Broward Association of Marriage and Family Therapy BYLAWS
(Revised 02.07.2024)
ARTICLE I
Name
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Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Broward Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (BAMFT).
ARTICLE II
Purpose
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Section 1. The purpose of this Association shall be to promote and enhance the profession of marriage and family therapy by:
(a) Providing training and educational opportunities for marriage and family therapists and students and our colleagues in the mental health professions;
(b) Mentoring students in marriage and family therapy;
(c) Fostering opportunities for marriage and family therapists and our colleagues in the mental health professions to increase communication, collegiality, and professionalism;
(d) Working to advance legislation affecting marriage and family therapists in the State of Florida and throughout the United States.
(e) Promoting higher business standards, and better business methods and encouragement of uniformity and cooperation within mental health professional associations;
(f) Establishing and promoting greater integrity in business practices within the mental health community.
(g) Advancing ideas and principles of systemic theory and practice.
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ARTICLE III
Membership
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Section 1. Categories of membership include the following.
(a) Professional MFT Licensed or formally systemic-trained (voting member)
(b) Pre-licensed. Registered Interns, and Provisionally Licensed MFT or formally systemic-trained (voting member)
(c) MFT Student currently enrolled in MFT program (voting member)
(d) Affiliate members including non-systemically trained mental health practitioners, physicians, attorneys, family law, educators etc. who may interact with MFTs or are interested in MFT systemic ideas $25 (non-voting)
Section 2. Only members in good standing of BAMFT shall be eligible to be voting members of BAMFT.
(a) The geographic boundaries of BAMFT shall conform to those of Broward County, Florida.
Section 3. All voting members of BAMFT agree to adhere to the AAMFT Code of Ethics.
ARTICLE IV
Executive Officers
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Section 1. The Executive Officers of BAMFT shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer.
(a) All Executive Officers shall reflect knowledge, education, training, and MFT work consistent with BAMFT article II.
Section 2. The President shall serve a term of two (2) years. Once the President's term of office is completed, the President will become the Immediate Past President and shall serve a term of one (1) year. The President shall:
(a) Serve as the Chief Executive Officer of BAMFT and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
(b) Perform such duties as are customary for presiding officers, including making all required appointments in consultation with of the Board of Directors.
(c) Consult with the Vice President on all major matters of business and policy which arise between meetings of the Board of Directors.
(d) Serve as an ex-officio member with the right to vote on all committees.
(e) Prepare an Annual Report according to Article IX, Section 4, in collaboration with the Board’s Treasurer and Secretary.
Section 3. The Vice President shall serve a term of two (2) years and shall endeavor to prepare in all manner and intent for election as President upon completion of his or her term as Vice President. In addition, the Vice President shall:
(a) Serve as Presiding Officer of BAMFT and Board of Director in the absence of the President.
(b) Fulfill those duties assigned by the President to help advance the interests and functions of BAMFT.
Section 4. The Secretary shall serve a term of two (2) years. The Secretary shall:
(a) Maintain the records of all business meetings of BAMFT and meetings of the Board of Directors;
(b) Prepare and distribute copies of minutes of meetings, reports, and correspondence as authorized by these Bylaws and by the Board of Directors.
(c) Serve as Chair of the Membership Committee
(d) Assist the President and Treasurer to prepare an Annual Report, according to Article IX, Section 4.
Section 5. The Treasurer shall serve a term of three (3) years. The Treasurer shall:
(a) Manage the funds of BAMFT for purposes of BAMFT as directed by the President and the Board of Directors.
(b) Prepare and explain a monthly financial report which shall be distributed to the members of the Board of Directors by the 15th of the following month.
(c) Propose a yearly budget for the consideration and approval of the Board of Directors.
(d) Serve as Chair of the Finance Committee.
(e) Assist the President and Secretary to prepare an Annual Report, according to Article IX, Section 4.
ARTICLE V
The Board of Directors
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Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer), three (3) Board Members-at-Large, and one (1) Board Member who serves as Student Representative, and Immediate Past-President.
Section 2. All members of the Board of Directors must be members in good standing of AAMFT. The Board Members-at-Large shall serve terms so that one (1) Member-at-Large shall be replaced each year.
