President's Message

We’re Not Going Back

Jenni J.V. Wilson, LMFT, LA-CAMFT President 2021 & 2026

LA-CAMFT was thrown into the 2020s unprepared for what was to come. Now more than halfway through this decade, LA-CAMFT is actively working to stay the course in the direction of progress, growth, and sustainability.

This year leadership has been committed to taking bold action towards creating reasonable sustainability plans, replenishing the coffers, and strengthening community participation.

As mental health professionals, most of us were still working when Covid put us on lockdown, focused on surviving and helping others to survive. The crisis seemed like an opportunity to start updating systems and re-examining goals for LA-CAMFT.  It was the start of something and we didn’t know what.

During Covid, generating revenue became less important for LA-CAMFT, as the chapter focused on generating more community, keeping trainings and memberships affordable, and providing opportunities for our underrepresented colleagues.  I believe deep in my soul that was the best course of action we could have taken.  I also understand how the plan was a little short-sighted and where that’s partially on me.

As President-Elect and President in 2020 and 2021, respectively, I was not wholly aware of the chapter's financial standing or innerworkings. During my first tenure, I was not experienced enough in the chapter's financial matters to understand what I was looking at in the financials – and we were solidly in the black.  I did not ask the CFO or my more seasoned teammates enough of the right questions or assert myself strongly enough regarding my concerns. I didn’t even know the right questions to ask.

At that time, I lacked the understanding to know how to direct the teams proposing new initiatives and how to effectively work with the CFO on budgeting – something current CFO Di Wilson and I have been discussing since before I was called back onto the team in late November.  It’s why we formed a Financial Committee this year and why I’m so excited to have Julie Anderson on board as CFO-elect.   I’m hopeful.

I realize no CFO in 2020/2021could have advised me accurately on the chapter’s finances. The world suddenly changed.  LA-CAMFT had to adapt, quickly.  Leadership made our best guesses about what would be happening in the future, and when.  Too much was unknown.

We would worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.  If there ever was a tomorrow.

Well, turned out there was a tomorrow, and it's today. 

What became clear to the Financial Committee and Board this year is that every year since Covid the chapter has been losing money at a rate faster than LA-CAMFT has been able to replenish it.

Most of the initiatives the chapter proudly undertook between 2020 and 2022 have kept the chapter vibrant and growing, and we want them to continue.  But we need to be able to fund them responsibly.

LA-CAMFT is asking more from the community to continue offering more.

LA-CAMFT is now accepting donations to restart the Grant Awards to our Pre-licensed and Newly Licensed Members.  This program was temporarily put on hold earlier this year and has been reimagined.  For more information, visit:   https://www.lacamft.org/donations.

LA-CAMFT is always looking for new members to join in as guests, micro-volunteers, committee-members, and board leadership.  To find out how you might be able to contribute to the greater good, contact Annyce Torres at MembershipChair@lacamft.org or Ruth Castro at LACAMFTvolunteers@gmail.com.

LA-CAMFT is looking for folx to join the General Mentorship Program (GMP) Formation Committee.  Contact Keonna Robinson at TOCmentorshipProgram@lacamft.org or Randi Gottlieb at rgottliebmft@gmail.com for more information.

LA-CAMFT needs committed folx to join the Diversity Committee.  The LA-CAMFT Diversity Committee continues to offer support groups for folx from marginalized groups and hopes to expand programming - https://www.lacamft.org/Diversity-Committee.  If you have questions about the Diversity Committee, or about the work it’s doing, please reach out to Shruti Shankar at DiversityCommittee@lacamft.org.

LA-CAMFT’s 3000 Club is always there to support pre-licensed and newly licensed colleagues to build a strong professional community on the harrowing licensure journey:  https://www.lacamft.org/The-3000-Club.  For more information reach out to Beth Osinoff at Prelicensed@lacamft.org

LA-CAMFT is always interested in finding new writers, editors, and contributors for Voices.  If you’re interested, email and welcome LA-CAMFT’s new Newsletter Editor Alex Marshi.  Contact Alex Marshi at Newsletter@lacamft.org

LA-CAMFT appreciates Sponsorship for events and programming.  LA-CAMFT loves its sponsors - they help the chapter to do so much more to support the community, and for that we’re grateful.  Contact Madeleine Seeley at Sponsorship@lacamft.org for more information.

LA-CAMFT is always offering CEUs, hosting CE-events online throughout the year and now offering recordings of past online CE-events that folx might have missed.  https://www.lacamft.org/Past-Events

LA-CAMFT is always looking for folx to spread the word and get involved.  One way will be wearing LA-CAMFT merch.  Although the launch of the Swag Store has been temporarily delayed, the work has been done, and the team is ready to roll when the paperwork issue is resolved. 

Here’s more of what’s on the horizon…

I hope to see you at this month’s Zoom CE-event as Leanne Nettles presents “Beyond Belief: Exploring Religion and Spirituality in Mental Health Care” October 16^th.

President-Elect Jessica Idoine, Board-Member-At-Large Leanne Nettles, and others have coordinated a Protest Safety training - for LA-CAMFT members and students of Pacific Oaks College only - in collaboration with Pacific Oaks College on October 23^rd, from 1:00pm-3:00pm.  Register here:  https://lacamft.org/event-6844609

President-Elect Jessica Idoine is also working on a job board collaboration with O.C. CAMFT. 

On November 21^st there’ll be another online “Meet LA-CAMFT” event for members https://www.lacamft.org/event-6804636.

And of course, our Annual Holiday Party on December 13^th at Clearview will be a good time… mark your calendars!

Some people would like LA-CAMFT to go back to how it was in days before Covid, and I hate to tell them that it’s not gonna happen – and I wouldn’t want it to.  Soon enough, when Di Wilson, Tina Cacho Sakai, and I step back from LA-CAMFT’s Board of Directors, there likely won’t be anyone on the board who ever attended those Friday Morning in-person events at the Olympic Collection – which isn’t even there anymore.  It’s a new day. 

Current LA-CAMFT leadership is committed to leaving behind a chapter that is fiscally healthy, operationally creative, scaffolded for growth, aligned with the purpose of LA-CAMFT’s Declaration of Inclusion, Diversity, and Anti-Racism, and always forward thinking. 

LA-CAMFT’s not going back, and wherever it goes, I know it’s gonna be a helluva lot more fun if we’re all going together.  Let’s go!

Paz y Amor,

JJVW - Jenni June Villegas Wilson

Jenni J.V. Wilson, LMFT (she/her): As a collaborative conversationalist passionate about empowering and advocating for marginalized groups and underrepresented voices, Jenni uses an integrative approach based on post-modern principles to provide culturally-mindful and trauma-informed therapeutic services and clinical supervision. She works with creative, anxious, mixed race/culture, and co-dependent clients on improving and eliminating toxic relationships, while increasing authentic expression. She has a BA in theatre from Occidental College, an MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University LA, and is trained in EMDR, Brainspotting, and certified in Narrative Therapy. She is an accomplished writer, has produced/co-hosted multiple podcasts, worked in addiction treatment for nearly a decade, and sees the “worried well” in her private practice in Sherman Oaks. Website: www.JenniJVWilson.com