Washington Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

MISSION

We network, educate, and advocate for the enrichment of our members, the advancement of our profession, and the health of our communities.

VISION

We are a vibrant professional community and a leader in promoting healthy relationships and wellbeing for all individuals, couples, and families.

DESCRIPTION

WAMFT is a nonprofit organization representing more than 1,000 Marriage and Family Therapists in the state of Washington.  WAMFT is a division of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (www.aamft.org).

BYLAWS

Approved by the WAMFT Board of Directors in July 2007, by AAMFT in September 2007, and by vote of WAMFT members in December 2007.

ARTICLE I
NAME, ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE, RELATIONSHIP TO AAMFT, SEAL, LOCATION

Section 1.  The name of this organization shall be the Washington Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (hereinafter referred to as WAMFT), a division of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (hereinafter referred to as AAMFT).

Section 2.   WAMFT is responsible to the duly elected Officers and Board of Directors of AAMFT and all rules and orders lawfully made thereby.

Section 3.  The Bylaws of WAMFT shall be consistent with those of AAMFT and shall be approved by AAMFT before formal adoption by WAMFT.

Section 4.  WAMFT shall have a common seal including the words Washington Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Incorporated, Seattle 1977.

Section 5.  Offices of WAMFT shall be located in the State of Washington in such locale as determined by the WAMFT Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the Board).

Section 6.  WAMFT shall have all powers and be subject to all the restrictions which pertain by law to all membership corporations so far as the same are applicable therewith.

ARTICLE II
PURPOSES OF WAMFT

Section 1.  The purposes for which WAMFT is organized are:

a.     To promote the common professional interests of marriage and family therapists in the State of Washington,

b.     To represent the marriage and family therapy profession to the public and before governmental bodies.

c.     To promote marriage and family education as an aspect of preventative mental health,

d.     To promote and maintain professional standards in marriage and family therapy,

e.     To cooperate with other organizations and agencies in the furtherance of the profession of marriage and family therapy,

f.      To further the objectives of WAMFT by meetings, clinical sessions, publications, research in the field, and other relevant activities,

g.     To promote and further the goals of AAMFT within the State of Washington.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP OF WAMFT

Section 1.  Members of the WAMFT shall be members in good standing of AAMFT whose AAMFT address of record is within the State of Washington. Each member must meet the standards of academic and professional standing, clinical competence and experience, personal maturity and integrity and licensing as stipulated by AAMFT.

Section 2.  The membership of WAMFT shall be divided into two (2) classes:

a.            Voting Members. The voting members shall be composed of Clinical Members, Fellows and Emeritus Members. Clinical Members, Fellows and Emeritus Members shall be considered Clinical Members.

b.     Non-voting Members. The Non-voting Membership shall be composed of Student Members, Affiliate Members, and Associate Members.  Student, Affiliate, and Associate Members shall be considered Non-Clinical Members.

Section 3.  Clinical members shall be entitled to vote and hold office, and all members shall be entitled to attend meetings, receive mailings, and serve on committees. Student, Associate, and Emeritus Members shall be charged lower registration fees than other members who attend WAMFT-sponsored workshops and seminars.

Section 4.  All members shall abide by and be governed by the Bylaws of WAMFT and all rules and orders lawfully made thereby.

Section 5.  Any member of WAMFT shall be considered to be in good standing until he or she is declared otherwise by AAMFT.

Section 6.  A person's membership in WAMFT shall automatically cease when his or her AAMFT address of record ceases to be within the State of Washington.

Section 7.  Any member whose membership in AAMFT shall cease for any reason whatsoever shall have no further rights in WAMFT, other than as stated in Section 7, of the Article.

Section 8.  All members shall pay both AAMFT and WAMFT dues.

a.     Dues for the Division shall be established by majority vote of the Division’s board of directors, under policies and procedures established by the AAMFT Board, except in such instances where the proposed increase is greater than ten (10) percent of the previous year’s dues, this increase must be accepted by a majority vote of the voting members of the Washington Division conducted by ballot.

b.     All dues billing, dues collection, and dues disbursements will be performed by AAMFT.

ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS

Section 1.  The Officers of WAMFT shall be a President, a Past President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The Officers must be Clinical Members of AAMFT.

Section 2.  The President shall serve a term of two years, following a term of two years as President-elect. The President shall be the Chief Officer of WAMFT and of the Board and shall perform such duties as are customary for presiding officers, including making all required appointments with the approval of the Board. The President shall oversee the publication of the WAMFT newsletter. The President also shall serve as a member ex officio with right to vote on all committees except the Election Committee. Following the two year term as President he or she shall serve for one year in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors.

Section 3.  The President-elect shall be elected to a term of two years, automatically succeeding to the office of President upon completion of that term. The President-elect shall serve as presiding Officer of WAMFT and the Board during the absence of the President.

Section 4.  The Secretary shall serve a term of three years. The Secretary shall keep the records of all business meetings of WAMFT and meetings of the Board, shall direct the distribution of minutes and reports as authorized by these Bylaws and by the Board, and shall be responsible for all official correspondence of WAMFT.

