Message from the Prez: SGV-CAMFT September 2022 

From Kathryn Bikle, President

Happy September! Not exactly fall weather, is it? Hopefully, you are finding ways to stay cool and are enjoying the slightly later sunrise in the mornings! 

Despite being “dark” in August, our board has continued to plan fun and interesting ways for us to connect! Our monthly social coffee hangs have been quite popular! We have a new Special Interest Group (SIG) to tell you about! Some exciting programs you won’t want to miss are scheduled in September and October. And we have a new Awardee for the 2022 Rudy Hayek Scholarship! See below for details!  

From our fabulous Membership Committee: Huge thanks to Membership Chairs Deanna Hudgins and Michael Bauer who have scheduled monthly informal social gatherings for the remainder of the year! All are welcome! SGV CAMFT members, board members, students, and people interested in learning more about SGVCAMFT or just getting together to chat are encouraged to come!

On Saturday, August 27^th, folks gathered at the Red Car Coffee Shop at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens! It was such a hit the Huntington Coffee Hang is now planned as a regularly scheduled bi-monthly event! You do not need to purchase admission to the Huntington to take part. Alternate months will meet at various locations. 

On September 25^th, our next coffee social is scheduled to meet at Jones’ Coffee at 563 S. Raymond in Pasadena starting at 1 pm! Keep your eyes peeled for additional details posted on Instagram and FaceBook! RSVPs requested but not required. There’s no agenda! Just come, enjoy some food or a beverage, and relax with SGV CAMFT! Let’s all make some new friends! 

Thanks to all who were able to join us on August 27th! We hope to see you next time!

Congratulations to Kaylene Woo, the 2022 Rudy Hayek Honorary Scholarship Awardee! This scholarship of $1,000 was created in honor of Rudy Hayek (former SGV-CAMFT Board Member and Programs Chair) to support a current student in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy who demonstrates a similar spirit of service, civic engagement, and the desire to advance the profession. Join me in congratulating Kaylene on her achievement! Kaylene’s personal statement can be viewed below and, on our website atsgvcamft.org.

Personal Statement Kaylene Woo 2022 Rudy Hayek Honorary Scholarship Awardee:  

I was drawn to becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist through a desire to provide empathetic, culturally competent care for people of different ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Especially within my own Asian American community I saw a need for greater awareness of mental health issues and openness to treatment. It can be a complex process for a family to initially seek out mental health services. I grew up with difficulty between family and mental health and wish to be support for people in similar situations. 

I hope to serve my community, especially the Asian American community, through treatment, education, advocacy, and research. I have experience in research and community training, conducting implicit bias trainings for Santa Barbara county's Behavioral Wellness, police department, and school district as well as experience as a behavioral health Case Manager. Through these experiences I learned the importance of community supports on a systemic level and the impact these supports have on individuals. I aim to serve the San Gabriel Valley in the same way, increasing awareness of different issues and building greater community supports. – Kaylene Woo

Kaylene is currently a student at Fuller Theological Seminary in pursuit of an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy. She worked for PathPoint Behavioral Health for 2 years. 

The SGVCAMFT Board would like to thank all the excellent applicants for their time and dedication to serving the community and advancing the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy. Visit our website at https://www.sgvcamft.org/Rudy-Hayek-Honorary-Scholarship-Program for instructions on how to apply for 2023. Please note: you must be a member of SGVCAMFT and a current student in pursuit of a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in order to qualify. Applicants are evaluated on their dedication to serving the community and advancing the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy.   

UPCOMING EVENTS and PROGRAMS

Friday, September 23^th, 11:30-1:30 pm "Is The World Becoming Trans and Non-binary? And What’s They/Them All About?" (Q&A to Follow Presentation) – 1.5 CE Credits Available

Presented by Casey Weitzman, LMFT and Grace O’Connor, LMFT

Program Description: One in six adults in Generation Z identifies as LGBTQIAA+. Discover effective ways to provide support, guidance, and information to the Transgender and Non-binary youth community, their families, and allies. Learn what you need to know to be an effective clinician working with the Transgender and Non-binary youth community even if you have never worked with this population before. Gain knowledge of how the current political environment is impacting the mental health of the Trans and Non-binary population. Gain an understanding of the unique challenges faced by Transgender and Non-binary youth as the societal understanding of the gender spectrum expands.