Section 3. The Board Members-at-Large shall serve three (3) year terms so that one Board Member-at-Large shall be elected to a one (1) year term, one Board Member-at-Large shall be elected to a one (2) year term, and one Board Member-at-Large shall be elected to a three (3) year term. Once everyone is elected, each should serve (3) year terms so that one rotates off each year. The Board Member who serves as Student Representative shall serve a two (2) year term.
Section 4. The Board of Directors shall exercise all authority over BAMFT, except that specifically prohibited by these Bylaws. The Board of Directors shall be authorized to adopt and publish such policies, procedures, and rules as may be necessary and consistent with these Bylaws, and to exercise authority over all business and funds.
Section 5. The Board Member who serves as Student Representative shall be a student member as stated in article III and shall serve as a liaison to marriage and family therapy students throughout Broward County. In that capacity, the Student Representative shall promote membership in BAMFT and participation in BAMFT and in BAMFT functions and events.
Section 6. The Immediate Past President shall serve a term of (1) year following completion of a term of office as President. The Immediate Past President shall
(a) Serve as a member of the Executive Committee;
(b) Participate as a voting member of the Board of Directors;
(c) Offer the Board the benefit of his or her experience; and
(d) Perform such duties as requested by the President.
Section 7. The Board of Directors may request, by a simple majority, that an Executive Officer or Board Member be removed from office [according to Article V, Section 8] when an Executive Officer or Board Member:
(a) Fails to attend three consecutive board meetings;
(b) Ceases to perform his or her duties;
(c) Acts inconsistently with the laws, ethics, or rules of our profession;
(d) Fails to remain in good standing with BAMFT.
Section 8. In the event that the Board of Directors considers removing an Officer or Board Member from office, that Officer or Board Member shall be entitled to appear before a Hearing Committee without undue delay. Members of the Hearing Committee shall be comprised of three (3) non-Board Members appointed by the Board of Directors and three (3) members selected by the Officer or Board Member to be heard. Upon hearing the evidence, the Hearing Committee shall decide a by two-thirds vote to confirm an appropriate course of action.
(a) The Board of Directors shall establish policies consistent with our profession’s ethics and rules by which the Hearing Committee shall conduct its affairs.
Section 9. If any office, other than President or Vice President becomes vacant, the President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, may appoint eligible individuals to fill that vacancy on the Board of Directors.
(b) In the event that the President is unable to complete his or her current term of office, the Vice President shall assume the office and duties of President. A new Vice President shall be elected by the voting membership in a Special Election within ninety (90) days, or in a General Election, whichever comes first.
(c) In the event that the Vice President is unable to complete the current term of office, a new Vice President shall be elected by the voting membership in a Special Election within ninety (90) days, or in a General Election, whichever comes first.
(d) In the event both the President and Vice President are prevented from fulfilling their terms of office simultaneously, the Immediate Past President shall convene the Board of Directors to elect an Interim President from among their number. The Interim President shall call a Special Election as soon as possible to elect persons to fill the remainder of the terms of the offices of the President and the Vice President.
(e) In the event that the Immediate Past President is unable to convene the Board of Directors as described in Article V, Section 6(c), the line of succession shall be: Secretary, Treasurer, then the current longest-serving Board Member.
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ARTICLE VI
Standing Committees
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Section 1. The current Standing Committees of BAMFT shall be: Finance, Membership, Legislative Affairs, Elections, Diversity and Ethics, Student Representative, Newsletter, Social Media, Community Outreach and Social Action (COSA), Website Management, Events Management (EMC), and FFTA. Any other committees deemed necessary by the Board of Directors may be established by the President in consultation with the Board of Directors. All committees are responsible to the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint a Chair of each committee except as may be otherwise provided in these Bylaws. Committee Chairs appointed by the President serve at the discretion of the President.
Section 3. The Chair of the Event Management Committee shall be any active Board Member of BAMFT. Traditionally, the Vice President has served as EMC Chair, but it is not required to do so. All Board Members and BAMFT Volunteers are members of EMC. The EMC shall be responsible for organizing and coordinating all of BAMFT events, The Chair of the EMC will be responsible for gaining the votes of the Board. Members of the EMC will be responsible for maintaining all correspondence with community personnel for events in a timely and professional manner. Additionally, the chair of EMC shall ensure that all marketing materials are in sync with the branding of BAMFT.