Section 5.  The Treasurer shall serve a term of three years. The Treasurer shall be Chairperson of the Finance Committee, shall oversee the management of funds for duly authorized purposes of WAMFT, shall prepare the annual budget, and shall present periodic financial reports to the Board and an annual report to the membership. The Treasurer shall also make the records available for an annual audit. Records shall be maintained in keeping with general accounting principles. The fiscal year of WAMFT shall begin January 1.

Section 6.  The elections of Secretary and Treasurer shall be on alternate years.

Section 7.  WAMFT Officers shall be assumed to have resigned from office at such time as they move outside the State of Washington. If an Officer ceases to be in good standing as a member of AAMFT, the Board shall declare his or her office to be vacant.

Section 8.  If any office, other than President or President-elect, becomes vacant, the President shall appoint a successor to fill the office with the approval of the Board. In the event that the President is unable to complete the current term of office, the President-elect shall assume the presidential duties and office and a special election shall be called to elect a new President-elect through a ballot by the Clinical members. Said election shall take place within a two month period following the position vacancy. In the event that the President-elect is unable to complete the current term of office, a special election shall be called to elect a successor through a ballot by the clinical members. The term of Presidency shall not be for less than two years nor more than three years.

Section 9.  No Officer of WAMFT shall receive any remuneration whatsoever for services rendered as such Officer, other than reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.

Section 10.  The President and Chairpersons of Standing Committees, Commissions and Councils shall present an annual report of official transactions to the membership at the Annual Meeting.

Section 11.  If an officer of the association is impeached pursuant to the provisions of Article XIII of the AAMFT Bylaws, or ceases to be in good standing by reasons of non-payment of dues, or fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board, his/her position as an Officer shall be declared vacant by the Board.

ARTICLE V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1.  The Board of Directors of WAMFT shall include the following:

a.     The five duly elected Officers,

b.            Student Member. The Member is elected by Student members.

c.            Associate Member. The Member is elected by Associate members. 

d.     Up to eight duly elected At-Large Members, striving for diversity in geography, membership, and professional setting.

Section 2.  The voting members of the Board of Directors shall be: President, Past President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Student Member, Associate Member, and the At-Large Members.

Section 3.  The Board shall exercise all powers of WAMFT, except as specifically prohibited by these Bylaws. The Board shall be authorized to adopt and publish such policies, procedures and rules as may be necessary and appropriate, and exercise authority over all WAMFT business and funds. The Board may delegate such functions and powers as it deems appropriate to constituent components of the Association, including committees, commissions, and task forces. Such delegations may be revoked at any time unless otherwise provided by these Bylaws.

Section 4.  The Board shall meet at the call of the President and at least three times a year, or at the written request of at least three members of the Board, such request to be directed to the Secretary. A quorum shall consist of no less than one-half of the membership of the Board. Each member of the Board shall be entitled to one vote. Votes may be cast in person, or by email or conference call if necessary as prescribed in the Board’s Policies and Procedures. Email or conference call votes require one week for voting and shall require a two-thirds majority for approval. The meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order Revised. The Board of Directors shall conduct the business of WAMFT. It shall exercise all the powers of WAMFT between meetings of the membership other than the amendment of these Bylaws, a change in the dues schedule, or dissolution of WAMFT.

Section 5.  If a position on the Board becomes vacant, the position may remain vacant or the President may appoint a successor to serve the remainder of the unexpired term with the approval of the Board, except that vacancies of the Officers shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of Article IV, Section 8.

Section 6.  Board meetings shall be open to the WAMFT membership for attendance but not participation unless members file a written request with the Secretary. Only those members filing a written request shall be heard by the Board at its next regularly scheduled meeting. Members heard by the Board shall not be entitled to vote.

Section 7. No Officer or Board Member of WAMFT shall receive compensation directly from WAMFT or  for a WAMFT-sponsored activity during their time in office, other than reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.

ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES

Section 1.  The standing committees of WAMFT shall include the following: Election; Ethics, Training & Standards; Finance; Legislative; Membership Services; Student; and Associate. The committees shall be responsible to the Board.

Section 2.  All Standing Committees shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board. Terms of office shall be for two years. Each committee shall select a Chairperson with the approval of the Board and with a desire to retain at least two members of the former committee promoting some continuity for WAMFT.  The term of office shall begin on January 1.

Section 3.  The Treasurer shall be the Chair of the Finance Committee and he or she shall select a committee in the manner described in Section 2 of this Article. The Finance Committee shall assist the Treasurer in preparing the annual budget for approval by the Board and the Membership, and shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Board and membership in matters pertaining to the finances of WAMFT.

Section 4.  The Ethics Training & Standards Committee shall be responsible for educating the membership and the public regarding the AAMFT Code of Ethical Principles for Family Therapists. The Committee shall not conduct investigations or consider allegations of violations of ethical principles made against members, but shall refer such matters to the AAMFT Ethics Committee. Further, the Committee shall not issue or render advisory opinions regarding ethical matters.  The committee shall advise the Board of Directors and the membership at large regarding standards for training, supervision, and continuing professional education. The committee shall compile and maintain lists of available training programs and supervisors within the State of Washington, and shall periodically publish such lists in the WAMFT newsletter without recommendation, endorsement, or other comparative comments.

