Washington Professional Counselors Association News!

Meet Jennifer Stuber and Sue Eastgard.

Tim Livingston — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:47:25 GMT

In this video, meet Jennifer Stuber and Sue Eastgard, who have helped bring proposed legislation forward on Suicide Prevention Training and continuing education for certain health care and mental health service providers in WA State.

Click here to see video on King5.com

Jennifer's husband, Matt, took his own life a year ago this month. It has been a pleasure to work with them both, on the work group formed to discuss and recommend this critical focus to save lives.

Representative Tina Orwall, from the 33rd Legislative District, has been our driving and collaborative force toward this new legislation. WAPROCA is active in the work group and a strong supporter of this proposed legislation.

WAPROCA will be offering specific training for Certified Counselors and Certified Advisers on this important topic, focused within current scope of practice guidelines.

D.O.H. Online Renewals - a phased approach.

Tim Livingston — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:00:19 GMT

On December 16, 2011, the Department of Health began implementing online renewals using a phased approach. Over the course of the next 17 months they will roll out additional professions for online renewal. The renewals Web page will display the updated list of professions able to renew online. A small convenience charge to cover costs may apply.

Click this link to read more...http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/RenewalsOnline.htm

Please note that currently, only the following four professions may renew online during the first phase of the project:

Surgical Technologists
Pharmacy Technicians
Naturopathic Physicians
Licensed Social Work Associate - Independent Clinical

Credential holders will not be able to renew online if:

Their credential has already expired.
They are currently in any other status such as military, inactive, or retired.
They want to change status from active to military, inactive, or retired.
They have an address change. Please see information below to update your address.
They have a name change. Please contact our Customer Service staff at 360.236.4700 for information.

SHB 2366 has passed the House! 92 to 5.

Tim Livingston — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:45:15 GMT

SHB 2366 (Suicide Prevention Training) has passed the House with strong support. 92 to 5. The bill is now headed to the Senate. WAPROCA is a strong supporter of this new legislation!

Thank you for your feedback!

Important General Meeting tomorrow, via Conference Call. January 12, 2012.

Tim Livingston — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:19:26 GMT

Join us tomorrow, January 12, 2012 @ 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M., for an important General Meeting to discuss the proposed legislation for continuing education on Suicide Prevention. This bill requires certain mental health professionals to complete training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management prior to initial licensure/certification and on an ongoing basis thereafter. This includes all Certified Counselors and Certified Advisers.

WAPROCA has a voice in this Work Group, attending two recent Stakeholder meetings and a public hearing - this past Monday, January 9th, in Olympia. Let us hear from you!

Click here to read the proposed legislation.

We hold General Meetings on the second Thursday of each month - excluding July, August, and December. Our next General Meeting via Conference Call is tomorrow:

January 12, 2012 (Thursday)

6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

For conference call information, please send an email to: meeting@waproca.org You will receive an immediate and automated response with additional details to join the call.

House Bill 2220 : Suicide Prevention Training required for certain health professionals.

Tim Livingston — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:20:55 GMT

House Bill 2220 is draft legislation requiring certain health professionals to complete continuing education in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. Certified Counselors and Certified Advisers are included in this proposed draft.

Read more about the proposed legislation by clicking here!

I have attended two stakeholder meetings to discuss this draft legislation, which will be reviewed at a public hearing with the Health Care & Wellness Committee in Olympia on Monday, January 9th, 2012. Additional information regarding the public hearing can be found by clicking here!

WAPROCA has submitted a detailed response to Rep. Tina Orwall (33rd Legislative District), who graciously facilitated the two stakeholder meetings. The outline of our response, including comments, concerns, and recommendations will be posted shortly.

Please let me know if you would like to join us at this public hearing. contact@waproca.org

Review of this draft legislation, and our response, will be reviewed at our next General Meeting, on Thursday, January 12, 2012 - 6PM-7:30PM. For more information about attending our General Meeting, please go to http://waproca.org/meeting.

Mandated Reporters: WA State DSHS, How to Report Child Abuse or Neglect.

Tim Livingston — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:05:19 GMT

"Offices within local communities are responsible for receiving and investigating reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Reports are received by Child Protective Services (CPS) located in each community office and assessed to determine whether the report meets the legal definition of abuse or neglect and how dangerous the situation is."

http://www.dshs.wa.gov/ca/safety/abuseReport.asp

Registered Hypnotherapists : Adopted Fee Increases Effective December 1, 2011.

Tim Livingston — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:14:54 GMT

Adopted Fee Increases Effective December 1, 2011. Registered Hypnotherapists, and other credentials - EXCLUDING Certified Counselors and Certified Advisers, have fee schedule changes, as authorized by the 2011 legislature (2ESHB1087, Chapter 50, 2011 Laws 1st Special Session PV).

"These fee increases are necessary for programs to remain in operation and ensure patient safety."

The exclusion for Certified Counselors and Certified Advisers is due to the recent creation of the new credentials. CLICK HERE for more information.

HEAL-WA : Health Evidence Resource for WA State Licensed Practitioners.

Tim Livingston — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:23:01 GMT

HEAL-WA is an authoritative, current, evidence-based information for health care providers in Washington State. Visit the website now to find a great number of resources and articles for health care practitioners in Washington. CLICK HERE!