Section 4. The Chair of the Finance Committee shall be the Treasurer of BAMFT. The Finance Committee shall consult and advise the Board of Directors in all financial transactions of BAMFT. Members of the Finance Committee shall assist the Treasurer in fulfilling the obligations and responsibilities of the Office of Treasurer.
Section 5. The Chair of the Membership Committee is traditionally the Secretary of BAMFT but may be any active Board Member of BAMFT. The committee shall assist the Chair of the Membership Committee in maintaining all membership records to support and assist the functions of the Board and the other Standing Committees. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for promoting, encouraging, and facilitating membership in BAMFT among marriage and family therapists, including other mental health professionals; as well as promoting participation by all members in BAMFT activities and events.
Section 6. The Chair of the Social Media Committee shall be any Board Member or trusted, active Volunteer of BAMFT. The Social Media Committee shall exist to engage the community and promote events held by BAMFT through social media platforms. Members of the Social Media Committee will maintain all of BAMFT’s social media platforms. The Chair of the Social Media Committee is responsible for task delegation within campaign creation of organization events, calls to action, announcements, community and legislative initiatives, and other general messages and images to the public (and to be coordinated with the Website Committee for solicitation). Additionally, the Chair of the Social Media Committee shall ensure that campaigns are in sync with the branding of BAMFT.
Section 7. The Chair of the Newsletter Committee shall be any active Board Member of BAMFT or trusted, active Volunteer of BAMFT. The Newsletter Committee shall exist to promote the news and events of BAMFT through an established newsletter software of the chair’s choosing and approved by the Board. The Chair of the Newsletter Committee will be responsible for collecting regular updates from each committee of activites and news promote the organization to the community. Additionally, the Chair of the Newsletter Committee shall ensure that the Newsletter is in sync with the branding of BAMFT.
Section 8. The Chair of the Website Management Committee shall be any active Board Member of BAMFT. The Website Management Committee shall exist to maintain, organize and promote all event registration and organization communication to the community through the BAMFT website. The Chair of the Website Management Committee is responsible in ensuring the website is up-to-date at all times and in sync with the branding of BAMFT. The Chair of the Website Management Committee will be responsible for collecting regular updates from each committee of activites and news promote the organization to the community.
Section 9. The Legislative Affairs Committee shall establish and maintain contact and communication with the offices and staff of local, state, and federal legislators. Specifically, the Chair shall monitor and report to BAMFT any such legislation regarding children, families, and within the mental health profession. The Chair of the Legislative Committee is responsible for coordinating events with EMC and informing the Social Media Committee of new items to post.
Section 10. The Elections Committee shall conduct BAMFT elections according to the procedures set forth in Article VIII and policies established by the Board that do not contradict any provisions of these Bylaws. The Chair of the Elections Committee shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the Board of Directors. The Chair of the Elections Committee shall not be an active candidate. This is typically the Immediate Past President.
Section 11. The Chair of the Student Representative Committee shall be the active Student Representative Board Member of BAMFT. The Student Representative Committee shall promote the awareness of BAMFT to the mental health community within Broward and surrounding areas. The Student Representative Committee shall seek to establish relationships with community providers, promote relationships across mental health disciplines, and educate the mental health community of the offerings provided by BAMFT.
Section 12. The Chair of the Community Outreach and Social Action (COSA) Committee shall be any active Board Member of BAMFT. The COSA Committee shall exist to build community collaboration, create opportunities for social action from our members, and influence community awareness of what BAMFToffers as an oranganization. The Members of the COSA Committee will be responsible for creating a community presence within the Board and organizing community events. The Chair of the COSA Committee will be responsible for gaining the votes of the Board and coordinating events with EMC. The COSA Committee will be responsible for ensuring successful coordination of all community events and maintaining all correspondents with community personnel for events in a timely and professional manner.
