As we work to build the connection between the Metro MFT Board and our wonderful clinical and student members, we thought it might be helpful for you to know a bit about the individuals you have elected.
This month’s spotlight features our MetroMFT’s Operations Officer Rachel Chazen.
Rachel was born in Washington, DC. She grew up in Maryland but has also lived in Florida, Charleston and Nashville. Rachel returned to Maryland at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to be closer to family. While away, she remained close with colleagues, cohort members, and fellow therapists, which opened up the opportunity for her to join the MetroMFT Board as Member-at-Large for the 2021 term. Rachel shifted her role to Operations Officer after the most recent election.
Like our president Kirsten, and Vice President Jennifer, Rachel graduated from the University of Maryland Couple and Family Therapy program in 2010.
Currently, Rachel is the owner and lead therapist at Rachel Chazen Therapy where she works primarily with teens, young adults, and families. She incorporates CBT and solution-focused models, as well as a strengths-based approach, into her practice.
When asked, “Why are you an MFT/what do you like about being an MFT?”, Rachel responded: “I appreciate and value the systemic approach when helping people. Who we are, and why we are, is often connected to how we were raised and who we have been surrounded by. With better understanding of how those around us have shaped us, and utilizing the support we already have, change becomes increasingly possible. I like to help people assess their strengths, improve their communication, and dedicate time for self-care. I believe well-rounded people are happier people and I love helping others discover ways to better themselves. ”
Rachel’s position as Operations Officer is to lead and promote events and to also ensure that the website and Facebook sites remain up to date.
Rachel’s personal goal in her term as Operations Officer is to connect MetroMFT members to relevant news, increase ease of involvement for members, and to lead a social event within her term.
Fun Facts About Rachel:
- Rachel went skydiving and her mother jumped out of the plane too!
- She loves the beach and tries to get to the coast as often as possible.
- Rachel enjoys creating charcuterie and cheese boards for events celebrated with friends and family.
If you need to reach Rachel, you can find her here:
Email: rachel@rachelchazentherapy.com Website: www.rachelchazentherapy.com Socials: @rachelchazentherapy
Email: rachel@rachelchazentherapy.com
Website: www.rachelchazentherapy.com
Socials: @rachelchazentherapy
Did you know that Laura is a local? She was born in DC and raised in Arlington, VA.
Laura graduated from the University of Maryland Couple and Family Therapy program in 2015.
She currently sees clients in private practice in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. She also supervises therapists in training, teaches undergraduates, and is completing a dissertation (She has a few jobs!)
When asked, “Why are you an MFT/what do you like about being an MFT?”, Laura responded: “I am an MFT because I’ve always been curious about what makes people the way they are. I’m thankful that I found a profession that seeks to understand people within their contexts!”
Laura’s position as Member-At-Large is to address member concerns and serve as a liaison between the board and the membership.
Laura’s personal goal in her term as Member-At-Large is to drive more involvement and enthusiasm about the organization and connect more MFTs to each other and to important concerns facing our profession. She hopes to also encourage students to get involved with the MFT community.
Fun Facts About Laura:
1) She completed a Yoga Teacher Training and hope to incorporate this into my clinical work someday.
2) She is a proud middle child (and believes this probably also influences the work that she does!)
If you need to reach Laura, you can find her here:
E-mail: laura@counselingonthehill.com.
Beginning January 1, the No Surprises Act will go into effect.
Tipped off by our partners in COAST, we are sharing with you about a new Federal mandate going into effect at the start of 2022.
Please click on the resources below to find out more about the impact on your MFT practice.
Summary from CAMFT:
https://www.camft.org/Resources/Legal-Articles/Chronological-Article-List/the-no-surprises-act-what-mfts-need-to-know
Summary from KFF.org:
https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/no-surprises-act-implementation-what-to-expect-in-2022/
Summary from AAMFT blog:
https://blog.aamft.org/2021/12/no-surprises-act-new-billing-disclosures-going-into-effect-in-2022.html
Sincerely,
MetroMFT Board of Directors
Dear Metro MFT Members,
Join us for an update on our legislative efforts!
We will discuss our ideas and plans to submit a reciprocity bill between Maryland, DC and Virginia. This process will allow for increased ease in obtaining licenses in the Metro area once you are licensed in one of the 3 jurisdictions.
Willie Harris, Metro MFT's Maryland Lobbyist, will be joining us to provide us with updates on key legislators to lobby.
