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I. Name
Section 1. The name of this association shall be The Arkansas Mental Health Counselors Association hereafter referred to as (ArMHCA).
Section 2. ArMHCA is a state chapter of The American Mental Health Counselors ssociation (AMHCA).
II. Purpose
Section 1. The purpose of ArMHCA shall be to recruit, unify and organize the practice of mental health counseling so as to form a unified voice to advocate and advance the profession of mental health counseling.
III. Ethics
Section 1. The Arkansas Mental Health Counselors Association endorses the code of ethics of the American Mental Health Counselors Association and requires adherence to this code by its membership.
IV. Membership
Section 1. Types of membership
There shall be five types of membership: clinical, regular, retired, student, and affiliate.
Section 2. Requirements of Membership
A. Clinical Member
(1) Eligibility. Applicants for clinical membership must certify that they meet the standards for independent practice as a mental health counselor; i.e. a master's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in counseling or a related area that covers the basic principles of mental health counseling and state licensure at the professional level or certification as a clinical mental health counselor (CCMHC).
(2) Procedure. Any person desiring to become a clinical member of ArMHCA shall make application and shall become a member of ArMHCA upon certifying that the required standards have been met, approval of their application, and payment of dues. The specific procedures for implementing this section shall be specified in policy adopted by the Board of Directors.
(3) Obligations and Privileges. A clinical member must pay annual dues. A clinical member in good standing shall be entitled to vote, to attend meetings of ArMHCA, and shall be eligible to hold office in ArMHCA.
(4) Retained Privileges. At the inception of clinical standards for membership, no individual shall be deprived of any privileges heretofore granted by reason of membership in ArMHCA. Such privileges shall continue as long as the member remains in good standing. Re-application for membership after relinquishing it for whatever reason shall be based on the new membership criteria.
B. Regular Members
(1) Eligibility. Applicants for regular membership must certify that they meet the standards for entry level practice as a mental health counselor; i.e. a master's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in counseling or a related area that covers the basic principles of mental health counseling and state licensure at the associate level.
(2) Procedure. Any person wishing to make application for membership as a regular member of ArMHCA shall make application and shall become a member of ArMHCA upon certifying that the required standards have been met, approval of their application, and payment of dues.
(3) Obligations and Privileges. A regular member must pay annual dues. A regular member in good standing shall be entitled to vote, to attend meetings of ArMHCA, and shall be eligible to hold office in ArMHCA.
C. Retired Members
(1) Eligibility. Clinical or regular members in retirement shall be entitled to a change in their membership status.
(2) Procedure. Retired members wishing to apply for retired status shall indicate this request on their membership application/renewal and certify that they are no longer practicing mental health counseling.
(3) Obligations and Privileges. A retired member must pay annual dues. Retired members shall be entitled to reduced annual dues as determined by the Board of Directors and shall maintain all the privileges of clinical or regular membership.
D. Student Members
(1) Eligibility. Any student enrolled in a graduate program in the areas of mental health counseling for a minimum of 6 semester hours shall be eligible to become a student member of ArMHCA for a period not to exceed three years.
(2) Procedure. Students must have their status verified by the student's major advisor. Exemptions to the graduate student category's three-year time limit can be made upon receipt of additional verification from the student's major advisor, and approval by the Board of Directors.
(3) Obligations and Privileges. A student member must pay annual dues. Student members shall be entitled to reduced annual dues as determined by the Board of Directors. Student members shall be entitled to attend all meetings of ArMHCA. They shall be entitled to vote after six (6) months membership. Student members are not eligible to hold office.
E. Affiliate Membership.
(1) Eligibility. Any person whose primary work-related responsibilities are in the area of mental health shall be eligible for affiliate membership in ArMHCA.
(2) Procedure. Applicants for membership must certify their primary work-related responsibilities are in the area of mental health.
(3) Obligations and Privileges. An affiliate member must pay annual dues. Affiliate members may attend meetings of ArMHCA but shall not be entitled to vote and shall not be eligible to hold office.
Section 3. Dues
Annual ArMHCA dues shall be established by action of the Board of Directors.
Section 4. Severance of Membership
A. A member shall be dropped from membership for any conduct that tends to injure ArMHCA or to affect adversely the Bylaws and the Code of Ethics. Members charged with engaging in such conduct shall be given notice of the precise nature of the charge, shall be given the opportunity to have a hearing and present evidence in their behalf through witnesses or otherwise, and shall be given the opportunity to confront witnesses against them. The Ethics Committee, under the authority of the Board of Directors, shall consider any charges made over the signature of two State Chapter members in good standing. Decisions of the Ethics Committee may be appealed to the entire Board of Directors, whose decision is final.