While much of the information is available to all website visitors, there are some areas which require a login and password. Logon credentials are provided to the professional credentials which pay a HEAL-WA fee as part of their annual renewal fee. Those credentials include: Chiropractors, East Asian Medicine Practitioners, Massage Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, Naturopathic Physicians, Optometrists, Osteopathic Physicians and Osteopathic Physician Assistants, Physicians and Physician Assistants, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Registered Nurses, and Social Workers. The Marriage and Family Therapist credential will be able to access this resource as of January 1, 2012.

Certified Counselors, Certified Advisers, and Registered Hypnotherapists do not pay a fee to access the protected areas of the website. Access to this resource includes an additional fee for each credential to have access added. If you are a Certified Counselor, Certified Adviser or Registered Hypnotherapist, and would like to have access considered for your credential please write to us and let us know.

Community Crisis Line Information and Resources.

Tim Livingston — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:54:50 GMT

Are you familiar with the crisis resource information in your community? Do you share this information in your practice, crisis phone numbers on your voicemail, etc.? These valuable and often life saving resources are a perfect way to connect your clients (family and friends too) to the help they may be seeking.

CLICK HERE for more information, or go to www.crisisclinic.org

New report shows a 55 percent increase from 2005 to 2009 in emergency department visits for drug-related suicide attempts by males aged 21 to 34.

Tim Livingston — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:14:49 GMT

A new national study shows that from 2005 to 2009 there was a 55 percent increase in emergency department visits for drug related suicide attempts by men aged 21 to 34. Read more...

New report offers state-by-state breakdown of substance abuse and mental illness problems.

Tim Livingston — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:58:43 GMT

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a report this summer providing state-by-state analyses of a wide range of behavioral health issues. It reveals that despite some wide variations among the states in the types and levels of problems they confront, every state faces a significant challenge dealing with these issues. Read more...

AXIS V: GAF Training this coming weekend, May 28, 2011

Tim Livingston — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:43:13 GMT

AXIS V: Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Training this coming weekend, May 28, 2011. There are still seats available. Receive 6 hours toward Continuing Education. Appropriate screening of the client's level of functional impairment is required by all Certified Counselors and Certified Advisers. (WAC 246-810-0201 and WAC 246-810-021)

CLICK HERE to register!

Revised DSM-5 Chapters Proposed and Public Comment Invited

Tim Livingston — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:39:14 GMT

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has posted new revisions to DSM-5 on their website, www.dsm5.org.

The APA has invited public comment on these revisions through June 15th.

Law & Professional Ethics Course (6 CE's)- May 7, 2011.

Tim Livingston — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:15:32 GMT

New training courses are now posted on the WAPROCA website. Plan your continuing education courses early. CLICK HERE to see the calendar.

Hope to see you there!

March 2011 issue of the Patient Safety Quarterly is available.

Tim Livingston — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:30:36 GMT

Do you read the HSQA Patient Safety Quarterly? The March 2011 edition has been published. Copies of previous newsletters are available as well.

http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/Professions/Publications/PSQ.htm

POST COMMENT TO DEPT. OF HEALTH: WAC 246-08-400 & RCW 70.02.010

Tim Livingston — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:15:36 GMT

POST COMMENT TO DEPT. OF HEALTH: WAC 246-08-400 identifies the maximum amounts medical providers may charge for searching and duplicating medical records. RCW 70.02.010 requires the Department of Health to adjust these amounts every two years according to the change in the Consumer Price Index. Public hearing will be held May 10, 2011 at 8 A.M. at the Department of Health, 310 Israel Road SE, 1st Floor, Tumwater.

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/policyreview/

RSS Feed Now Available for WAPROCA News!

Tim Livingston — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 05:12:56 GMT

Use your favorite RSS reader to keep up-to-date with the latest news from our website. You can click the RSS button at the top of our news page, or enter the following URL into your favorite RSS reader.

http://waproca.org/Content/RSS/blog.ashx?pageId=281837

Here are a couple of News Readers that may interest you, if you do not already have a favorite. You can also use MS Outlook, or your current email client may also support RSS feeds.

     * RSS Reader: http://www.rssreader.com/
     * Google Reader: http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlereader/tour.html
     * Other News Readers: http://email.about.com/od/rssreaderswin/tp/windows_free.htm

WA State Board of Health to discuss public health impact of disasters in Japan, school environmental health.

Tim Livingston — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:59:35 GMT

WA State Board of Health to discuss public health impact of disasters in Japan, school environmental health, Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 1 to 4 p.m., Department of Health, Point Plaza East, 310 Israel Rd. S.E., Tumwater, Washington.

Board to discuss public health impact of disasters in Japan, school environmental health

WA State Dept. of Health: Washington State Tobacco Quit Line

Tim Livingston — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:36:49 GMT

Do you work with clients or patients on smoking cessation?

If you are not familiar with the Washington State Tobacco Quit Line, please click below for more information.

http://www.quitline.com/

Free online training for health care providers is available by clicking on the link below.

"You’ll learn what happens when a tobacco user makes that call and who the quit coaches are. You can also listen to a portion of a call. You’ll get step-by-step instructions on how to connect tobacco users to the Quitline. The online training is fully narrated and interactive with provider and patient demonstrations." -Betty Moe (WA State Dept. of Health)

http://www.waquitlinetraining.org/

WA State Board of Health: Feb.10th. Council to hear briefing on behavioral health.

Tim Livingston — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:18:44 GMT

Washington State Board of Health: "Council to hear briefing on behavioral health. Thursday, February 10, Department of Health Town Center 2, Tumwater. On Thursday the Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities will hear a briefing on behavioral health. The council will also discuss the process for selecting priorities for its next state action plan."

CLICK HERE for more information.