December Legislation Meeting with Willie Harris: Friday, December 17, 2021 12pm-1pm Via Zoom
Zoom Link Can Be Found Here: https://metromft.wildapricot.org/page-18059/12174277
Warmly, Metro MFT Board
Did you know that Viviana Azar is from Buenos Aires, Argentina? Or that she graduated from the University of Maryland in 1991? Or how about that outside of her work with MetroMFT, Viviana works as a Manager for Adults, Children and Adolescents at Behavioral Health Services at Montgomery County Department of Health of Human Services - Behavioral Health and Crisis Services?
As a family therapist, Viviana believes in the healing power of strong and healthy family relationships. Therefore, she hopes to help individuals, couples and families move to a place of mutual understanding and respect so that they can overcome the challenges of life together in a healthy and productive way. Her passion continues to be working with families of all ages as they transition through their different stages in their lives.
Viviana’s position as Advocacy Officer is to keep the membership informed of the legislative agendas in the Metro area and the national trends for license portability or compact bills that are being promoted in other professions. She will work closely with our Maryland lobbyist to ensure we have representation during the legislative session.
When asked, “What are your personal Metro MFT goals within your position?”, Viviana responded: “I hope to create a committee of members from the different jurisdictions to share information and, if possible, come up with a reciprocity bill for the Metro area that will make it easier for MFTs to be licensed in Virginia, DC and Maryland. My dream goal also is to see if we can work at a national level to reach out to our representatives and see whether other professions are working towards a national license or something similar to allow for Telehealth regardless of where the client resides.”
Fun Facts About Viviana: She loves hiking and baking!
If you need to reach Viviana, you can find her here: viviana.azar.cft@gmail.com
Please contact Viviana with your interests! Also, if you have a Delaware, DC or Virginia license, she would love your input to inform the rest of the membership about what is happening in your state.
8/31/21 Update: Goal Accomplished! (See Original Posting Below)
Great news MetroMFT community…
We asked whether advocating for our profession is important to you and you answered. Because of all of you who responded, we made it to goal before the deadline!!! As of this morning, August 30th, we’re at $5155 of our $5000 minimum needed to renew our lobbyist, Willie Harris’ contract for the rest of 2021. Thank you SO much for your support and continued contributions in membership and donations!!! If you did not pitch in yet and would, your donation and membership is certainly still needed and valued!! It is good to have some cushion so we can plan further out beyond December 2021. Please take anyof the following actions: 1. Would you consider donating the equivalent of a single session of your therapy fee? https://metromft.wildapricot.org/Donate 2. Would you talk to one other MFT you know about what we are trying to do (see goals below) and becoming a member? Here's the link to join: https://metromft.wildapricot.org/join-us 3. If you’d like to contribute to MetroMFT through your ideas, your skills/ talents, your contacts, and/or your time, please help us accomplish goals by signing up to help: https://metromft.wildapricot.org/Sys/Poll/27714 Goals we are working on that need your support are currently: A. Applying for CEU sponsorship to Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists costs $750 (Public Relations Committee) B. Regional licensure reciprocity between MD, VA, DC. (Advocacy Committee) C. Lining up local speakers for monthly lunch and learns, hopefully for CEU credits (Events Committee) D. Setting up a local Therapist Directory for colleague and client referrals (Membership committee) E. Mentorship between LCMFTs and MFT students or LGMFTs (Membership Committee) F. Building MFT community resources by scripting and contacting members and potential members to inform them about what we do and value of membership (Fundraising and PR Committees) G. Identifying and developing Racial and Social Justice initiatives for educating and equipping clinicians for informed, competent and compassionate practice with clients of all identities (Social Justice Committee) H. Planning Fall 2022? Conference Topics and Presenters (PR and Events Committee) I. Developing our relationship with a dozen other states that also have regional MFT professional organizations. (Become a Metro MFT Board member!) We know everyone is busy and aim not to overburden anyone. Most committee meetings would be once a month for up to an hour with another 1-2 hours of individual work so that would be 2-4 hours per month. We look forward to your ongoing involvement to grow our MFT professional community!
We asked whether advocating for our profession is important to you and you answered.
Because of all of you who responded, we made it to goal before the deadline!!! As of this morning, August 30th, we’re at $5155 of our $5000 minimum needed to renew our lobbyist, Willie Harris’ contract for the rest of 2021. Thank you SO much for your support and continued contributions in membership and donations!!!
