The American Counseling Association has been fighting for years with frustratingly little success to get counselors hired as mental health clinicians within veterans hospitals, facilities and Vet Centers. It now appears that even the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) own analysts are frustrated too. In a report released at the end of April, the Veterans… continue reading

Your government relations team at the American Counseling Association continues to push the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin hiring counselors in its health care system. News reports regularly cite the need to increase veterans’ access to mental health services, but VA clinics and facilities appear uninterested in hiring any master’s-level providers other than… continue reading

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) announced that it was adding Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists to its workforce as part of the hiring of an additional 1,900 mental health staff nationwide that VA announced last week.  Included in the announcement was this quote from VA Secretary Eric K…. continue reading

Breaking recent precedent, the House of Representatives, the Senate and President Barack Obama agreed to a legislative package extending payroll tax relief, unemployment benefits and Medicare physician payment rates more than a week before each was set to expire at the end of February. The House approved the final package by a 293-132 vote on… continue reading

February 16, 2012 Public Policy Conference Call (Click the link to listen) ACA’s public policy staff  hosted a conference call on Thursday, February  16th, from 2 – 3 p.m. ET regarding policy issues they are working on, including the president’s budget, Medicare coverage and Veterans Administration developments. The next public policy conference call will be held… continue reading