American Counseling Association Warns Counselors Will Be Held Accountable Regardless of State Law
The American Counseling Association (ACA) has canceled its 2017 conference scheduled for Nashville, after Tennessee GOP Gov. Bill Haslam signed an anti-gay “religious freedom” bill into law. The only one of its kind, HB 1840 allows therapists and counselors to refuse service based on claimed sincerely held principles. The ACA is the largest group representing counselors in the world.
Calling the new law “the worst” he’s seen in 30 years, ACA CEO Richard Yep says HB 1840 is discriminatory and “targets” LGBT people. Yep, in a video statement, says the Tennessee law is “in clear violation of the American Counseling Association’s code of ethics.”
Yep says that “counselors who unethically refuse services to clients in need will be held accountable.”
HB 1840 puts those most vulnerable at risk: LGBTQ youth and teens who need help and are declined must be referred to another therapist or counselor, but that office could be far away, as fully 25 percent of Tennessee residents live in rural areas.
“We firmly believe that by relocating from Tennessee, ACA is taking a stand against this discriminatory law, and we remain committed in the battle to ensure that this harmful legislation does not spread to other states,” ACA President Thelma Duffey added in a statement.
Watch:
Â
Image: Screenshot via CounselingViews/YouTube