South Carolina Clinical Mental Health Counselors Association
Summer Newsletter
Featured in this newsletter:
IMPORTANT CEU UPDATES
All licensees should be reminded that the renewal period for their license is set to end on 08/31/2021. Please review the SCLLR website for all information on license renewal and changes and updates regarding COVID and CEU requirements.


SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS

The South Carolina State of Emergency expired on Monday, June 7, 2021. Licensed counselor supervisors and their supervisees must now adhere to supervision requirements per Reg. 36-01(1), which requires that supervision must be 75% face-to-face and 25% may be conducted online via HIPAA-compliant technological medium.

OUT OF STATE LICENSEES - CONTINUITY OF CARE

The South Carolina State of Emergency expired on Monday, June 7, 2021. While the federal public health emergency remains in effect, allowing for telehealth practice to administer covered COVID countermeasures, anyone who is not licensed in South Carolina, who is currently providing client care to someone in South Carolina via telehealth, should make preparations to either become licensed in this state, or to transfer the client care to a South Carolina licensed provider.
Important Licensure Renewal
Information for 2021
Beginning this licensure renewal cycle, LLR is requiring all licensees to create an account with CE Broker to enter information regarding each license and CEUs. This will allow you to download all of the required CEUs received to meet the two year renewal cycle.

Visit the LLR website for more information.
Recruiting Board and Committee Members
SCCMHCA has an active board that is working diligently to increase benefits to members through developing CE workshops, a yearly conference, working with LPC board to address important legislative and ethical issues, promoting inclusion, and growing our membership. We are in need of dedicated Clinical Mental Health Counselors who want to give back to our profession by helping us develop an association with a voice and the influence to make a difference for our profession and the people we serve. Please consider applying for a board or committee position and represent your region so our association can be strengthened by a variety of perspectives and voices.

The Committees are as follows:

  • Membership Committee 
  • Ethics Committee 
  • Government and Legislative Committee
  • Professional Development and Conference Committee
  • Diversity Committee

If you would like to serve as a Board Member or on one of these Committees, please email us at sccmhca@gmail.com indicating your interest and in what capacity you would like to serve. We're asking for a commitment of up to two years.
Licensure by Endorsement
There are two different ways for states to license counselors from other states, portability endorsement of licensee (moving to another state) and portability by reciprocity. South Carolina follows portability endorsement of licensee. This means that applicants for licensure in SC under the board for LPCs, LMFTs, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Education Specialists must hold a current, active, and unrestricted license in good standing in another state. Substantially equivalent education may be met by documenting 5 years of active unrestricted licensure in another state within a 10-year period immediately preceding the application.

Another option that states can undertake is Counselor Reciprocity as proposed by the Council of State Governments (CSG). Reciprocity allows a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC) in one state to offer services in another state without being licensed in that state. The current CSG proposal requires that 10 states must first pass the compact legislation, which is a reciprocity arrangement, in order for the compact to go into effect.
The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), which is the national organization of which SCCMHCA is the South Carolina state chapter, supports both Licensure by Endorsement as well as licensure reciprocity.
Federal Rules Mandating Open Notes
On April 5, 2021, federal rules implemented the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act specifying that 8 types of clinical notes are among electronic information that must not be blocked and must be made available free of charge to patients. To meet the interests of some patients, the rules allow specified exceptions.

For more information visit opennotes.org
Fall Supervision Course
SCCMHCA will once again offer the LPCS Supervision Course that is required by the SC LLR to obtain your LPCS license. The course will be taught in the fall on the following dates all of which are on Saturdays:

September 11
September 25
October 9
October 23
November 6
November 20
December 4

The class is co-sponsored by Three Rivers Behavioral Health and will be taught on the campus of Three Rivers in the Outpatient Services Building. The class will meet 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. If you have any questions please contact Nancy Pilat-Renner at 803-546-2923.



