Dear Members,

Happy New Year! The start of the new year is always a good time for reflecting and preparing for the future. One thing that you can review to help you prepare for 2020 is CAMFT’s revised Code of Ethics. This revised ethics code was approved at the December 2019 Board meeting, and is now posted on the website. Please review it as the BBS will be using this revised ethics code as its standards for practice.

The CAMFT Code of Ethics is the product of over 4 years of hard work by members of the Ethics Committee, two consultants who were involved in the last revision of the ethics code, and at least 6 CAMFT staff members. Thank you to the following members who volunteered hundreds of hours over the past 4 years: Ian Russ (Chair), Nancy Brison-Moll, Raymond Cameron, Darlene Davis, Sharon Duffy, Dean Lobovits, Angela Mohan, and Irving Zaroff. Thank you to the following staff for supporting this process: Mike Griffin, Alain Montgomery, Andrea Redd, Ann Tran-Lien, and Cathy Atkins.

I had the privilege of attending two meetings during this revision process, and I was so impressed by the thoughtfulness of these CAMFT members. They discussed each standard, considered appropriate updates, and made purposeful changes as appropriate. Each word was precisely chosen for its meaning and how it might be interpreted.

This process was a model for transparency. Members were able to comment on the first completed draft of the Ethics Code in April and May of 2019. Staff then organized the responses to give to the Ethics Committee, who reviewed the comments in the summer of 2019. The Ethics Committee made a number of revisions based on member feedback, including some substantive comments that warranted a second member comment period. The second member comment period was focused on 6 changes to the proposed revisions, and the Ethics Committee once again incorporated member feedback into the final draft that was accepted.

As we enter 2020, CAMFT is in the middle of a bylaws revision. This bylaws revision process has also been transparent. Changes were limited to the most important revisions that needed to be prioritized. Members have received a redlined version of the proposed changes, as well as descriptions and rationales for the changes. Meetings will be held in Newport Beach and Oakland for members to ask questions. CAMFT will also host a Live webinar to answer questions. All of the dates and details for the live Bylaws event can be found here. Ultimately, members will have the choice to vote up or down on these proposed changes.

As we enter a new decade, I hope CAMFT members see leadership’s emphasis on transparency and participate in the multiple opportunities to engage in the Ethics Code and Bylaws revisions. Be on the lookout for L&E workshops examining the revisions to the ethics code later this year!

Regards,

Nabil El-Ghoroury, Ph.D., CAE
Executive Director
nel-ghoroury@camft.org | Twitter: @drnabil