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The following notes highlight discussion and action from the December 7-8, 2013, CAMFT Board of Directors meeting in San Francisco.
(Note: On Friday evening, December 6th, the CAMFT Board met informally with leaders from the San Francisco Chapter. These “Board-to-Board” gatherings allow for interaction between state and local leaders when the CAMFT Board is meeting in a chapter’s area.)
December 2013 Bylaws Vote
The Board of Directors discussed the results of the December 2013 membership vote to repeal the July 2013 bylaws and reinstate the June 2009 bylaws. A total of 3,745 valid ballots were received, which exceeded the five percent quorum requirement (960 ballots). Of the valid ballots, 3,603 ballots approved repealing the 2013 bylaws and reinstating the 2009 bylaws, and 142 did not. The vote passed based on more than two-thirds (2/3) of the valid ballots voting in favor of the proposal. The December 2013 bylaws are now available on the CAMFT website.
Executive Report
Cathy Atkins reported on staffing and operations at CAMFT. The Board received reports on The Therapist, continuing education programs, marketing and public relations, and the CAMFT website. Ms. Atkins reported CAMFT has now reached over 31,000 members.
Ms. Atkins discussed new live and online programs in 2014. Live programs include: two Law & Ethics seminars, four CAMFT Connects member forums, two Advanced DSM-5 seminars. Online programs include new webcasts for DSM-5, law and ethics, and supervision,. Also starting in 2014, CAMFT will offer free malpractice insurance for student members.
The Board discussed the recent shortage of available attorneys to answer member calls due to a staff shortage based on current medical leaves. Ms. Atkins reported CAMFT recently hired two new members to the Legal Department, Alain Montgomery and Irene Chung. Ms. Atkins stated she was hopeful that the long wait times would be minimized by the end of the year.
Ms. Atkins reported on the planning and preparation for CAMFT’s golden anniversary. Staff is developing innovate ways to commemorate CAMFT’s 50th anniversary and engage members in the celebration, beginning in January. Included are discounted live events, free webcasts by Affinity Partners, historical fun-facts, and pioneer statements in The Therapist, and a celebration at the Annual Conference.
Ms. Atkins discussed the status of CAMFT’s application to the BBS as a Continuing Education Provider Approval Agency. CAMFT recently hired Miriam Toscano as the Program Coordinator. Ms. Toscano will work with a taskforce to develop Agency guidelines and procedures, which will be submitted to the BBS in July 2014 as part of CAMFT’s application.
In closed session, the Board and Ms. Atkins discussed Executive Director Jill Epstein’s medical leave and long-term planning. Ms. Epstein is expected to return by March 2014. The Board also conducted Ms. Atkins performance review.
2014/2015 Board of Directors Election
Ms. Atkins reported on the upcoming Board of Directors election, specifically the logistics of the election given the new December 2013 bylaws. To learn more about the timeframe of the 2014/2015 election, please see the CAMFT website.
Legislation/Advocacy
Ms. Atkins reported on the exciting news that CAMFT secured a House of Representative sponsor for CAMFT’s Medicare bill, Mike Thompson (D-Santa Rosa). Rep. Thompson agreed to introduce the bill after an incredible grassroots effort by the members within his district. CAMFT now has bi-partisan bills in both the House (HR 3662) and the Senate (S 562).
The Board worked together to choose the legislative priorities for 2014. The proposals for this year’s legislation were developed by the legal department based on member concerns and issues presented over the last year. Proposed legislation will be drafted and the CAMFT lobbyist will work to find authors for the various bills by the deadline for bill introduction in February 2014.
The Board reviewed updates about the BBS and state/federal legislation. CAMFT-sponsored SB 282 was signed by the Governor. CAMFT selected Mike Thompson (D-Santa Rosa) as the federal Legislator of the Year, and Mark Wyland (R-San Diego) as the state Legislator of the Year.
The Board also discussed the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and its involvement in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). CAMFT has made it a priority to be a visible and active stakeholder within the DHCS as the ACA is being implemented.
Chapters
After reviewing the amendments proposed by the Chapters to the chapter policy, the Board approved the policy as submitted by staff, with Chapter amendments. The content of the policy will be transferred into a chapter agreement, which will be distributed to the Chapters early in 2014 for review and discussion at the upcoming Chapter Leadership Conference (CLC).
The Board also approved one-time grants of up to $1,000 each to assist Chapters in complying with the new chapter agreement.
The Board discussed the upcoming CLC on February 28-March 1, 2014. The Board was also notified that the Chapter Advisory Council had selected a recipient of the Chapter Excellence Award (a $1,000 stipend), which will be announced at the CLC.
Finance
The Board approved the proposed 2014 budget. Victoria Campbell, Chief Financial Officer, pointed out the proposed budget showed an operational surplus for the first time in over seven years. The Board commended staff on this achievement.
CAMFT Connects Forums
The Board discussed the positive feedback and overall success of the recent CAMFT Connects member forums on October 12, and October 19, 2013. The Board approved four additional CAMFT Connects forums in 2014, with the hope that the forums will be in geographically diverse locations.
Committee Reports
The Board received reports from the following Committees: Strategic Planning Committee, Finance Committee, Ethics Committee, CE Provider Approval Program Task Force, Purview Committee and Clinical Editorial Committee.
Next Board Meeting
The next Board meeting will be held March 14-15, 2014 in Washington, D.C. For more details, please visit the Board of Directors section of the CAMFT website.
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