BHEC Council Statement by Phillip Crum
I'm Phillip Crum, co-founder of AMHP.
BHEC Council Statement by Phillip Crum
The division in our country, in this profession, has reached dangerous levels. The dialogue between counselor groups both online and in person is emotionally-driven and any thought of a civil debate of ideas seems to be out of the question. The threat of physical harm is very real--just visit a few online groups and read the unhinged comments from people who call themselves "professional" mental health counselors. The fact they frequently refer to a group of counselors who don't agree with them as "outside forces" tells you a lot.
Ideology and Unhinged Emotion vs The Constitution
This is what happens when, as a nation, ideology and emotion take precedent over fact-based common-sense and we allow it to rule the day.
Reality is that well over 70% of Americans signed a national petition-mandate on Nov 5th. All 4 Boards voted unanimously to make the rule change just last month. We've had enough of it and we want our sanity and meritocracy back. Council, the pendulum is already swinging the other way so no doubt things will get louder before they subside so expect that.
Law Takes Precedent Over Ideology
Abbott's EO of two weeks ago to remove all DEI initiatives, and that's exactly what todays commenters have claimed it to be, from ALL TX agencies makes today's discussion largely a forgone conclusion. Either we do it today or the Gov's office will do it for us. A group of counselors doesn't have the authority to override an executive directive.
My hope, our hope, is that all 4 boards and the Council recognize what's going on out there in the trenches and openly deal with it. You have that duty to the citizens of TX.
And for the record, the ACA Code of Ethics is NOT the official code for the state of TX. Adopt it personally if you will but the State and it's agencies are not obligated to follow the ACA Code despite what academia would like its graduates to think.
Thank you.
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About the Author
Kathleen Mills is a fire-breathing, 33+ year veteran of the counseling world. People react in one of two ways when evil touches their lives: some retreat in fear, and some advance without pause to engage it. Kathleen falls firmly in the latter group. She owns and operates Life Tree Counseling in Frisco, TX, possesses a tireless work-ethic, and eagerly awaits your arrival into her growing army of warriors.
About the Author
Phillip's background has blessed him with a variety of interests, skills, and tools to get things done. He spent 25 years in the printing and marketing industry before meeting Kathleen Mills in 2015. They quickly figured out that they made a pretty good business team and, owing to Kathleen's story, embarked upon a mission that would see the creation of PracticeMentors.us and eventually the Association for Mental Health Professionals.
About the Author
Rick is a Marriage and Family Therapist who has been in practice for over 45 years. Along with his clinical experience, he taught for 28 years and consulted with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences in designing and conducting the State Board Exams for the MFT license. Rick lives in San Clemente, California with his wife, and enjoys gardening, surfing, writing and teaching springboard diving classes. Explore more of Rick's writings on his Substack.
