Dr. Gray Otis is AMHCA President-Elect

Alexandria, VA – May 17, 2010 – Gray Otis, PhD, LPC, NCC, CCMHC, was voted president of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) for 2011-2012 in AMHCA's spring elections. Otis is a current co-chair of the AMHCA Professional Development Committee and has written the "Counseling Tips" article series in the Advocate for the last four years. Otis has served as president of the Utah Mental Health Counselors Association (UMHCA), where he has been a board member since 2004 and worked to increase public awareness, grow the membership, participate in the AMHCA Unified Dues program, and sponsor state legislation. He will join the AMHCA board this July for a year as president-elect. In his candidate's statement, Otis, who is in private practice, identified six key issues in his overall objective of furthering the advancement of mental health counselors’ professional identity.

Also elected to AMHCA's board of directors were Judith Bertenthal-Smith, LPC, ALPS, as director-at-large and Gale Macke as treasurer. Bertenthal-Smith is in private practice in West Virginia and is assistant professor of Psychology and Education at Davis & Elkins College. Macke is the executive director of the Licensed Professional Counselor Association of Georgia (LPCA).

The three-year terms for those elected take effect July 1, 2010. AMHCA thanks all those who participated in the elections process.

Mental Health Awareness Postage Stamp Project Continues to Gain Support

The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), in an effort to promote the issuance of a U.S. commemorative stamp promoting Mental Health Awareness, has secured the support of more than a dozen national organizations representing mental health, substance abuse, patient advocacy, as well as a variety of health related organizations.

In 2002, AMHCA launched a nationwide petition drive in support of a new stamp promoting mental health and asked mental health professionals, consumers, and advocates to join together to emphasize the positive, progressive nature of recognizing and promoting mental health. Since then, more than 20,000 signatures have been gathered from across the nation, and the Association has launched a web petition (www.amhca.org) as a means to collect signatures.

The Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), whose members are appointed by the U.S. Postmaster General, approves new commemorative postage stamps. Among the groups and individuals partnering with AMHCA in support of the effort are former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, American Psychiatric Association, Mental Health America, Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, Wellstone Action, Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization, as well as U.S. Reps. Brian Baird (D-WA) and Robert Brady (D-PA).

AMHCA believes that cultivating mental health awareness would be a constant reminder of the benefits of recognizing and promoting mental health. "We are honored to be joined by sixteen national organizations and individuals in support of this effort and look forward to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee's approval of the stamp," said Gary Gintner, PhD, LPC, President of the American Mental Health Counselors Association."

http://www.amhca.org/forms/StampPetition.asap

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