACA 2022 Virtual Conference ...

Representatives Newman and Stewart Champion Student Mental Health with New Bill

Congresswoman Marie Newman (D-IL-03) and Congressman Chris Stewart (R-UT-2) have sponsored the Student Mental Health Helpline Act of 2021 (HR 5235) to address students? mental health by providing a 24/7 mental health helpline.

?Caring for America: Legislation to Support Patients, Caregivers, and Providers? Health Subcommittee Hearing Features Discussion of Key Bipartisan Bills

This week, Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) provided opening remarks at a Health Subcommittee legislative hearing titled, “Caring for America: Legislation to Support Patients, Caregivers, and Providers.” He highlighted that a legislative ...

Biden Administration Releases Report on Improving Mental Health Access for Children & Students

On October 19, the White House published a fact sheet announcing the release of a new report entitled “Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health,” which will serve as a resource for improving the overall ...

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Gets an Overhaul

The Department of Education just announced an overhaul of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program with the goal of making the program live up to its stated intention: relieving the student loan debt burden of public servants. As part of the ...

SAMHSA announces $825M in grants to community mental health centers

On September 28, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the distribution of $825 million in grants to 231 community mental health centers (CMHC) across the country. A complete list of grant recipients can be ...

President Biden?s COVID-19 Action Plan

On September 9, the Biden administration announced a six-pronged, comprehensive national strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, entitled ?Path out of the Pandemic.?