HELP PRESERVE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH & SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS CARE

Comments

#203

It is increasingly difficult to staff community based programs to meet the full needs of individuals seeking behavioral health services. Due to licensing limitations for the full range of potential mental health and addiction treatment providers (LMHC, LMFT, LCAT etc.) primarily LCSWs, Psychiatrist and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners are required for these organizations to run smoothly and meet the diagnostic and supervisory needs. It is increasingly difficult to find and keep these individuals in community practices and the demand for them is steadily increasing. Opening up the field to include these additional provider license types will fill a critical need in behavioral health services.

Shawna Marie Aarons-Cooke (New Rochelle, 2021-01-26)

#215

I'm signing this petition because this change would help mental health providers streamline treatment planning and billing processes.

Jonathan Wilson (Cos Cob, 2021-01-26)

#218

These practitioners have completed all necessary requirements and have demonstrated necessary competencies to become licensed. They also are currently and will continue to provide invaluable services. To limit the scope of their service provision will significantly reduce job opportunities and will have a negative impact on service provision providing a large backlog for those receiving and needing services.

Barbara Pasinella (Schenectady, 2021-01-26)

#219

I am an LMHC- the 60 credit Masters program I obtained as well as the clinical experience exceeds that of a social worker’s clinical training and yet lobbying groups prevent us from the full scope of practice in NY .

Rochelle Guido (queensbury, 2021-01-26)

#224

To ensure Article 163 practitioners can continue to practice at the top of their scope in community based agencies and continue being able to 'diagnose' care recipients seeking assistance from community-based mental health and substance use disorder agencies.

Alisha Ost (Corning, 2021-01-26)

#229

We need this law changed to clearly provide these practitioners authority to give diagnosis. Cannot discriminate amongst credential, this is required in our field we do this every single day to keep NYC stable!

Jacqueline Palladino (Jamaica, 2021-01-26)

#231

I'm signing because these practioners perform the same service as others that can diagnose. Neighboring states offer this service

Margret Caron (Chatham, 2021-01-26)

#234

I'm signing because as a behavioral health CEO, we continue to see the need for mental health and SUD services grow and become more complex. This support is critical to the lives of those living with these illnesses.

Kim Brumber (Rochester, 2021-01-26)

#239

As an LMHC I am competent and understand the DSM fully. Therefore, we should be given the authority to provide diagnoses as I am more than qualified to do so.

Alexis Benedetti (Guilderland, 2021-01-26)

#241

Mental health counselors deserve to be able to support their clients and people deserve to have the support from these providers.

Nicole Hansen (Mechanicville, 2021-01-26)

#248

I am signing this because I am a LMHC with decades of experience working with children and their families and I have a clear grasp of diagnosing. I feel as a LPHA my understanding of diagnosing a behavioral health condition is sound. I also feel that there has been lobbying, driven by the LMSW organization, to stop other LPHA from diagnosing, creating a monopoly for them. This action will only lessen services for our clients with very skilled providers. Our county already has a shortage of all licensed professionals (in all fields) so why are we thinking of shorting the list of LPHAs and over taxing the very short list of those who will be allow to diagnosis? With our increase for the need of mental health professionals, not only due to COVID, but also due to the social unrest in our county (which is not going to go away anytime soon), this move just does not make sense. Our communities will suffer and we will lose licensed professionals. Please do not cut us off at the knees. Thank you for your time, Debra

Debra Marchese (Albany, 2021-01-26)

#250

I'm signing because as a LMSW, I know how important the work my LMHC co-workers do and how our work as a whole impacts so many lives. We needs their expertise, the people need their expertise.

Kharyn Lott-Tobin (Syracuse, 2021-01-26)

#253

As a special education teacher, I understand how valuable the services of a LMHC are to our students and their families.

Barbara Realmuto (Massapequa Park, 2021-01-26)

#255

I know how important LMHC's are to mental health care!

Stephanie Doyle (Buffalo, 2021-01-26)

#256

These are essential workers with great expertise and during a pandemic with no end in sight is NOT the time to put them into question. WAKE UP!!