B. A member may also be dropped from membership for:
(1) the nonpayment of dues.
(2) falsely certifying the divisional membership qualifications have been met.
Back to TopV. Regional Associations
Section 1. Organization
Any group of ArMHCA members residing or working within a region may organize a regional association with approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Requirements
A. Each regional association shall file a copy of their Constitution and/or Bylaws with ArMHCA, consistent with ArMHCA Bylaws.
B. Each regional association shall file a list of officers, members, and an annual financial report with ArMHCA. Officers and membership list shall be filed 30 days prior to the close of the fiscal year. Annual financial report shall be filed within 30 days after the close of the fiscal year.
C. Regional members shall consist of ArMHCA members living or working in that geographic area.
D. The fiscal year of the regional association shall correspond to the fiscal year of ArMHCA.
Back to TopVI. Meetings
Section 1. An annual meeting of ArMHCA shall be held. The agenda for this meeting shall be determined by the President in consultation with the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The President may, with the approval of the Executive Council, call additional meetings of ArMHCA when necessary or desirable.
VII. Officers / Board of Directors
Section 1. Officers
The officers of ArMHCA shall be President, President Elect, Past President, Secretary and Treasurer. These officers shall comprise the Executive Council of ArMHCA. All officers must be members in good standing of The Arkansas Mental Health Counselors Association and The American Mental Health Counselors Association.
Section 2. Elections and Terms of Officers
A. The procedure for elections shall be set by the Board of Directors.
B. All officers shall assume their respective offices on July 1 following their election.
C. The President Elect shall be elected each year and serve a three year term, through the offices of President and Past President respectively.
D. The Secretary and Treasurer will be elected for a two (2) year terms. The expiration of these terms shall fall on alternate years.
Section 3. Nominations of Officers
Any member may nominate a professional or retired member for office. However, the Nominations, Elections, and Awards committee shall prepare a slate of officers.
Section 4. Contesting Elections
Should a member of ArMHCA find cause to contest the eligibility of any nominee, a written notice shall be given to the Chairperson of the Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee within thirty (30) days after publication of the slate of candidates in ArMHCA's official publication, after which time the slate becomes incontestable.
Section 5. Vacancies
Vacancies occurring on the Board of Directors during the terms of office of the respective members shall be filled by the Board in a manner to be determined by policy. In the event of the resignation, incapacitation, or death of the President, either the President Elect or the Past President shall assume the remainder of the President's term, to be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 6. Powers and Duties of Officers
A. The President shall serve as presiding officer of ArMHCA and chairperson of the Board of Directors. The President shall, in collaboration with the Executive Council, appoint all chairpersons of standing committees, special committees and task forces. He/she shall see to the submission of all required reports and serve as chief liaison with The American Mental Health Counselors Association. He/she is responsible for planning the Annual Meeting. He/she shall perform such other duties as are incident to the office, or as may be properly required by vote of the Board of Directors and/or as specified by policy.
B. The President Elect shall serve as a member of the Executive Council and shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absence. The President Elect shall serve as liaison to all of the regional associations. He/she shall perform other duties as may be directed by the Executive Council and/or by policy.
C. The Past President shall serve as a member of the Executive Council. He/she shall serve as chair of the Program Committee and shall perform such duties as may be directed by the Executive Council and/or by policy.
D. The Treasurer will be responsible for maintaining a balanced budget. Deficit spending is prohibited. A fund balance will be maintained and deposited in an account that earns interest and/or charges no maintenance fees, if available. The Treasurer shall submit an Annual Budget to the Board of Directors for approval. The Treasurer shall expend funds only in accordance with this budget, unless two-thirds of the Board of Directors present and voting shall approve a special expenditure. The Treasurer shall submit to the Board of Directors a report on income and expenditures at each board meeting. He/she shall also submit an Annual Report for each fiscal year. The Treasurer shall also file all appropriate reports with the IRS.
E. The Secretary shall be responsible for the recording of minutes at all official meetings at which ArMHCA officers preside and conducts the correspondence for ArMHCA.
Section 7. Board of Directors
A. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Elected Officers, Regional Presidents, and the Committee Chairpersons. The Board shall be responsible for developing and implementing all policies pursuant to these bylaws.
B. The Board of Directors shall conduct, manage and control the business of ArMHCA.
Section 8. Meetings
A. The Board of Directors shall meet at least quarterly at a time and place designated by the President. Meetings at other specified times may be designated by either the President or a majority of the Board of Directors.
B. Members of the Board of Directors must be notified at least 48 hours prior to meetings. Board members present for the meeting constitute a quorum for conducting business of the Board, provided this includes at least three of the five Executive Council members.
