CAMFT Advocacy Day was held at the Capitol in Sacramento, CA on March 12, 2026, bringing a limited number of members (75 members this year) together in Sacramento to advocate for the MFT profession and the communities we serve. The primary goal of Advocacy Day is to meet with at least one legislator, whether your own specific elected official or a regional leader.
Participants received advocacy training, legislative updates, and the opportunity to meet directly with their legislators to discuss key issues impacting MFTs in California. Advocacy Day is a powerful opportunity to learn, connect, and make a meaningful impact through our collective voice.
SCV-CAMFT President Amanda Cortez and Director-of-Technology Brandon Hoshiko attended to represent the Santa Clara Valley chapter.
“With Silicon Valley leading in AI, telehealth, and digital platforms, Advocacy Day ensures therapists help shape legislation around these rapidly evolving tools so that innovation doesn’t outpace ethical, client-centered care,” Amanda Cortez states. “I believe the Santa Clara Valley Chapter's presence was important for this reason. Because while most of Silicon Valley is wealthy, it has major disparities in access to care.”
“Advocacy Day equips clinicians to speak to legislators about some of the cons of AI chat bots without parameters for protection for those who may not have access to mental health care and use AI for mental health support,” she continues. “The same region building cutting-edge AI is also where risks emerge first. CAMFT Advocacy Day gives therapists a voice in shaping and informing legislation so that AI tools align with clinical ethics, informed consent, and the duty of care. In Silicon Valley’s data-driven environment, Advocacy Day highlights the need for strict protections around how AI platforms collect, store, and use mental health data.”
“The proposed bill would protect California consumers of psychotherapy and providers, against major risks associated with the burgeoning introduction of AI into the mental health space,” Brandon Hoshiko adds. “The bill itself proposes legislation that is uncontroversial and bipartisan - our meetings were to raise awareness in legislators' offices and illustrate the support CAMFT has from the members it represents, evidence of why legislators should listen to CAMFT (with over 39,000 members, CAMFT represents the largest and most diverse licensed mental health provider group in the state, per CAMFT.)
L-R: Brandon Hoshiko and Amanda Cortez
“Advocacy Day also informed legislators and staffers about marriage and family therapists, who often had limited experience with LMFTs and were unaware of the scope, competencies, duties of LMFTs and the diverse populations they serve,” he continues, also noting how CAMFT prepared the attendees prior to the March 12 meeting in Sacramento. “The week prior, participants were invited to CAMFT webinars to become familiar with the Advocacy Day agenda, and participants were divided into groups of five with one seasoned Advocacy Day CAMFT leader going over the proposed legislation and rehearsing talking points."
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