If you did not pitch in yet and would, your donation and membership is certainly still needed and valued!! It is good to have some cushion so we can plan further out beyond December 2021. Please take anyof the following actions:
1. Would you consider donating the equivalent of a single session of your therapy fee? https://metromft.wildapricot.org/Donate
2. Would you talk to one other MFT you know about what we are trying to do (see goals below) and becoming a member? Here's the link to join: https://metromft.wildapricot.org/join-us
3. If you’d like to contribute to MetroMFT through your ideas, your skills/ talents, your contacts, and/or your time, please help us accomplish goals by signing up to help: https://metromft.wildapricot.org/Sys/Poll/27714
Goals we are working on that need your support are currently:
A. Applying for CEU sponsorship to Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists costs $750 (Public Relations Committee)
B. Regional licensure reciprocity between MD, VA, DC. (Advocacy Committee)
C. Lining up local speakers for monthly lunch and learns, hopefully for CEU credits (Events Committee)
D. Setting up a local Therapist Directory for colleague and client referrals (Membership committee)
E. Mentorship between LCMFTs and MFT students or LGMFTs (Membership Committee)
F. Building MFT community resources by scripting and contacting members and potential members to inform them about what we do and value of membership (Fundraising and PR Committees)
G. Identifying and developing Racial and Social Justice initiatives for educating and equipping clinicians for informed, competent and compassionate practice with clients of all identities (Social Justice Committee)
H. Planning Fall 2022? Conference Topics and Presenters (PR and Events Committee)
I. Developing our relationship with a dozen other states that also have regional MFT professional organizations. (Become a Metro MFT Board member!)
We know everyone is busy and aim not to overburden anyone. Most committee meetings would be once a month for up to an hour with another 1-2 hours of individual work so that would be 2-4 hours per month.
We look forward to your ongoing involvement to grow our MFT professional community!
8/18/21 Urgent Metro MFT Update
We are writing to inform you that we are unable to fulfill our lobbyist contract; funds that come directly from Metro MFT membership dues. With overall membership being low, and the inability to hold our in person annual conference due the pandemic, we do not have sufficient funds.
While the organization as a whole is not in jeopardy, we will need to suspend our contract with our lobbyist, Willie Harris, unless we can fund the next two payments. Transparently, we will need to raise $5,000, as outlined in our lobbyist contract. We need to raise these funds by the end of August. If we are unable to come up with the funds needed, we will be pausing our work with Willie.
In addition to having Willie’s eyes and ears alerting us to important local advocacy initiatives, and making sure MFTs have a voice in Maryland, we have begun a project to explore making licensing easier for MFTs in the DMV (as discussed in our June forum). This involves ease of licensure beyond one's home State. Without our lobbyist, we will need to pause this pursuit.
Over 65% of membership funds go towards funding our lobbyist. Largely, Metro MFT was founded based on the belief in the essential nature of local advocacy efforts. Being in this position is a reminder for us. It is an opportunity to make a choice. As a group, do we still have the desire to maintain local MFT advocacy efforts in the same way? Are we committing again to having the support of a lobbyist? These are questions we must answer together.
So how can you help? If your Metro MFT membership has lapsed, and you need to renew, please do so. If you can donate, please visit the donation page at https://metromft.wildapricot.org/Donate. These funds will go directly to fulfilling our lobbyist contract.
The goal is to raise $5,000 by the end of this month to cover our contract obligations. It is up to you, our members, to demonstrate what is important.
In the upcoming year, MetroMFT will continue to develop our membership benefits. As a reminder, initiatives include a membership directory, mentorship program, CEU opportunities, and networking events. We are striving to add value to your membership. As always, we would like to keep communication open and are hopeful for ongoing mutual support within our professional community.
This month’s spotlight features our Metro MFT Secretary Eric Slaughter.
Quick Facts About Eric:
If you need to reach Eric, you can reach him here:
Let’s reconnect!
Register Here
Please join us for our summer networking event! Registrants will be provided with the exact address closer to the event. We hope to see you there!
This month’s spotlight features our Metro MFT Treasurer Jordan Madison.
Jordan is from Brooklyn, New York.
She graduated from the University of Maryland College Park's Couple and Family therapy program in 2018.
She has been working as a therapist since graduation but currently Jordan is working to start up her own private practice!
When asked, “Why are you an MFT/what do you like about being an MFT?”, Jordan responded: “I chose to be an MFT because I have a passion for reducing the stigma around mental health, especially in the Black community. I feel as though the family is the foundation, so if I can help families and couples to heal and have healthier relationships, I believe they will in turn create healthy and healed individuals.”
Jordan’s responsibility as treasurer is to provide transparency around how members' money is being used in the organization.
Her personal goals in her term as treasurer are to make sure financial and tax regulations are followed and aim to help with fundraisers so that Metro MFT can have more resources to provide members with networking and CEU events.
Fun Facts About Jordan:
She has colors for numbers and days of the week- It's actually called synesthesia.
If you need to reach Jordan you can find her here:
E-mail: jamthemft@gmail.com
Social Media: @therapyismyJAM
#metroMFT
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Silver Spring, MD 20910