In May of 2010, VACC received an e-mail from one of the Board Members of the Virginia Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, inviting collaboration on issues and projects that might be of common interest. Our Board agreed and we have since sent representatives to each other’s board meetings, getting to know each other better. We have a similar role, as VACC is the state chapter of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, and VAMFT is the state chapter of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Our collaboration has already resulted in the agreement of each organization to offer the preferred membership rate conference fee to members of the other association. For instance, VACC usually has a tiered fee to conferences, discounting the fee if one is a VACC member. Now we will offer the same discounted fee to VAMFT members who attend our conferences, and VAMFT will extend their preferred membership rate to those VACC members who attend their conferences. We see this as a win-win proposition in regard to attendance at workshops and conferences.

VACC and VAMFT have also agreed to establish contact between Legislative Committee chairs so as to help each other watchdog bills that may affect our organizations. Other collaborations are also possible as imagination and resources permit. We look forward to a mutually rewarding alliance.

Michael Nahl, LPC