News & Updates

The Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) is actively seeking volunteers for various committees in 2024. These committees play a crucial role in MAMFT's organization's activities and initiatives.

The opportunities include:

**Events/External Affairs** Volunteers are needed to help plan and execute events and manage external affairs. You can get in touch with them by emailing externalaffairs@mamft.net.

**Elections Committee** This committee is essential for ensuring the smooth operation of MAMFT's democratic processes. If you're interested in contributing to the electoral process, reach out to elections@mamft.net.

**Social Justice Accountability Panel** MAMFT is committed to promoting social justice, and this panel focuses on accountability in this regard. If interested, contact secretary@mamft.net.

**Scholarship Program** MAMFT is looking for a Committee Chair for our Scholarship Program. If you're interested in leading this committee and supporting education in the field of marriage and family therapy, contact president@mamft.net or executivedirector@mamft.net for more details.

By volunteering with MAMFT in 2024, you can actively contribute to our organization's mission and make a positive impact in the field of marriage and family therapy in Minnesota.

We look forward to hearing from you!

2023 Annual Conference: BIPOC Panel

Experiences of MFT's of Color in Minnesota

1.5 CEU's | Cultural Competency (Pending board approval)

REGISTER HERE

This panel includes a range of MFTs at different stages of their career discussing their experiences as family therapists of color in Minnesota. Please join us to learn more about your colleagues' experiences and whether they resonate or differ from yours. By the end of this panel, participants will be able to:

• Identify issues and challenges faced by MFT’s or color at different stages of their careers

• Understand how to be more culturally attuned with colleagues or color 

• Recognize at least 3 ways in which systemic oppression impacts MFT’s of color within our field 

Moderators: Lambers Fisher, Ms, LMFT, MDIV Participants: Dr. Shonda Craft, PhD, LMFT; Kei Skeide, MS, LAMFT; Lisa Xiong, MA, LMFT, RPT

Bios:  

Lambers Fisher, MS, LMFT, MDIV, is a marriage and family therapist who has counseled individuals, couples, and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds, in private practice and non-profit  organizations, as well as ministry environments. https://www.lambersfisher.com/about/

Dr Shonda Craft, PhD, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the dean of the School of Health and Human Services at St. Cloud State University and the higher education representative for the  Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Kei Skeide, MS, LAMFT is social justice driven clinician, first-generation immigrant, Pinxy/Filipinx-Japanese American,Bakla/Gender Queer provider. They are a licensed associate marriage, community organizer and trainer. https://edgeswellness.com/kei

Lisa Xiong, MA, LMFT, RPT is a licensed marriage and family therapist, registered play therapist, and director of clinical services for Change Inc.’s school based mental health program, Community & School Collaborative (CSC), and outpatient clinic. She spent 10 years in school based mental health providing school-based prevention, early intervention, and mental health services in urban schools. As the Director of Clinical Services, Lisa offers mentorship and supervision for mental health practitioners and professionals. The last 10 years Lisa dedicated her time to BIPOC mental health workforce development.

Minnesota Statutes Sec. 144.1505 authorizes the Commissioner of Health to award grants to support the establishment or expansion of clinical training for eligible health professional training programs. The grant program provides funding for planning clinical training programs and/or expanding existing clinical training programs in rural and underserved urban areas of Minnesota.

Funds are awarded through a competitive review process. Eligible, accredited training programs must be located in Minnesota and must train students enrolled in at least one of the following programs: advanced practice nursing, dental therapy, pharmacy, physician assistant, or mental health professional programs. During this cycle it is estimated that approximately $500,000 will be available for the grant program. 

The RFP and link to join an informational webinar to be held at 10:00 am on Monday August 14th, 2023, are available on the ORHPC website: HPCE Grant Program - ORHPC Minnesota Dept. of Health

Applications must be received by ORHPC no later than 11:59 p.m. on September 18, 2023.

For more information contact Health.ORHPC.WorkforceGrants@state.mn.us or 651-201-3895.