Mary White (huntington, 2021-01-26)

#267

It is imperative that LMHCs and LMFTs continue to be allowed to provide diagnoses. These clinicians are trained, supervised, and tested on such materials before licensure. Without these highly capable clinicians, clinics will not have enough staff to properly meet the mental health needs of the community. As it is, already, it is quite difficult to serve all those who wish to obtain psychotherapy. Losing two critical groups of clinicians would be a dramatic blow to mental health service provision. I urge you to keep LMHCs and LMFTs within the regulations for providing diagnoses.

Maria Graceffa (Brooklyn, 2021-01-26)

#268

As mental health care needs are growing, the availability of mental health care should be as well. It should not be cutting off those who people trust with their lives. This is a travesty.

Laura Oweis (Massapequa, 2021-01-26)

#272

I am signing because community mental health care is more important than ever. LMHC's, LMFT's, LCAT's and other helping professions provide critical assessment, treatment planning and care to the most vulnerable patients and communities in our community agencies and if this change goes into effect in June 2021, this will result in delayed and denied care to those most in need. There is no clinical or ethical benefit to this scope of practice distinction in community agencies, as all clinical staff are supervised and overseen by LCSW and PhD level supervisors.

Christine Kajetzke (Brooklyn, 2021-01-26)

#273

Rachel Noisette

Rachel Noisette (Brooklyn, 2021-01-26)

#275

I’m a LMHC and feel that our clients shouldn’t be punished for a technicality in the language. We receive extensive training and are amply qualified to diagnose our patients

Jennifer Pearlman (Far Rockaway, 2021-01-26)

#279

I am a Mental Health Counselor and it is a crucial part of our job to diagnose clients, we were taught diagnostics in our Master's programs and therefore need to be allowed to do our jobs. Diagnosing is absolutely within our scope of practice and must not be taken away by those who do not understand our jobs and their demands.

Madeline Ryan (Buffalo, 2021-01-27)

#280

It is extremely important that psychoanalysts, LMFT and LMHC practitioners be permitted to continue to diagnose in OMH, OASAS, OCFS, and OPWDD licensed agencies. It would be detrimental to communities if these professionals are not able to continue providing the very important work they’ve been doing, especially during this pandemic.

Sasha Cobo-Bellone (Woodside, Queens, 2021-01-27)

#283

We need more mental health care not less!!!

Charis Thompson (Schenectady, 2021-01-27)

#287

I’m a LMHC working in a psychiatric hospital and I spend my days assessing, educating and using my clinical knowledge bank to adequately care for my patients.

Carly Samach (Glens falls, 2021-01-27)

#289

I am signing because I am a mental health counselor and I am able to understand and diagnose disorders just as well as any other social worker or licensed psychologist. My clients need me and I do not want my job in jeopardy because NYS thinks that I shouldn't be allowed to do part of my job based on no evidence to suggest mental health counselors aren't trained fully, if not even more so, than others in the field who are also qualified to diagnose.

Valerie Kontakos (Albany, 2021-01-27)

#292

I am an LMHC.

Amy Favro (Vermontville, 2021-01-27)

#295

I care about our consumers

John Lavin (Sunnyside, 2021-01-27)

#305

I am a LMHC

Virginia Goodremote (East Concord, 2021-01-27)

#309

I am a licensed mental health counselor and the scope of my work involves diagnosis of clients

Lisa Strain (Clifton park, 2021-01-28)

#311

I am a LMHC

Kristen Herrmann (Huntington, 2021-01-28)

#312

Passage of the proposed regulations in their present form will be devastating for community mental health providers, especially agencies that have a high concentration of multilingual recipients.

James McQuade (Woodside, 2021-01-28)

#315

Mental health is notoriously under treated and under exposed in the United States. Clinicians in this field are up against many barriers in regard to obtaining licensing and the ability to diagnose. We, clinicians and law makers should be working together and not at opposing sides in regard to this significant, yet underserved area of wellness.

Heloise Kayser (Brentwood, 2021-01-28)

#319

I believe mental health clinicians should be able to diagnosis

Joan Sass (Seaford, 2021-01-28)

#325

Medicaid access is important

Andrew DeGennaro (Oceanside, 2021-01-28)

#327

I’m signing because these highly trained professionals are vital to the provision of behavioral health services. We already lack enough clinicians, why would we limit it further?