Educational Goals: Learn what you need to know to be an effective clinician working with the Transgender and Non-binary youth community, their families, and allies even if you have never worked with this population.

This program, hosted by SGVCAMFT includes a short opportunity for member networking and SGVCAMFT updates. See our website for Learning Objectives and other important information. Register on our website at: https://www.sgvcamft.org/event-4938079 

This program offers 1.5 CE Credit hours. Registration closes at 8 pm Sept 22, 2022. No exceptions.

Wednesday, October 5th^th, 12:00-1:30 pm:  Online Program CAMFT: State of the Profession with Q & A – 1.5 CE Credits available

Presented by Joy Alafia, CAE, CAMFT Executive Director

Join CAMFT Executive Director, Joy Alafia, CAE, for an understanding about events, legislation, and internal association processes that are currently impacting CAMFT members.

Designed for Mental Health Professionals, this presentation will discuss general CAMFT issues and the importance of a Professional Will. There will also be updates from BBS, as well as California and Federal legislative updates. Finally, discussion on why it is important to avail yourself of the Legal Consultation service CAMFT provides. There will be ample time for Q&A. 

This program is hosted by SGVCAMFT. See our website for Learning Objectives and other important information. Register on our website at:https://www.sgvcamft.org/event-4951210  

This program offers 1.5 CE Credit hours.

Friday, October 21^st, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm: Law & Ethics with Ofer Zur, PhD “Digital and Traditional Boundaries and TeleMental Health Ethics, 6.0 CE Credits available 

Details and registration to come! Check our website at sgvcamft.org 

If you have any questions, or are interested in speaking at a future event, please send an email to Lynne Azpeitia, LMFT at lynnemazpeitia@yahoo.com.

BOOK CLUB October 2nd 7:00 - 8:00 pm   Free Online Event 

Please join the Book Club Meeting online and meet with other book lovers eager to talk about things they have read or seen that have provided inspiration as a therapist or as a person!  Come prepared to share your current favorite book, article, documentary, or movie and enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded bibliophiles! 

The SGVCAMFT Book Club meets online once a month on a Sunday evening usually the first Sunday of the month unless it is a holiday weekend. Registration needed to receive meeting Zoom link. This event is offered free of charge to SGVCAMFT members.

Register for the Free September Book Club meeting on our website at: https://www.sgvcamft.org/event-4637371

MEMBERSHIP SOCIAL EVENTS 

SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, September 25th^th Membership Social - Casual Coffee Date
Jones Coffee, 563 S. Raymond in Pasadena starting at 1pm! Keep your eyes peeled! This event will be announced and advertised on SGV CAMFT’s Instagram and FaceBook accounts. Hope you can join us!

STAYED TUNED FOR October! Membership Social - at the Huntington Botanical Gardens Red Car Coffee Shop
Details forthcoming! 

Questions? Email Deanna Hudgins at hudginsdeanna@gmail.com or Michael Bauer at michaelgeraldbauer@gmail.com

3000 CLUB – Message from our 3000 Club Team!

"Hello everyone! The 3000 Club is making a comeback!”

After a brief hiatus the 3000 Club valiantly returns to serve the needs of San Gabriel Valley's pre-licensed members. This includes students, practicum interns, and associates alike. We aim to support these members through community and connection. If there is demand, we will provide informative workshops or presentations, but the bulk of club meetings will be informal social gatherings. This includes getting together in a park, lunches, renting out a movie theatre, board games, and any other activity members might request.

Connecting with other people at varying levels of licensure is the overall goal of this 3000 Club but meetings will also be a place to ask questions and share solutions with the frustrating process of licensure.

If you'd like to join our meetings or have any questions or comments please email Joe Girillo at jgirillo_57@joegirillo.com 

We are excited to see you!

