Insurance Lobbyist for LCAT Coverage
Donation protected
New York is in a mental health crisis! With a scarcity of psychotherapists and enormous waiting lists for affordable mental health care, we are stunned that Governor Hochul EXCLUDED 2000+ Licensed Creative Arts Therapists (LCAT) from a bill that requires health insurance policies to cover all NYS licensed mental health practitioners. It is time to unify to raise $60,000 to secure a lobbyist. An experienced Albany insider who can navigate the complexities of NYS insurance law is essential—and expensive. Please help us correct this reckless exclusion of LCAT psychotherapists with a donation today. #LobbyforLCATs
Did you know that more than 40,000 people receive therapy from an LCAT?
- LCAT psychotherapists make up 14% of all NYS licensed Mental Health Practitioners
- Creative Arts Therapists were licensed as LCAT in 2005 when all other psychotherapists were too: LCSWs, LMHCs, LMFTs, and LPs.
- LCAT psychotherapists serve 40,000+ New Yorkers in non-profit organizations, outpatient clinics, hospitals, private therapy offices, on virtual therapy platforms, and in other mental health facilities.
- The LCAT license is currently covered by Cigna, Healthfirst, and Aetna and out-of-network by UnitedHealthcare, Emblem/NYSHIP and others.
- LCAT psychotherapists include art therapists, music therapists, drama therapists, dance therapists, poetry therapists, and expressive therapists.
- LCATs have training in play therapy, trauma treatment, EMDR, DBT, and CBT.
- The expansion of coverage in Bill A1171A would have prevented New Yorkers working with an LCAT from losing their mental health care when they change jobs or get new insurance.
PHASE 1: $60,000 to secure an experienced lobbyist to advocate for drafting new legislation for insurance coverage equity for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists (LCAT). We will need even more funds to pay for ongoing lobbying efforts. The LCAT has been without representation in Albany for more than a decade. Our lack of lobbying power compared to 31,000 LCSWs with multiple lobbyists has kept us on the sidelines.
In addition to a donation today, click this link > JOIN the LCAT Advocacy Coalition.
We need mental health consumers and folks from every profession to help us make big changes to increase access and choice for New Yorkers who need mental health care.
PHASE 2: MORE PSYCHOTHERAPISTS IN NYS ASAP! We need additional funds ongoing to hire a policy expert to help draft new legislation and revisit the original licensing laws written in 2005 (Mental Health Omnibus Bill). New Yorkers shouldn’t have to wait for therapy because of overcomplicated, hierarchical, inequitable licensing pathways. NY needs to increase the pool of mental health providers right now and can do that by signing legislation into law that includes Creative Arts Therapists, one of the four Mental Health Practitioners licensed as psychotherapists. And ultimately equalizing licensing requirements for all Masters level psychotherapists, including Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC).
This GoFundMe is part of a grassroots advocacy group formed in response to recent inequitable licensing legislation. The New York Art Therapy Association is co-sponsoring this campaign as an intermediary.
Fundraising team (4)
LCAT Advocacy_Coalition
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
New York Art therapy Association
Team member
Linda Turner
Team member
Maya Benattar
Team member