Section 13. The Chair of the Diversity and Ethics Committee shall be any Board Member of BAMFT or trusted, active Volunteer. The Diversity and Ethics Committee shall promote and encourage BAMFT to be culturally and ethically sensitive within all communication produced by the board. The committee shall ensure a selection of the BAMFT events address topics specific to cultural competence, promote the importance of diversity, and honor ethics to reflect Chapter 490, Chapter 491 and standards of conduct across mental health disciplines.
Section 14. The Chair of the FFTA Committee shall be any Board Member of BAMFT. The Committee shall contribute within the organization tasks and delegation alongside FFTA initiatives such as CE offerings, conference planning, board meetings, elections, and legislative programs.
Section 15. The Committee Chair may request, by a simple majority from the Board, that a Committee Member be removed from the committee when a Committee Member:
(a) Fails to attend three consecutive board meetings;
(b) Ceases to perform his or her duties;
(c) Acts inconsistently with the laws, ethics, or rules of our profession;
(d) Fails to remain in good standing with BAMFT.
Section 16. The Committee Chair may work with the Board to create list of roles and responsibilities of their Committee.
ARTICLE VII
Meetings
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Section 1. Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be conducted in person at least four (4) times per year, in a physical location, on a date and time determined by the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors. Nothing in these Bylaws shall constrain the Board of Directors from conducting meetings at other times via telephone, internet, or other electronic means providing that all Members of the Board and the General Membership are informed of, and have access to, such meetings.
Section 2. A quorum of the Board of Directors must be present at Regular Meetings to conduct the business of BAMFT. A majority (no less than one-half) of the Officers and members of the Board of Directors must be present at a meeting to constitute a quorum. Each member of the Board shall be entitled to one (1) vote.
Section 3. An Officer or Board Member may provide another Member of the Board with a written proxy to vote on their behalf. A physical copy of the written proxy statement must be presented to the Secretary at the time of the vote for verification.
Section 4. Special Meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President as deemed necessary.
(a) In Special Meetings conducted via teleconferencing, or other means of electronic communication, the Secretary shall record minutes as in any other meeting of the Board.
(b) Votes of the Board taken via teleconferencing, or other means of electronic communication, or e-mail must be recorded and preserved in such a way as to allow for retrieval, and to maintain the transparency and integrity of the Board of Directors.
Section 5. The President may call Special Meetings of the General Membership as deemed necessary. The President must call a Special Meeting, either of the Board of Directors or of the General Membership, when requested in writing, by at least three (3) members of the Board of Directors.
Section 6. A quorum of the General Membership must be present to conduct the business of BAMFT specific to the General Membership. A quorum of the membership is constituted by 100% of the voting members who may be present at a meeting.
ARTICLE VIII
Elections
Section 1. The nomination and election of Officers and Members of the Board shall be conducted annually. Elections shall be conducted by a mailed ballot, or secure electronic means as may be devised to assure accuracy and prevent fraud.
Section 2. All BAMFT members in good standing residing in Broward County, Florida, and those members of BAMFT residing outside of Broward County [see Article III, Section 2(b)] shall have the right to vote in the election of Officers and Members of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. BAMFT members in good standing, in all levels of membership, who are eligible to vote in the local BAMFT elections, are eligible to be elected to any office of BAMFT except for the Executive Board Positions.[1]
Section 4. The Election Committee shall:
(a) Solicit the membership and develop a slate of nominees to be presented to the voting membership of BAMFT to stand for election to the offices to be vacated the following January 1.
(b) Qualify all nominees as current members of BAMFT.
(c) Propose no more than two nominees for each position to be filled by the election.
(d) Conduct all Special Elections as necessary.
Section 5. Ballots:
(a) Along with a slate of nominees, shall be mailed, or securely transmitted electronically and securely, each year on, or about October 1, to each BAMFT member.
(b) Must be returned to BAMFT within 30 days. All ballots must be postmarked. Ballots postmarked after November 15th will not be counted.
(c) Shall be tallied by an individual or group of individuals whose names are not on the ballot.
