Central Coast CAMFT Mission Statement
Marriage and Family Therapists help individuals, couples, families and children explore and resolve problems in a safe, supportive environment. We are dedicated to the advancement of marriage, family, child and individual psychotherapy as an art, a science, and a mental health profession. California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) establishes and helps maintain high standards of professional ethics and practice for its members. It supports continuing professional education and has an active legislative program designed to benefit both the profession and the consumer. CAMFT membership includes professionals in allied fields as well as students and associates pursuing licensure. Central Coast Chapter of CAMFT (CCC-CAMFT) represents marriage and family therapists in San Luis Obispo County and surrounding areas.
Black Lives Matter
To our CCC-CAMFT Community,
Our code of ethics outlines the obligation of all MFTs to be non-discriminatory and to understand/not perpetuate historical and social prejudice. We choose to take this one step further and advocate for an anti-racist position.
First things first: We emphatically affirm that Black Lives Matter. The recent incidents of racial violence are not isolated events, but rather part of a pervasive, historical pattern of interpersonal, institutional, and structural racism. As a profession, we stand in solidarity against the oppression that our Black community faces daily.
We decry the trauma and detrimental impact of racism on the health and well-being of people of color. With appreciation and respect for our human diversity, we advocate for a world in which none of us are made to carry the daily burden of racism and injustice.
We concur with CAMFT’s official statement (see link here to read in full Press Releases | California Therapists Disavow Racial Injustice), including the need to “take needed measures to decrease the implicit and explicit bias present in our government systems.” In addition, we believe it is crucial for all of us as MFTs to explore our own individual, unconscious biases and privilege, particularly as we address racial trauma with our clients.
Best practice calls on all of us to be culturally competent and culturally responsive, as well as trauma-informed in our work with clients. As we digest all that is happening in our world, our country, and our immediate community, your board is working to develop concrete steps to address racism and the associated mental health consequences.
To that end, we will be:
- Offering trainings, workshops, and resources that focus on expanding our understanding of systemic racism and building skills for combating oppression.
- Exploring ways for all of us to examine our own biases.
- Providing proactive strategies to address racial injustice and the mental health impact in our clinical settings and in our communities.
- Donating funds to local chapters of R.A.C.E. Matters and NAACP, both of which are involved in local activism and anti-racism efforts.
- Information on training opportunities will be shared via E-tree and on our Events page on the Chapter website: https://centralcoastcamft.org.
In addition, we will be including a focus on social justice in our monthly board meetings. We invite those interested to join us as we engage in activism and explore ways to promote diversity and inclusion in our profession and community at large.
A common thread in anti-racism work is the importance of taking the lead from, listening to, and uplifting the voices of people of color. As a board, we commit to doing this and acknowledge we do not have all the answers. We dedicate ourselves to the ongoing process of listening and learning. To all our members and therapists in the community, we invite you to share your experiences, perspectives, and ideas with our board. Our voices and actions are the most powerful, and make the most impact, when they are raised together.
In solidarity,
Your CCC-CAMFT Board
OUR MISSION To strengthen the Marriage & Family therapy profession & better serve our Central Coast community.
© Central Coast CAMFT 2016
Central Coast Chapter of CAMFT is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization. P.O. Box 12723, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
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