The Arizona Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
Supporting Arizona’s Marriage and Family Therapists
Caring for Arizona’s Families
A Division of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
ABOUT AzAMFT
Who are we?
The Arizona Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AzAMFT) is the Arizona Division of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). AzAMFT is the professional association for the field of marriage and family therapy in the state of Arizona.
We represent the professional interests our members throughout the state of Arizona. Since our founding in 1973, the AzAMFT has been promoting the field of marriage and family therapy as a viable alternative to other traditional methods of providing mental health services. This is accomplished through public relations campaigns, initiation and promotion of mental health-related legislation, and collaboration and cooperation with other mental health associations and managed care organizations. The AzAMFT is currently actively involved in the promotion of legislation requiring licensure of marriage and family therapists and other mental health professions in Arizona. Actions such as these not only benefit our membership but also provide benefits to the consumers of marriage and family therapy in our state.
The AzAMFT is a professional organization comprised of over 300 highly trained practitioners of mental health. Our members meet rigorous standards for education and training and are held to the highest ethical standards of the profession. Clinical Members have met the highest standards of the profession for education and clinical experience. Associate and Student membership categories are available for therapists in training for clinical practice. Members of allied professions and other persons who are interested in marriage and family therapy are eligible to become Affiliate Members.
Members of AzAMFT work in communities throughout Arizona. They are in private practice, employee assistance programs, hospitals, community mental health centers, social service agencies, managed care organizations, courts, academic positions, and religious organizations.
Philosophy
The Arizona Association for Marriage and Family Therapy provides the community with a relational, contextual and systemic understanding of human behavior. This approach transcends historical models which view individuals as separate from their context, like islands unto themselves. This philosophy respects and recognizes multiple perspectives of human identity and family structure. The work of Marriage and Family Therapists fills a gap that is not addressed by other disciplines.
Marriage and Family Therapists are committed to the highest standards of ethics, education, integrity and professional development. The Arizona Association for Marriage and Family Therapy values and promotes lifelong learning, innovative professional practices and research.
AzAMFT STRATEGIC PLAN
July 2007 – July 2008
The strategic plan has developed a format for goals and objectives with a coordinator from the Strategic Planning Committee to provide oversight for each goal. This allows for a flow of information between committees working on the objectives and the Strategic Planning Committee and AzAMFT Board.
GROWTH OF THE PROFESSION
Coordinator – Alan Asher
To ensure the continued growth of the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy in the State of Arizona
Objective 1 To re-establish and/or support a dedicated MFT clinical training
program in Arizona
Objective 2 To provide excellent clinical supervision resources to students seeking
licensure in Arizona and maintain a robust AzAMFT Supervision
Education Community
PUBLIC AWARENESS
Coordinator – Linda Travis
To increase the public’s awareness of the specialty of Marriage and Family Therapy
Objective 1 To increase professional recognition of LMFTs through legislative
advocacy
Objective 2 To increase professional recognition of LMFTs through education of
the general public through a PR Committee by providing Relational
Health Checks at community organized health fairs and other
endeavors
To re-establish a speaker’s bureau which can respond to requests from
the media, schools, professional groups, community organizations, etc.
as well as carry the committee’s plans for offering these services on an
ongoing basis
Objective 3 To increase professional recognition of LMFTs through education of
the other mental health professions
Objective 4 To keep a minimum of 5 committee members on the BBHE MFT
committee, one representative on the BBHE board
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Coordinator – Frances Bernfeld
To become efficient administratively in order to more effectively carry out the goals and mission of the organization
Objective 1 Fundraising to establish an ongoing source of income sufficient to
enable the organization to hire and maintain a half time Executive
Director
Objective 2 To involve the 60 new volunteers in the many tasks needed to staff the
committees and other projects of the strategic plan and that support a
vibrant organization
MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Coordinator – Steve Legendre
Assistant Coordinator – Patrick Gilliland
Recruitment and Retention of AAMFT Membership
Objective 1 To support other professional communities in Arizona to establish and
maintain similar gatherings of AAMFT and other professionals in their
areas
Objective 2 Maintain the AzAMFT website to provide robust membership support
and reference materials
Objective 3 Strive to achieve 70% penetration rate of LMFTs as AzAMFT members
Objective 4 Provide support in obtaining licensure for prospective LMFTs who are
students, new Arizona residents from other states and therapists with
licenses from other disciplines
Objective 5 Maintain a strong involvement in the activities of the BBHE to monitor
rules, procedures and processes and advocate for change if necessary
Objective 6 To facilitate reciprocity for licensure for licensed professionals moving
to Arizona
Objective 7 Maintain an “Ombudsman” to monitor the board’s activities and report
to AzAMFT in order to address the problems that prospective members
may have in obtaining licensure