Section 9 Removal from Office
An elected officer may be removed from office by a 2/3 majority of the Board of Directors.
A. Reasons for removal from office are:
(1) Violation of the Ethical Code of AMHCA.
(2) Failure to carry out duties/responsibilities of the office.
B. The process of removal from office must be initiated in writing by a member of ArMHCA. Two additional letters from members supporting removal from office must accompany the initial charge. Ethical violations must be dealt with according to procedures detailed in policy relating such matters. The following steps will apply in sequence when the charge relates to failure to carry out the duties or responsibilities of one's office.
(1) Written documentation of charges must be presented to the ArMHCA President. In cases where the President is being charged, the Past President shall receive the written documentation of the charges.
(2) Notification of the charges must be provided to the officer in question and to the ArMHCA Board of Directors.
(3) Consideration of this issue shall be in closed executive session by the ArMHCA Board of Directors.
(4) Attempts will be made to resolve the issues through appropriate communication channels with the intent of keeping the person in office, if possible.
(5) There will be an opportunity for the accused to respond to charges, either in person or in written form to the Board of Directors.
(6) Removal from office will not be official until ninety (90) days from the date of action taken regarding charges by the ArMHCA Board of Directors.
(7) An appeal process will be available within ninety (90) days from the date of action taken regarding charges by the ArMHCA Board of Directors.
(8) The accused member of the Board of Directors will be required to abstain from voting on the issue; the accused officer may also be asked to leave the session in which the issue is considered by the remainder of the Board of Directors.
(9) If removal from office results, written notice to this effect will be provided to the person charged by the ArMHCA President; removal will also be duly recorded in minutes of the next Board of Directors meeting, along with the effective date of removal.
Back to TopVIII. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
A. The Executive Council shall be comprised of the Constitutional Officers as named in Article VI, Section 1, Subsection A. This Council acts during the interim when the Board of Directors is not in session. All actions of the Executive Council are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
B. The Membership Committee is responsible for the encouragement of membership in state, regional, and/or national organizations and in making membership analysis as directed by the Executive Council.
C. The Publications Committee publicizes activities and the progress of ArMHCA through various writing media.
D. The Nominations, Election, and Awards Committee conducts impartial nomination and election procedures for the election of officers of ArMHCA. This committee shall be responsible for soliciting nominations for statewide awards to be presented to the Board of Directors for selection.
E. The Program Committee sets the theme, establishes the program, and carries out the theme through meetings, conferences, workshops, and seminars. The Chairperson of this committee shall be the Past President, who will continue serving as an advisor on the committee for an additional 2 years after leaving office.
F. The Ethics Committee shall educate members of ArMHCA on matters of ethics and shall refer cases of ethical violations to ArMHCA, AMHCA (if applicable) and the appropriate licensing board.
G. The Public Policy and Legislation Committee studies legislation affecting mental health, recommends procedures for action, influences the direction of local and state legislation in the field of mental health and apprises AMHCA about local legislation efforts and problems.
Section 2. Special Committees may be authorized by the President subject to approval of the Board of Directors. Such committees shall continue for two years unless extended or dissolved by the action of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. The Chairperson of each committee may recruit committee members from the membership.
IX. Business Affairs Of The Association
Section 1. Fiscal year - The fiscal year shall be from July 1 to June 30.
Section 2. The Bylaws of the Arkansas Mental Health Counselors Association shall govern all proceedings.
Section 3. Except as provided below, amendments to these Bylaws may only be made at the Annual
Meeting. If presented in writing to all members of ArMHCA fifteen (15) days before annual meeting at which the proposed change is to be considered, such amendments may be approved by two-thirds of the members present and voting. Any amendments to such proposed amendments or any amendments not presented in writing to all members of ArMHCA fifteen (15) days in advance of the annual meeting may be adopted by at least four-fifths vote of the members present.
If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, action upon a proposed amendment is desirable before the next annual meeting, it may be taken through a mail ballot following presentation of the amendment in writing to all members of ArMHCA. If fifty-one (51) percent of the membership votes affirmatively within thirty (30) days, the amendment shall be adopted.
X. Parliamentary Law
Section 1. All meetings and procedures of the Board of Directors shall be conducted and in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, most current edition.
Adopted: November 1985; Amended: November 1992, November 1996, November 1998, November 2000, July 2001
There are six types of membership: Clinical, Regular, Retired, Student, Affiliate and Dual.
Clinical - Eligible for independent practice as a mental health counselor.
Regular - Eligible for practice as a mental health counselor under supervision.
Retired - Clinical or regular members who are no longer engaged in any practice.
Student - Student enrolled in a graduate program in the areas of mental health counseling for a minimum of 6 semester hours. Those returning to school after licensure are not eligible. Students are eligible for this category for a maximum of 3 years.