Please review other ORHPC grant opportunities and subscribe to announcements and news at:

ORHPC Grant Information - Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us)

MAMFT is a proud sponsor of Shout Out Loud, a local organization dedicated to youth suicide prevention awareness. We will have a booth at their 4th annual event on Saturday Sept. 30th, from 11am – 3pm at the St. Louis Park, Rec Center ROC- 3700 Monterey Dr, St Louis Park, MN 55416. 

Stop by the booth where we will be talking about the value of connection and healthy relationships in preventing suicide. We will have games and giveaways, and we will be promoting MAMFT’s therapist finder to event attendees looking for more support.

Learn more at https://shoutoutloudmn.com/

Interested in volunteering at MAMFT’s booth? Email externalaffairs@mamft.net for more information.

MAMFT is planning three community events for members to connect this August and September. Dog lovers, Cat lovers, Movie lovers, we have something for everyone:

Movies in the Park - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

• Tuesday, August 15th
• Folwell Park 1615 N Dowling Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 
• Meetup/Networking: 7:00PM
• Movie Start: 8:15PM
• Members, significant others, families welcome- BYO chairs/blankets 
• RSVP recommended by Friday 8/11 to Info@mamft.net so we can save space at the park!

Dog Lover Happy Hour at Unleashed Hops and Hounds

• Sunday August 20th
• 200 East Lyndale Ave. N Minneapolis, MN
• Plan is to meet from 2-4PM (pending availability/party size)
• Members and their dogs* welcome
• RSVP required by Monday 8/14  info@mamft.net so we can secure group reservation
• *Want to bring YOUR dog? Additional registration required at https://www.unleashedhoundsandhops.com/how-it-works

Caturday at the Twin Cities Cat Fanciers Show

• Saturday, September 23rd
• Saint Paul RiverCentre, Exhibition Hall B
• 175 Kellogg Blvd West, St Paul, MN 55102
• Event Times: 10AM - 4PM 
• MAMFT Member Meet Up from 1-3PM*
• *RSVP recommended by Monday 9/18 at Info@mamft.net

We had multiple members reach out regarding the advocacy wins from the 2023 legislative session. Many people asked about the new requirements on health plan companies to credential eligible providers.

The specific language is an amendment to § 62Q.096. The amendments require health plan companies to credential and enter into a contract for mental health services with any provider that “meets credentialing requirements.” It allows the health plan company to waive certain credentialing requirements not related to quality of care. And it ensures that health plan companies can no longer refuse providers on the grounds that their network has “a sufficient number of providers of that type” or “a sufficient number of providers of mental health services in the aggregate.”

These changes take effect July 1st, 2023. We hope this amended law will ensure  more health care professionals have the opportunity to become credentialed/secure contracts with more insurance companies. 

If you are looking to become credentialed with a health plan, please be sure to check the credentialing requirements of that health plan. 

To see the complete law and amendments please visit: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62Q.096 

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2023/0/57/laws.2.40.0#laws.2.40.0

Are you headed to Mental Health Day on the Hill? Do you need a sample of things you can share with your elected officials? 

Or are you interested in the details of our current advocacy efforts? 

Check out our Advocacy FAQs:

Advocacy 2023.pdf

MAMFT is pleased to introduce Bridget Mozina, our new part-time Administrative Coordinator.   Bridget is a fellow LMFT and has a private practice in Burnsville.  Bridget graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2006, and earned her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Saint Thomas in 2010.

 Some fun facts about Bridget are that she loves spending time with family and friends, being active (biking, paddle boarding, yoga, and hiking), hanging out with hertortoiseshell cat, Mia, watching Studio Ghibli movies, nerding out about Harry Potter, reading, cooking, and playing video games!

Bridget is going to hit the ground running and will transition fully into her position by February 12th.  Please give a warm welcome to Bridget!

The link to register to participate is below.  Those interested in meeting with their legislators to set up appointments during the week of March 6-10. 

Link to Sign Up for Day on the  Hill: https://forms.gle/eHeoqdgUdeMiG9CX7