RECAMFT's Climate Resolution adopted February 8, 2020

Resolution of the Redwood Empire Chapter of

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (RECAMFT.org)

Commitment to Climate Change Action

• Whereas local and global environmental crises have been attributed by the larger scientific community to human-caused exponential growth of greenhouse gas emissions (https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/);
• Whereas institutionalized inaction to the climate crisis negatively affects the emotional, mental and physical health of adults and children, especially vulnerable populations (https://www.apa.org/science/about/publications/executive-summary.pdf);
• Whereas the larger scientific community calls for immediate and aggressive legislative actions and policies to slow, stop, or reverse the climate crisis;
• Whereas we believe failure to respond to the climate crisis is “climate neglect” by the US Congress;
• Whereas we believe it is abusive to knowingly fail to prevent environmental harms which subject current and future generations to significant burden and risk, especially the most socioeconomically distressed populations;

• Whereas our congressional representatives Jared Huffman, John Garamendi, and Mike Thompson acknowledge the climate crisis and advocate for climate action; and 

• Whereas leading health organizations have identified climate action as a key health care cause (https://www.apa.org/about/policy/climate-change, https://www.ama-assn.org/topics/climate-change, https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/climate-change-and-mental-health-connections/affects-on-mental-health); now therefore be it 

Resolved, that the Redwood Empire Chapter of California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (RECAMFT.org), on behalf of its members

1. asks our California congressional representatives to continue to act even more urgently and boldly with their bipartisan peers to reduce human-made greenhouse gas emissions to protect present and future generations;

2. supports its members to engage in climate activism for the health and safety of the communities we serve, and to assist clients in ending climate neglect just as we would support clients in ending any form of detrimental neglect;

3. calls upon the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT.org) Board of Directors and its regional chapters to pass climate action resolutions and request their respective congressional representatives end climate crisis denial and neglect;

4. will post this resolution on our website with links to relevant resources;

5. will transmit official copies of this resolution to the CAMFT Board of Directors, to the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), to the American Counseling Association (ACA) and other mental health organizations legally and ethically bound to report neglect and abuse.

Mover: Laura Strom, PsyD, RECAMFT Secretary 707-889-9168

Seconder: Tara D'Orazio, MA, RECAMFT President 707-539-5008

Unanimously adopted February 8, 2020 by the 2020 RECAMFT Board of Directors.

Tara D'Orazio, President

Kira Kayler, President Elect

Doreen Van Leeuwen, Past President

Erica Thomas, Chief Financial Officer

Laura Strom, Secretary

Patrick Armstrong, Director at Large

Louisa Gluck, Director at Large

Annette Seibel, Director at Large

Reyna Seminara, Director at Large

Ally Shamseldin, Prelicensed Director at Large

Gail Van Buuren, Director at Large

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The below links are suggested for additional information:

https://www.climatepsychiatry.org

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/climate-change-and-mental-health-connections/affects-on-mental-health

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/global-warming-and-violent-behavior

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-climate-change-affects-childrens-health/ar-AAHMedR

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