25 Ways to be Intentional About Loving Yourself that Will Change your Life
1) Carve out time to do what you love

2) Love yourself physically and emotionally

3) Practice gratitude 
“Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more”)
-Roy T Bennet 

4) Set boundaries
Boundaries are limits you set for yourself that determine what you will or won’t participate in.
  • Just a heads-up, this can be uncomfortable in the beginning.
  • Make a promise to yourself to stick to your boundaries. 
P.S. No is a complete sentence. 

5) Pay attention to your Inner and Outer voice
Inner Voice: the voice in your head
Outer Voice: what comes out your mouth 

6) Enjoy and Appreciate your Journey. Past, present, and future. Love the process.

7) Have fun. Laugh. Smile. Do this often!
A Family that laughs together stays together

8) Be gentle and Forgiving of Yourself.

9) Connect With Others Who Are Living at the Level You Want to Live At.

10) Love Learning and Unlearning. Have a Growth mindset in as many areas of life as possible.

11) Limit Social Media

12) REST
  • In the latest Psychological Association report, 77% Americans are experiencing psychological symptoms. Money and work are reported the leading causes of stress. 

13) Have a Creative Outlet

14) Get outdoors.
Humans feel the most grounded and connected to themselves in the woods. If you don’t, chances are, it was learned. Probably passed to you. Give the outdoors a chance. You don’t have to climb a tree. Take a stroll. Notice. The birds. The foliage. The fresh air. The sounds. Nature fuels our soul.

15) Serve others in whatever way fit your lifestyle.

16) Have a purpose. Know your why. (Why you care to wake up?)
The opposite of depression is purpose.

17) Set some goals. Start Small.

18) Practice being present.

19) Declutter your mind and space.

20) Be intentional about how you spend your time and who you spend your time with. Time is a nonrenewable resource!!

21) Try your best to stop judging others and yourself.

22) Keep a prayer journal. A prayer journal inspires your spiritual growth and flames your faith.

23) Be open to self-discovery. Life is not about FINDING yourself. It is about CREATING yourself. 

24) Take risks. Accept that no one gets it right the first time. It is OK to make mistakes. It is OK to be wrong. 

25) Focus on belonging (being accepted for who you are) instead of fitting in (changing who you are to be accepted).
Once you are intentional about loving yourself, you will see your love vibrate outward and spread to those around you more effectively and more beautifully!
Here are 7 simple self-care tips that will have a big impact on your health without adding to your busy schedule. Take baby steps. Pick ONE thing to practice each day.
1) Hydration— Drink 60-100 ounces of plain water throughout the day. Staying hydrated helps your body work optimally, keeps your skin looking fresh, and supports lactation if you’re breastfeeding. Also, since we sometimes mistake thirst as hunger, eliminating that feeling helps to increase metabolism and burn fat.

2) Posture — Mindful posture helps ward off backaches and pains, gives you the appearance of being thinner and taller, and engages deep abdominal muscles. By sitting and standing up straight, you can work your abs all day long!

3) Sleep — A nightly sleep ritual helps set up successful deep sleep even if you have small children at home. Ditch the screen time in the evening and opt for a warm shower, favorite book and early bedtime—this will be especially helpful to decompress and release stress.

4) Take a 5-minute break — Once a day, take 5 minutes for yourself to decompress, zone out, recharge. This could mean anything from a quick walk at lunchtime to a short period of meditation, or even just laying down to rest.

5) Mind your thoughts — Talk to yourself as you would talk to your child. Be kind, respectful and patient. Think about your strengths and how you can use them to reach your goals. And cut yourself some slack if you find you’re falling short in some areas—focus on where you’re succeeding and give yourself the credit you deserve.

6) Be cognizant of your food choices – You don’t have to go on a diet to eat healthier. Just think about what you’re putting in your body. If you find yourself running to the vending machine because you’re starving at 3:30 every afternoon, plan ahead and pack a healthier snack like almonds or carrot sticks.

7) Ditch the all-or-nothing mentality – If you’re waiting for the perfect time to start exercising and eating right (once the pandemic is over, in the summer, when I can go to the gym, etc.), stop! There will never be a “perfect” time to start, however there will always be an excuse not to. Make up your mind to do as much as you can, whenever you can. Trade “all-or-nothing” for “always something” every day. Every little bit helps.