Invitation and News

Dear MMHCA Members:

You’re invited! Please join us for an open house from 3pm - 6pm on Friday, April 25th, at 3970 Heritage Ave, Okemos, MI 48864. The first hour will be a meet and greet with snacks! At 4pm will be a presentation and open discussion about Counseling in Times of Collective Stress.

As therapists, we are trained to help clients navigate personal challenges within their unique contexts. But what happens when we, too, are affected by the same large-scale stressors—such as a pandemic, natural disasters, or other distressing events? How do we continue to provide support when we are also experiencing the weight of these challenges?

This in-person discussion will provide an opportunity for reflection on how shared adversity impacts our clinical work and explore strategies for maintaining professional effectiveness while prioritizing our own well-being. We will consider ways to support our clients while also ensuring that we, as therapists, engage in essential self-care practices.

Please RSVP at this link.

MMHCA Advocacy Update:

In March MMHCA leadership met with Representative VanderWall and his staff, joined by our partners at NASW-MI and our legislative lobbyists. This collaborative effort, initiated by MMHCA, reflects our shared commitment to advancing the interests of Michigan’s mental health professionals and those we serve.

We had a productive conversation about key issues impacting our field (including pay, access to services, and insurance claw-backs). The Representative and his staff were engaged, asked thoughtful questions, and expressed genuine interest in the concerns we raised.

We look forward to our continued partnership with NASW-Michigan and ongoing work with our lobbyist as we work on both short-term and long-term initiatives. We’ll keep members updated as this important work progresses!

Pictured below are Duane Breijak, NASW-MI Executive Director, Chris DeBoer MMHCA President, and Krystin Sankey MMHCA treasurer who attended the meeting with Representative VanderWall along with two of MMHCA’s lobbyists.

Lastly, our Board members will be presenting about the Counseling Compact at the Building Bridges and Breaking Barriers conference on April 11, 2025 at EMU. Please join us if you’re attending the conference (it’s sold out) and say hi - let us know you’re a member. We’d love to meet you in person.

If you have questions please email us at MMHCABOARD@MMHCANOW.ORG.

In Service,

MMHCA’s Board

Chris DeBoer, President

Krystin Sankey, Treasurer

Carol Berger, Secretary

Dr. Joy Creel, Member at Large

Dr. Larry Pfaff, Member at Large

Lauri Rowe, Member at Large

Dr. Elizabeth Teklinski, Outreach & Education Chair

Links you may find useful:

Our website MMHCANOW.org

LINK to the Counseling Compact website

"Answers to Michigan Counselors’ Questions about the Counseling Compact."

📌 Listen to the Audio Version: [Click here]

📌 Download the Written Report: [Click here]

LINK to our 1/30/25 Compact report

LINK to a 17 minute overview of the Compact by Chris DeBoer

LINK to 58 min video about vertical integration in Mental Health by Chris DeBoer

LINK to MMHCA's 2024 accomplishments

LINK to MMHCA’s 2025 accomplishments so far

LINK to MMHCA’s LinkedIn group.

LINK to MMHCA's YouTube channel

LINK to MMHCA's FaceBook page. Please follow us!