Couch to Capitol: August Legislative Updates

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The policy landscape shaping mental health services is shifting dramatically, with counselors and clients caught at the intersection of progress and concerning rollbacks. The Counseling Compact's expansion to 39 states signals a breakthrough for interstate practice, promising new professional mobility by fall 2025. This advancement stands in stark contrast to troubling federal decisions that threaten vulnerable populations.

SAMHSA's termination of specialized LGBTQ+ youth support through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline undermines a service that has provided affirming care to 1.3 million young people. Simultaneously, the FTC is contemplating whether to classify gender-affirming care as fraudulent—directly contradicting the consensus of medical and mental health associations and potentially criminalizing evidence-based practices. These federal actions come as youth mental health statistics grow increasingly alarming, with 40% of students reporting persistent sadness and 20% considering suicide.

Ohio counselors should closely monitor two equal rights amendments advancing through the ballot initiative process that would prohibit discrimination and update marriage definitions in the state constitution. The bipartisan CROWN Act would protect students from discrimination based on hair texture, addressing an important aspect of racial equity in schools. Meanwhile, the reintroduction of the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act in Congress and the Supreme Court's upcoming hearing on conversion therapy bans underscore ongoing battles against harmful practices.

As counselors, our ethical responsibility extends beyond the therapy room. These policy developments directly impact our ability to provide competent, affirming care to all clients. Take action using the links in our show notes, contact your legislators about these issues, and join us next month as we continue tracking how decisions from the Capitol shape every counseling conversation.

Resources:

• https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/status-reports
• https://ohiocounseling.org/legislative-advocacy
• https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2025/08/11/ohio-ag-certifies-equal-rights-amendment-and-right-to-marry-amendment/
• https://www.counseling.org/advocacy/take-action
• https://counselingcompact.gov/

OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

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Stay in touch and join the conversation:

• Instagram: @OhioCounseling
• Facebook: facebook.com/ohiocounseling
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ohio-counseling-association-b78256165/

Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee

·Hosted by Marisa Cargill & Victoria Frazier

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Victoria Frazier, and Leah Wood

·Editing by Marisa Cargill

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Ohio Counseling Conversations Couch
to Capital, your quickconnection from the Counseling
Office to where laws meet lives.
In this segment we break downthe latest legislative and
judicial updates, policy changesand advocacy efforts that
impact counselors across Ohio.
Whether you're licensed intraining or just passionate

(00:22):
about the field of counseling,we've got what you need to stay
informed and empowered.
Welcome back to Couch toCapital on Ohio Counseling
Conversations, where we bridgethe gap between your clinical
couch and the legislation thatimpacts counselors and the
people we serve.
I'm Marissa.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Cargill.
I'm Marissa Cargill and I'mVictoria Frazier, and each month
, it's our goal to bring you themost relevant legislative
updates impacting counselors,clients and the mental health
profession across our state.
In this episode, we'd firstlike to share with you that
momentum continues to grow forthe Counseling Compact.
39 states and the District ofColumbia have now passed compact

(01:01):
legislation.
The Counseling CompactCommission anticipates beginning
to grant privileges forclinicians to practice in other
states participating in thecompact by fall of 2025.
This is a major step forward inimproving clients' access to
care and expanding professionalmobility for counselors across
state lines.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Speaking of access to care, another development has
raised real concern aboutwhether LGBTQ plus youth will
continue to have access to care.
Another development has raisedreal concern about whether LGBTQ
plus youth will continue tohave access to the support they
need in crisis moments.
The Substance Abuse and MentalHealth Services Administration,
also known as SAMHSA, hasannounced it will end the 988
Suicide and Crisis Lifelinespecialized support for LGBTQ

(01:40):
plus youth.
This program, which has beenavailable for nearly three years
, allowed LGBTQ Plus Youth andyoung people to connect with
specialized crisis counselorswhen they dialed 988.
In that time, it has supportedmore than 1.3 million youth with
affirming, compassionate care.
The stakes are high.
A 2024 Trevor Project reportfound that 39% of LGBTQ plus

(02:05):
youth seriously consideredsuicide in the past year,
including 46% of transgender andnon-binary youth.
Cutting this lifeline meanscutting off essential
life-saving access.
Counselors are encouraged toadvocate for continued funding
to ensure LGBTQ plus youth havetrusted crisis services when
they need them most.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
LGBTQ plus youth have trusted crisis services when
they need them most, and whilethat program is being cut,
another federal agency isconsidering a move that could
have devastating consequencesfor gender affirming care
nationwide.
At the federal level, theFederal Trade Commission is
considering whether to labelgender affirming care as an
unfair and deceptive practice,effectively calling it fraud.
This proposal contradictsdecades of evidence showing

(02:47):
gender-affirming care iseffective and life-saving.
Every major medical and mentalhealth association, including
the American CounselingAssociation, recognizes
affirming care as best practice.
If adopted, this action wouldendanger access to essential
services, stigmatize transgenderand gender diverse clients and
place counselors in animpossible ethical position.

