Candidate for President-Elect

Maureen Houtz
Candidate Statement

My name is Maureen Tynan Houtz, and I'm hoping you will select me as your next president elect of CAMFT.

I've been a practicing MFT for more than 30 years. But I still remember the early days after receiving my degree – the daily, head-down focus on building my practice.

Since then, I've had the privilege of directing a counseling center, overseeing a staff of 16 LMFTs. I've taught at the university level and mentored associates to licensure. Helping associates become comfortable in their own skin as they developed into clinicians was a privilege. Working with local universities to help place trainees reminded me of how precious this work is. 

For the last 3 ½ years I have served on the CAMFT board. I've been impressed by the professionalism and decisiveness of my fellow board members, as well as the passion we share for helping others. During my tenure we've had to navigate a global pandemic that dramatically increased the need for mental health services. Over that period telehealth went from being a rare exception to a standard method of delivering care. I've witnessed the efforts to secure Medicare's acceptance of LMFT providers -- a 20-year battle - finally bear fruit, thanks to CAMFT's tireless advocacy efforts. Our legal team fielded thousands of calls from practitioners seeking advice on how to handle difficult situations. Our educational resources are vast.

Throughout this time, it has become clear that CAMFT is an invaluable advocate for all LMFTs. But there is more work to be done. As president elect, I would direct our organization toward achieving the following goals.

• Create an even more influential organization. Today, more than 20,000 LMFTs practicing in California are not members of CAMFT. That needs to change. I would prioritize recruiting colleagues who are not yet aware of the essential work CAMFT does.
• Expand voting privileges to pre-licensed members. CAMFT has 10,000 pre-licensed members who have no say in how our organization is run. These members represent the future of our profession; I believe they deserve voting privileges.
• Pursue license portability and exam legitimacy. The expansion of telehealth, coupled with the increased mobility of licensed practitioners, demands a more modern approach to licensing and examinations.

Having been an early member of CAMFT, I can assure you today's organization is far more influential and effective than it was when I joined. It is leading the way in protecting our profession's ethical standards and promoting the value we therapists provide.  

As president elect and then president, I would continue to infuse foundational principles of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access into all aspects of CAMFT. Perhaps most importantly, I would ensure that CAMFT continues to be the steward of our profession, upholding the highest standards of ethics and accountability.

Our best days are ahead of us. Let's work together to make CAMFT even stronger moving forward.

Maureen Houtz, LMFT

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