Section 5.  The Legislative Committee shall be responsible for informing WAMFT of all relevant legislative activity. It is to make proposals for action to be taken by WAMFT with regard to relevant legislation, and assist in informing the membership of legislation, proposed legislation, and proposed actions to be taken.

Section 6. The Membership Services Committee shall consist of the coordinators in the areas of marketing, membership, newsletter, programs, and other areas as defined by the Board.

Section 7.  The Student Committee shall inform the Student Members of the benefits available to them and shall take Student concerns to the Board for consideration. They shall encourage the dissemination of WAMFT and AAMFT information at training facilities within the State of Washington and encourage formation of WAMFT Local Chapters at said facilities.  The Chair for the Student shall be selected by WAMFT Student Committee members. The Student Board Member shall be a member of this committee.

Section 8. The Associate Committee shall inform the Associate Members of the benefits available to them and shall take Associate concerns to the Board for consideration.  The Chair for the Associate Committee shall be selected by WAMFT Associate Committee members. The Associate Board Member shall be a member of this committee.

Section 9.  WAMFT membership shall elect not less than three clinical members to form an Elections Committee. The Committee's responsibility is to prepare ballots for all WAMFT elections. The Committee establishes nomination procedures and rules as well as guidelines for campaigning. The Election Committee Chair will be elected by the members of the committee at their first meeting of the new year. The Chair is not a member of the Board. The Committee will maintain a file consisting of members who have been recommended, nominated or in other ways identified as potential participants in WAMFT activities. When an Officer or Chair of a Committee requests help in filling positions, the Committee will serve as a search committee.

Section 10.  In addition to the standing committees, the President with Board approval, may establish special committees and task forces in keeping with the pursuit of the goals of WAMFT. Such committees shall continue in existence at the discretion of the President and the Board. Chairpersons of such committees may participate in Board meetings, but shall not vote on matters before the Board.

ARTICLE VII
LOCAL CHAPTERS

Section 1.  Any group of ten or more members living or practicing in a defined geographical area may form a Local Chapter of WAMFT. Such Chapters must conform to AAMFT and WAMFT Bylaws with regard to membership, voting, holding office, serving on committees, and related matters. Chapters may be formed with formal structure including Bylaws or operated informally so long as the structure and function conform to the AAMFT and WAMFT Bylaws principles. Local Chapters may elect by ballot one member from their Chapter to attend Board meetings and thereby act as liaison, but that person shall not vote on matters before the Board.

Section 2.  Local Chapters, their Officers, and their members shall incur no debt nor enter into any contracts which would encumber WAMFT.

Section 3.  A Local Chapter shall be dissolved when its membership diminished to five or fewer members.

Section 4.  The Board may dissolve a Local Chapter if it is determined that the Chapter is operating outside of divisional and AAMFT policies or guidelines.

ARTICLE VIII
MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.  The annual meeting of the membership shall be held at a date and location to be determined by the Board.

Section 2.  Special meetings of the membership may be called by the President, a majority of the Board, or by written request of five percent (5%) of the Voting membership of WAMFT. The request of five percent (5%) of the voting membership must state the items to be considered at the meeting. Upon receipt of such request from five percent (5%) of the voting membership, the President shall convene a special meeting within 60 days.

Section 3.  The Secretary shall inform all members of WAMFT of all annual and special meetings at least two weeks in advance of the meeting. Such notice shall specify the agenda to be considered at the meeting. Action at special meetings shall be limited to those agenda items contained in the notice of the meeting.

Section 4.  A quorum at all annual and special meetings of the membership shall be 10 percent (10%) of the voting membership of WAMFT, present in person at the meeting.

Section 5.  All meetings shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order Revised.

Section 6.  The President shall convene meetings of the membership.

ARTICLE IX
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1.  The Nomination and election of Officers and Directors shall be conducted in the fall of each year. All WAMFT clinical members may vote in the election which shall be conducted by ballot. Non-clinical members will not receive a voting ballot, except for election of the Associate and Student Board members, if these positions are included in the particular election. Discrimination in election and nomination procedures on the basis of race, color, creed or sex is forbidden.

Section 2.  The Election Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates containing at least two nominees for each position, and shall determine the eligibility and willingness of each nominee to stand for election position.

ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS TO THESE BYLAWS

Section 1.  Amendments may be proposed by the Board on its own initiative, or upon petition of at least twenty clinical members addressed to the Board. All such proposed amendments shall be presented by the Board to the membership with or without recommendation.

Section 2.  These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the clinical members present at any annual meeting of WAMFT duly called and regularly held, notice of such proposed changes having been sent in writing to all members two weeks before such a meeting, or by a two-thirds vote of the clinical members voting by ballot returned within two weeks of the date by which members can reasonably be presumed to have received the ballot.