Affiliate - Any person whose primary work-related responsibilities are in the area of mental health.
Dual - Clinical or Regular members who join the state chapter (ArMHCA) and the national association (AMHCA) at the same time. You will receive a 20% discount on the regular fees. Retired, Student and Affiliate members who join both organizations are not eligible for 20% discount. If you are already a member of AMHCA and ArMHCA and your expiration dates are different, call AMHCA at (800) 326-2642, x103 to determine the amount of your Dual Membership dues payment.
Clinical/Regular $ 60.00
Retired/Student/Affiliate $ 30.00
Dual (ArMHCA/AMHCA) $151.00 (save 20% - a $189.00 value)
Awards
Nominations for awards shall be solicited from the membership and thru regional associations.
Award winners shall be selected by the Board of Directors and announced at an annual awards luncheon.
State award winners that are members of national shall be nominated for the corresponding national award.
Conference
A budget for the Annual Conference shall be presented to the Board of Directors no later than January of each year. Once approved, the Treasurer is allowed to expend funds according to the budget and as income allows. Deficit spending is not permitted.
The conference theme and keynote speaker shall be determined by the chair of the program committee (the Past President) in consultation with the Board of Directors.
Continuing Education
The NBCC number of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (1012) shall be used for continuing education purposes on all certificates issued by the Arkansas Mental Health Counselors Association and its regional associations. The name "American Mental Health Counselors Association" along with the number must appear on all certificates.
All continuing education programs shall be approved in advance. Information about the program and its presenter shall be sent at lease two week prior to the presentation to the ArMHCA office. The Executive Director will forward this information to the national office for approval.
A list of those attending any meeting using the NBCC number shall be forwarded to the ArMHCA office within two weeks following the meeting.
Non-ArMHCA members are to be charged a minimum of $5.00 per CEU for attendance at all regional meetings.
Elections
Election of Officers shall be held at the Annual Meeting.
The Chair of the Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee shall present a slate of officers to the membership. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the annual meeting.
Voting for officers shall be by secret ballot.
Executive Director
The President, with approval of the Board of Directors, shall enter into a contract for the services of an Executive Director. This contract shall be reviewed and renewed/revised bi-annually.
The Executive Director shall attend the Annual Conference in July of each year. Expenses that are covered are the registration fee and hotel expenses (shared room, if possible).
Finances
An annual budget shall be presented to the Board of Directors by April of each year. Once approved, the budget shall be presented to the membership at the annual meeting in May.
The Treasurer is authorized to expend funds within the parameters of the budget and within existing income. Deficit spending is not allowed. The Board of Director must approve expenditures above or beyond the budget in advance.
Travel in one's personal vehicle while on ArMHCA business shall be reimbursed at the rate of $.28 per mile.
The Treasurer, President, President Elect and Past President shall be the authorized signatures on any accounts held in ArMHCA's name.
The Treasurer shall prepare a summary of all income and expenses annually, within 60 days of the end of the fiscal year. This report shall be presented to the Board of Directors. Once approved, the repost shall be summarized and published in the next newsletter.
The Treasurer shall prepare all annual reports for the IRS within 60 days of the end of the fiscal year.
Newsletter
The newsletter shall be published quarterly - in January, April, July, and October. Articles to be included are from the President, Executive Director, other Officers, Committee Chairs and Regional Presidents.
The newsletter containing announcement information about the annual conference shall be mailed to all LPCs and LACs in the state.
Officers
The President of the association is the only person authorized to sign contracts with any other organization. The Board of Directors must approve any contract.
The incoming President shall attend AMHCA Leadership Training and the Annual Conference in July of each year. Expenses that are covered are all registration fees for the conferences, hotel expenses (shared room, if possible) and the cost of a plane ticket (coach). If budget permits, the incoming President Elect may also attend.
A gift in the amount of not more that $100 shall be purchased for the outgoing President at ArMHCA expense by the incoming President and shall be presented at the Annual Meeting and/or Award Luncheon.
Gifts for the members of the board of directors, not to exceed $15 each, may be purchased by the outgoing President at ArMHCA expense and shall be presented at the Annual Meeting and/or Awards Luncheon.
Policy Changes
Changes and/or additions to the policies of the association may be made at any regularly called meeting of the Board of Directors.
Regional Associations
Only counselors that have joined the state association may be considered members in a regional association. Separate membership and dues collection is not allowed.
25% of dues collected by the state association will be rebated back to each formally organized regional association for their operating expenses.
The expenses incurred by a member appointed to organize a regional association in a particular part of the state shall be submitted to the state association board for approval and payment. Expenses routinely covered are postage and copying.
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