Carol Tytler (Cortland, 2021-01-29)

#340

I'm an LMHC!

Katherine Elmore (Larchmont, 2021-01-30)

#345

I’m signing as a NY LMFT

Elizabeth Kotkin (Bronx, 2021-02-01)

#348

I’m signing because I’ve practiced as an LMFT for a few years, most recently earning full licensure in March 2020. Diagnosing is an integral part of our education and practice. We are also all more highly educated then generic social workers with no clinical experience coming out of school. This war waged on mental health practitioners hurts the people of New York.

Sarah Scaccia (Hamburg, 2021-02-01)

#350

I’m signing because I am an LMFT and fully capable of diagnosing.

Nicole Hawthorne (Troy, 2021-02-01)

#354

I am an LMFT.

Despina Mitchell (Webster, 2021-02-01)

#355

It is important to get care to those in need during this very difficult time and for years to come as this pandemic's fall out will be felt far into the future.

Julia Maresca (Brentwood, 2021-02-01)

#358

I am a LMHC and I support this petition. LMHCs are actually far better qualified than LCSWs to perform psychotherapy due to our training in graduate school.

Tiffany Jackson (Chittenango, 2021-02-01)

#359

We can't afford to bottleneck services further with the mental health crises showing during a pandemic.

Alyssa Brincka (Ballston Lake, 2021-02-01)

#360

I know that LMHC’s are a very important part of the mental health system. Impeding there ability to treat patients fully will affect outcome negatively.

Steve Frederick (Broadalbin, 2021-02-01)

#361

I am signing because LMHC is an intricately important part of our mental health system.

Phyllis Frederick (Broadalbin, 2021-02-01)

#362

I am signing because in my rural area we have a serious need for more practitioners who can diagnose and treat a variety of mental health needs. As an LMHC I received extensive training in diagnostic criteria as well as psychotherapy.

Kimberly Davis (Stanley, 2021-02-01)

#366

I am a recent Mental Health Counseling graduate who is dedicated to providing competent, compassionate, and effective care to those impacted by mental health issues and substance use disorders. My ability as a professional to offer the most effective care requires the assessment and treatment of individuals served using the DSM. Impending legislation will narrow my scope of practice and heavily limit the amount of clinicians available and create issues for this vulnerable population to receive the best and most efficient care. This law must be changed to give practitioners such as myself the authority to diagnose our clients and continue our efforts to support the thousands of New Yorkers impacted by substance/mental disorders.

Megan Sconiers (Rochester, 2021-02-01)

#368

I am a behavioral health administrator overseeing multiple OASAS, DOH, and OMH programs in 7 counties. Licensed clinicians are a very limited and much needed resource. Narrowing that field further will be extremely detrimental to the community.

Jason Briggs (Canandaigua, 2021-02-01)

#369

I am a Mental Health Counselor.

Hudson Carroll (Rochester, 2021-02-01)

#370

I believe that people with addiction and mental health disorders should receive a full range of services to enable them to recover or control their disease and rejoin society to be productive, well and happy. Well people pay taxes.

Deborah Sveinsvoll (Geneva, 2021-02-01)

#371

I’m an LMHC in a rural area. There are not enough licensed mental health professionals in our area as it is. If the laws are not changed we will continue to see an increase in gaps of care, disproportionately in black and brown, urban and rural communities.

Cynthia Gee (Corning, 2021-02-01)

#378

I am signing because it is crucial that all LMHC’s and LMFT retain their right to diagnose. With the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on one’s mental health, is critical that we not take away a source of help for those suffering. Please consider allowing standard practices to continue. Don’t take away.

Donna Selner (Palmyra, 2021-02-01)

#379

I’m signing because I am a passionate LMHC that has worked hard and will continue to work hard!!

Maggie Quirk (Staten Island, 2021-02-01)

#380

I’m an LMHC and believe in access to services for those who need them.

Joshua Maldonado (Rochester, 2021-02-01)

#400

I know this is important.

Beverly Eagan (Derby, 2021-02-01)



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