Joe Girillo, LMFT

A special word of thanks to Adam Snir, AMFT who has been instrumental in bringing the 3000 Club back to life. Unfortunately, Adam will be taking a leave of absence from the SGVCAMFT Board for personal reasons. We are happy to welcome him back whenever he is ready!

SIGs

Join our exciting new SGV Supervision Collaborative (SIG)!

The SGV Supervision Collaborative met twice in August and will be on going through the end of 2023. Current and potential supervisors gathered via Zoom to share resources, offer best practices, and discussed different types of support that this group might offer. Feel free to join us for peer consultation and clinical supervisor support. Check our Events page on the sgvcamft.org website for upcoming meetings and to register for this free ongoing special interest group! 

Facilitators for the SGV Supervision Collaborative are Natasha Morisawa and Mayte Salazar. Questions? Email Natasha at Pastpresident@sgvcamft.org

THE SGV CAMFT BOARD INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE!

The SGV CAMFT Board currently is looking for some new participants! You don’t have to make a huge commitment or even sign up as a Committee Chair. We would be happy for some additional peoplepower to pull off some projects that we have big ideas for! Of course, we also welcome folks who are interested in joining the Board in a more official capacity. You don’t have to be a licensed member to help us out. Students and pre-licensed are some of our most valuable assets! Jobs/tasks can be as large or small as the amount of time you have to offer!

Here are some areas in which we could use your help!

• Social Media posting (IG, FB, etc.) 

• Membership outreach (could be a couple of hours of phone calling!)

• SIG (Special Interest Group) program coordination

• Mentors for our Mentor-Mentee program (it’s such a hit, we need more mentors!)

• Treasurer position will be opening in 2023 (Interested but not sure? Don’t worry, Shana will stick around to tutor you into the job!)

• Secretary position may be opening up 

• SIG group leaders (Have an idea for a SIG? Let us know! See below for details)

• Interested in a pipeline for leadership? Join the board and see how you can build your leadership skills and step into your role as a leader in your professional community! 

• Just because you don’t see a position listed, doesn’t mean it isn’t available. Let us know your interests in serving on the board and we’ll see how we can help make that happen!

If you have questions about volunteering on our Chapter’s board in any capacity large or small, please contact Kathryn Bikle at president@sgvcamft.org. We look forward to welcoming you to help us better serve the SGV CAMFT community!

Putting out a call for Mentors!

Have you been secretly longing to share your professional wisdom with a less experienced colleague? Here’s your opportunity! SGVCAMFT Mentor-Mentee Chair Jessica Ruiz is currently seeking additional Mentors for our popular Mentor-Mentee program. Being a Mentor does not take a huge amount of time, just a willingness to share your expertise and offer support to a Mentee for an hour a month, or whatever feels right to you! Requested areas of expertise include: Supporting a Shift to Private Practice, Developing your Treatment Modality, Exam Prep Support, TeleHealth Technology Support, and Your Expertise Here! Contact Jessica if you would like to become a SGVCAMFT Mentor or are interested in the Mentor-Mentee program: Jessicaruizmft@gmail.com or secretary@sgvcamft.org. Information about our Mentor-Mentee program can be found on our website at https://www.sgvcamft.org/Mentor-Mentee-Program  

SGV CAMFT’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Program Planning is actively looking for Participants and Facilitators to help launch this program! 

SGV-CAMFT is forming a Special Interest Group Program for professionals to come together around topics and interests related to our field. A Special Interest Group (SIG) is an opportunity to make connections, dig deeper into specialty areas, and form relationships around common interests. We are currently looking for participants and facilitators to help us launch this program! 

Do you have a passion for working with couples, trauma, or a specific diagnosis, and would like to share that with your colleagues? 

Do you work with a specific population and could use some support? 

Would you enjoy co-hosting educational or social programs for Marriage and Family Therapists? 

We are open to your ideas for SIGs. What group would you like to see form? What group could you imagine being a part of? Check our website for details on how to apply to become a facilitator: https://www.sgvcamft.org/Special-Interest-Group-(SIG)-Program  Contact Natasha Morisawa for more information at Pastpresident@sgvcamft.org or Natasha@mindfulmft.com