(03:10):
The FTC is accepting publiccomments on this issue until
Friday, September 26, 2025.
We encourage counselors to maketheir verses heard at the link
in the show notes.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Shifting back to Ohio , there's also big news on the
ballot initiative front, withorganizers advancing not one but
two equal rights amendments.
Here in Ohio, two new equalrights amendments have cleared
their first hurdle.
On July 3rd, the Ohio AttorneyGeneral's Office certified two
proposed constitutionalamendments after organizers
secured the 1,000 signaturesrequired to advance.

(03:44):
The amendments would number one, prohibit the Ohio legislator
and municipalities from enactingor enforcing discriminatory
laws based on race, sex, sexualorientation, gender identity or
expression, pregnancy status,disability, age, veteran status
and more.
Number two, it would repeal thestate's current constitutional

(04:07):
language that defines marriageas only a union between one man
and one woman.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
On July 9th, the state ballot board split the
proposals into two separatemeasures, meaning organizers
must now collect signatures forboth To appear on a future
ballot.
Each petition must receive442,958 signatures from voters
across at least 44 countries, atotal of nearly 886,000

(04:33):
signatures.
886,000 signatures.
Organizers say they'relaunching a phased campaign
throughout 2025 to buildinfrastructure, refine systems
and deepen coalitionpartnerships.
For counselors, this isespecially relevant.
Non-discrimination protectionsensure our clients can access
safe affirming care and that ourprofession remains aligned with
ethical principles of equalityand justice.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
And Ohio lawmakers are also taking steps on another
front, one that directlyaddresses how students show up
authentically in schools.
Representatives Brent andColander have introduced House
Bill 415, known as the Creatinga Respectful and Open World for
Natural Hair Crown Act.
With bipartisan support, thisbill would prohibit public

(05:17):
schools from discriminatingagainst students based on hair
texture or protective hairstyles For counselors.
This legislation is importantbecause school climate directly
affects students' mental health,sense of belonging and academic
success.
Passing the Crown Act wouldaffirm students' identities and
protect against discriminatorypractices that cause harm and
perpetuate racial trauma.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
While Ohio is considering protections for
students, congress is weighing anew bill that could reshape how
we all engage with technology,including in the counseling
field.
The Artificial IntelligenceLiteracy and Inclusion Act would
expand AI training and digitalequity by providing grants to
schools, libraries, colleges andnonprofits.

(05:59):
It aims to prepare theworkforce for AI-driven changes,
while promoting digital safety,why it matters to counselors as
AI tools increasingly appear inmental health practice.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
This legislation could provide training funds to
ensure counselors integrate AIethically, while preserving the
human connection central to ourwork and while AI is shaping the
future of counseling, anotherfederal decision is disrupting
the present, with major fundingcuts to school-based mental
health programs.
The Department of Education hascanceled $1 billion in school

(06:32):
mental health funding that wasallocated under the Bipartisan
Safer Communities Act.
This comes at a time when CDCdata shows 40% of students
report persistent sadness orhopelessness, 20% have seriously
considered suicide and 9% haveattempted suicide.
Counselors are urged to contactlegislators to restore BSCA

(06:55):
funding and ensure ourprofession is included in
solutions to this ongoing youthmental health crisis.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
And finally, a story that continues to resurface the
dangerous practice of conversiontherapy and what's happening
now at the federal level and inthe courts.
The Therapeutic FraudPrevention Act has been
reintroduced in Congress.
This bill would classifycharging for conversion therapy
as fraudulent.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Courtwill hear Chiles v Salazar,

(07:24):
challenging Colorado's ban onconversion therapy in its
2025-2026 term.
Here at Ohio CounselingConversations, we are planning
in-depth episodes to discuss thecase prior to and following the
Supreme Court hearing.
Conversion therapy has beenunequivocally discredited by
every major medical and mentalhealth association and is linked

(07:46):
to depression, anxiety andsuicide.
Counselors are called tocontinue advocating against this
harmful practice and in supportof legislation that protects
our clients from it.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
That's this month's Couch to Capital update.
From advances in the CounselingCompact to equal rights
amendments here in Ohio, fromthe Crown Act to the FTC's
attack on gender-affirming care,these issues all shape the
lives of our clients and thework we do as counselors.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
As always, advocacy is part of our ethical
responsibility.
Stay engaged, stay vocal and besure to check our show notes
for links to take action on eachof these updates.
We'll see you next month onCouch to Capital.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
That's it for this edition of Couch to Capital,
brought to you by the OhioCounseling Association and Ohio
Counseling Conversations.
In the meantime, stay tuned,stay engaged and keep advocating
for the future of counseling inOhio, because what happens at
the Capitol doesn't stay at theCapitol.
It impacts every counselingconversation.