December Update on Proclamation
Thank you to everyone who attended our town halls at the end of November! If you missed that update, we will soon be posting a recording of the presentation to our website.
As promised, we are sending you:
An update following our meeting with Associate Minister Ellis
Letter Writing Campaign Information - As requested, an opportunity to share your concern about the fact that the CCTA sill has not opened with your MLA, the Health Minister and the Associate Health Minister.
Update
Following the Meeting with Associate Minister Ellis
ACTA representatives CEO/Registrar, Linda Sahli; Chair, Nicole Imgrund; and Vice-Chair, Laura Hahn attended the meeting with Associate Minister for Mental Health and Addictions, Mike Ellis, on November 30, 2021, to present the current urgency for this Government to proclaim the College of Counselling Therapy (CCTA).
Outcome: Associate Minister Ellis listened to our presentation respectfully and said that our voices are heard. When asked what message from him we could report, he suggested that we share that the meeting was positive and optimistic. He committed to consulting with Health Minister Copping and Children’s Service Minister Schulz regarding CCTA and agreed to get back to us. Although we asked for a timeframe to hear back, he did not provide one. He did not state whether he would support the CCTA regulation, but also stated that he knows of no reasons or issues that would prevent it from moving forward.
Unfortunately, ACTA is still without a renewed commitment from the Government to proclaim the CCTA. We have shared with the government the very strong response of our membership, as well as stakeholders and the public, about the fact that they have not completed regulation of these professions. We also have reminded them that vulnerable Albertans need the protections of regulation now.
Show Your Support
The ACTA Board has heard the message loud and clear that you wish to have your voice heard about regulation now. You can show your support by sending a letter to your MLA, with a Cc to the Minister of Health and the Associate Minister for Mental Health and Addictions.
The objective of the letter is to make it known to the Government that Albertans want them to proceed with regulation now. We need them to renew their commitment to regulation and complete the final step towards proclaiming the college. Albertans are in need of safe and accessible mental health and addictions services now more than ever. This is a no-cost way for the Government to fulfill their promise to help Albertans in the midst of a mental health and addictions crisis. The college is ready, the government's work is done, and all that is left is for Minister Copping to recommit to a proclamation date and present it to cabinet for approval.
Mental health and addictions impact all Albertans, and all deserve access to safe and effective care. We know the power of grassroots efforts, which resulted in the legislation for the CCTA and the development of the college over these past three years. Together, we can remind the government of the urgency to take this final step and give vulnerable Albertans the protection they deserve.
Please share this link widely with all Albertans who want to have their voices heard on this critical issue! Share this link with colleagues, friends and family who believe vulnerable Albertans deserve basic protections when receiving mental health and addictions services.
https://www.acta-alberta.ca/show-your-support
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Would you like to send a personalized letter?
If you prefer to send a personalized letter to the Government, we thank you for taking the added time and effort to show your support. If you would like some tools for finding your MLA and writing a letter of support, we would be happy to send them to you. Please email info@ACTA-Alberta.ca and we will send them to you immediately. A personalized letter sharing from your own experience on the frontlines, or as someone impacted by mental health and addictions, can be a simple and yet highly impactful response.
Further Advocacy Efforts
The ACTA Board will continue to meet with the Government. If you have a connection to an MLA or another contact in Government and would be willing to make an introduction to the Board, please email us at: info@ACTA-Alberta.ca . At this time, we are not calling for individual members to reach out to MLA’s for meetings, but to help facilitate them. We know there are many MLA's that will support this important measure to improve safety and access to mental health and addictions services in Alberta. We look forward to meeting with interested MLA's to share more about the CCTA and answer any questions.
The ACTA Board's Commitment
The ACTA Board is committed to continuing to advocate to the Government in accordance with our mandate—CCTA belongs to the public, our first accountability is to serve and protect the public. We ask you to join us in holding this Government accountable to its commitment to proclaim CCTA while maintaining our core values of transparency, integrity, and relationality. We hope to empower and mobilize this Government to achieve a shared vision and success for Albertans, ACTA/CCTA and this Government’s promise to take actionable steps to support Albertans’ addiction and mental health wellness.
It is our hope that ACTA will have an opportunity soon to move forward with the government to open the new college. However, the ACTA Board has a strategic plan for ongoing advocacy efforts, if needed. We will continue to update you on any developments towards a proclamation timeline and next steps.
Thank you for your ongoing support!