CAMFT Staff

Joy Alafia, MBA, CAE
Executive Director

Joy Alafia joined the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists as Executive Director in June 2022.  She brings over 17 years of association experience, specializing in transformational leadership, organizational management, governance, marketing, and partnership development.  In her first 6 months, CAMFT developed a two-year strategic plan and deployed the organization’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statement.  Her employment history includes serving as the CEO of the Western Propane Gas Association (WPGA), where she led the organization to a new chapter focused on renewable propane as part of California’s clean energy economy.  Joy previously served as an advisory member for the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program which supports the accelerated development and deployment of advanced transportation fuels and technologies.  Prior to that, Joy served as a business director for the California Association of REALTORS®, an organization with over 185,000 members where she focused on developing innovative and enterprising business partnerships.

Joy presently serves on the Board for the United Way Bay Area and previously held a Board position for the non-profit Building Diversity in Science.  Joy has a BS in Physics from Spelman College and an MBA from Pepperdine University.  She is a Certified Association Executive.

The Legal Affairs team provides CAMFT members with legal and ethical information relating to aspects of practice and licensure, and advocates for the needs and benefits of MFTs with the state and federal legislatures and licensing boards. The Legal team also publishes relevant legal and advocacy articles in The Therapist magazine and on the CAMFT website, and facilitates Law and Ethics workshops across the state.

 [Please note that information obtained through CAMFT, CAMFT staff, CAMFT's Legal Team, or CAMFT's website, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Information obtained through CAMFT is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship between the user and CAMFT, CAMFT staff or CAMFT's Legal Team. Readers should not rely upon or act upon the information without seeking professional counsel outside of CAMFT.]

 Questions of legal or business practice nature should not be sent by e-mail; call our Toll Free number at (888) 892-2638 to have your question answered by CAMFT's Legal Team. Please have your member ID number available.

The Finance and Operations team is at the core of daily activities and services at CAMFT. Our friendly Member Service team answers hundreds of calls and emails every day, offering valuable support and guidance to members on a variety of topics. The CEPA team works hand in hand with our many certified continuing education providers. Affinity partnerships and accounting processes are also handled through this multi-faceted team.

CAMFT’s Marketing, Communications and Outreach team handles membership drives, membership education benefits, state-wide and chapter events, and so much more. Connecting with members, mental health consumers, and media outlets, CAMFT’s Communications staff ensure that CAMFT is recognized as a clinical thought leader and advocate for all mental health matters. This team also edits and publishes The Therapist magazine and provides outreach and support for Pre-licensed and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists throughout the state.