The Colorado Counseling Association is made up of more than 1,400 members throughout the state of Colorado. We are so grateful to serve each member! 

 

The mission of the CCA is to serve its membership by promoting legislative advocacy efforts, education resources, and professional resources offered to its members.

 

 

What's in this newsletter:

 

Please find all of this important information below. If you have any questions, or any information to share, please email us at: info@ColoradoCounselingAssociation.org

 

Thank you from all of us here!

As of January 1, 2024, LPCs are now included as providers who can take Medicare clients. However, you have to opt-in if you are wanting to see Medicare clients or opt-out if you do not want to accept Medicare clients. If you opt-out, you have to complete an Opt-Out Affidavit through Novitas Solutions that then will be sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for review. In Colorado, we are in region JH and Novitas Solutions is the administrator. If you opt-out, you have to provide your clients with a disclosure that states their benefits through Medicare will not be used. This is much like the Good Faith Estimate provided to clients who are not using their insurance. We’ve included important links for you to review for both the opt-in and opt-out processes.

 

For information on Mental Health Counselors enrolling in Medicare, see this fact sheet by the CMS. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/marriage-and-family-therapists-and-mental-health-counselors-faq-09052023.pdf

 

You should also review the Novitas guidelines regarding our region JH. You can find general information here. https://www.novitas-solutions.com/webcenter/portal/MedicareJH  

 

The specific guidelines for opting out are here. https://www.novitas-solutions.com/webcenter/portal/MedicareJH/pagebyid?contentId=00004846

 

To opt-out of Medicare, you will need to complete this form. https://www.novitas-solutions.com/webcenter/content/conn/UCM_Repository/uuid/dDocName:00008290

 

To find out more about what needs to be in a disclosure to clients if you chose to opt out, click here. https://www.novitas-solutions.com/webcenter/portal/MedicareJH/pagebyid?contentId=00093112#P82_13190  

 

There is a lot of information on this page, so take the time to read through all the information.

 

Finally, NBCC also has a series of Medicare webinars to help you understand Medicare. Access them here. https://www.nbcc.org/govtaffairs/medicarevideos

 

 

 

In counseling, encountering shame is common. Shame might be related to a reluctance to discuss traumas, intrusive thoughts, or the acknowledgment of the full extent of substance use. However, I have seen a trend where conservative clients hesitate to openly share their political beliefs due to fear of judgment. While research on conservatives' reluctance to share their opinions is sparse, anecdotal evidence suggests a notable phenomenon in the field. Clients may perceive their therapist as being hostile towards their political beliefs, which is not entirely unjustified. Most counselors and mental health professionals lean liberal and vote Democrat. In addition, the American Counseling Association and other CACREP have made explicit statements that align themselves and the profession with stances that can be perceived as liberal.

 

Leading conservatives have noted the liberal bias in the profession and have encouraged people to stop or be cautious of counseling as a profession. Thus, counseling creates potential problems, as individuals may begin to avoid counseling or refuse to talk about issues they perceive might be negatively judged by their therapist.

 

While some therapists explicitly identify as conservative, their numbers remain limited. Furthermore, the profession's stances on controversial topics may clash with conservative viewpoints, making it difficult for more conservatives to be welcomed into the profession. Balancing the inclusion of diverse political ideologies while respecting issues like sexual minorities poses a dilemma. However, research highlights the importance of political alignment between clients and therapists for a positive therapeutic relationship.

 

Despite the difficulties, the counseling profession must acknowledge and accommodate conservative clients and counselors to prevent alienation. Failing to do so may drive individuals away from seeking help, ultimately undermining the profession's goal of providing inclusive services.

 

To read the full article, click here.

The CCA is running a special membership drive that rewards you for referring a new member and reward the new member for joining! Here’s how the program works.

 

To find out more about joining the CCA, click here. 

 

Section 4 CCR 737-1.16 - RECORDS REQUIRED TO BE KEPT AND RECORD RETENTION (C.R.S. sections 12-245-204(4), 12-245-224(1)(u)) describes how long records must be kept and what must be kept in the client records. The rule states: “For each client, this record shall be retained for a period of seven years, commencing on either the termination of professional counseling services or the date of last contact with the client, whichever is later. Exception. When the client is a child, the record shall be retained for a period of seven years commencing either upon the last day of treatment or when the child reaches eighteen years of age, whichever comes later, but in no event shall records be kept for more than twelve years.”

 

In addition, this rule outlines what must be kept in the records, including a final closing statement, and how the records must be kept and protected. Take a moment to review this rule to ensure you are in compliance. You can read the full regulation here. 

 

 

Not only does DORA have different rules for each of the various therapist licenses in Colorado (LPC, LCSW, PsyD, LMFT, LAC, etc.) but the laws via state statute can be different for each type of license. It is important if you are being supervised by a clinician who is not an LPC, that you seek guidance and possibly additional supervision from an LPC with the skills and knowledge to help you understand the state statutes and DORA rules and regulations that govern LPCs and LPCCs. The CCA is also a great resource when you have questions regarding your LPC license.

 

 

The simple answer to this is no, unless you are also licensed in the state in which your client is attending college. You can certainly see this client when they are in Colorado. If you have a client that you’ve seen in Colorado who is moving to another state, it’s advisable to help this client find a therapist in their new state and to do a soft handoff to this new therapist to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible and to ensure a continuance of care if warranted. Note: when the Interstate Compact goes live, you will be able to apply for licensure in other states.

Mark your calendars now to attend the 2024 Annual Conference in beautiful Keystone! The student conference is Wednesday, August 21, followed by the general conference Thursday and Friday August 22 and 23. You can early register now for the conference. 

 

In addition, we will be sending out a call for proposals for speakers in 

February! Now is the time to be thinking about presenting and preparing your proposal submission.

If you haven’t done so, all LPCs must complete their Professional Survey and Self-Assessment and establish learning goals and create a learning plan to accomplish these goals. Do not wait until your license renewal in 2025 to complete this important DORA requirement. To learn more about what this entails and to see the required forms, click here. 

Take a few minutes to listen to the CCA Executive Director's, Dr. Ryan M. Burkhart, summary of the CCA accomplishments for 2023 and to learn about CCA initiatives for 2024. The CCA is working hard for you!