(d) Shall be tallied and elections concluded by November 15 each year, according to policies and procedures established by BAMFT’s Elections Committee and approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 6. In the event means may be devised to allow secure, electronic polling of eligible voting members, and providing that such electronic means assures each voting member only one vote, balloting may be conducted by such electronic means. The slate of nominees may then be conveyed to the eligible voting members in an appropriate manner determined by the Elections Committee with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 7. Within thirty (30) days of certifying the election results, the President and Chair of the Election Committee must notify in writing BAMFT Board Members and post on Social Media and/or Website of the results of the elections and provide the contact information for newly-elected Officers and members of the Board of Directors.
Section 8. Newly-elected officers and board members shall assume office on January 1 following their election.
ARTICLE IX
Financial Management
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Section 1. BAMFT shall hold and manage its own funds, and establish contracts and obligations.
Section 2. The fiscal year of BAMFT shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31 of each year.
Section 3. BAMFT shall:
(a) Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number;
(b) Maintain a checking account with the signatures of the Treasurer and the President;
(c) Maintain appropriate and complete financial records of its activities;
(d) Maintain a log of income and expenses;
(e) Comply with all rules and obligations of the State of Florida and the Internal Revenue Service as required by law.
Section 4. BAMFT may assess fees for providing Continuing Education Units (CEUs), participation in special events, and may choose to raise funds to support its mission through other appropriate means.
Section 5. No Officer, or member of the Board of Directors of BAMFT, shall receive any remuneration for services rendered other than out-of-pocket expenses essential to the performance of their duties and approved by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE X
Amendments and Publication
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Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended, or repealed, by two-thirds of the votes cast by the voting membership. The vote may be conducted by a mailed ballot, or secure electronic means as may be devised to assure accuracy and prevent fraud.
Section 2. Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors on its own initiative, or upon written petition by ten (10) members addressed to the Board.
Section 3. All proposed amendments of these Bylaws shall be presented to the voting membership by the Board of Directors, with or without recommendation.
Section 4. The Bylaws of the Broward Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, in their most current and amended form, shall be published and made available to the General Membership through BAMFT’s website.
ARTICLE XI
Severability
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Section 1. The provisions of these Bylaws are independent of and separable from each other and no provision shall be affected, or rendered invalid, or unenforceable by virtue of the fact that, for any reason, any other or others of them may be deemed invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part.
ARTICLE XII
Dissolution of BAMFT
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Section 1. In the event the Board of Directors of the Broward Association for Marriage and Family Therapy votes to dissolve BAMFT, BAMFT shall comply with applicable Florida Law.
Amended, adopted, and ratified this __th day of ______, 20____, in Broward County, Florida, by the Board of Directors of the Broward Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
Nyla Whitehead, President
Nathalie Bello,Vice President
Carla Barrow, Secretary
Tiana Cash, Treasurer
Adawna Bell, Board Member
Fatima Ali, Board Member
Staci Lee Schnell, Immediate Past President
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The Broward Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
POLICIES
As of 1.01.2024
Policies of the Broward Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Policies of the Broward Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (BAMFT) may be established, amended, or rescinded by a vote of a simple majority of the Board of Directors of BAMFT. Each policy shall be identified by a title and the date the policy was established, amended, or rescinded. (Established January 10, 2010[MSR1] )
Refund Policy [MSR2] Pertaining to Payments Received for Workshops, Conferences, and Special Events.Refund Policy: Requests for refunds received one week in advance of the workshop shall be granted a full refund. Refunds requested within 72 hours of the start of the workshop shall be granted a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee. NO REFUNDS will be provided after the workshop has started. To request a refund, participants must contact the treasurer of BAMFT. (Established January 01, 2024)
Social Media External Posting Policy
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BAMFT extends the courtesy of publishing posts on social media on behalf of active members of BAMFT as well as volunteers, supporters, and guests of BAMFT on a case by case basis and strictly in service of advancing the mental health professional community. Such advancements include the marketing of South Florida events for professionals, events and services that directly benefit clients of professionals, and events and services that contribute to the overall physical and mental wellbeing of the South Florida community. Any one party may not be approved for more than one category (i.e. event) of social media posts per month and may not have a post made on their behalf more than once per week.
Decisions regarding postings are made at the discretion of the social media chair who will report any posts made/scheduled in the monthly Chapter Meeting Committee Report. Should any concerns arise regarding the frequency of posts or bias regarding the post selection process, the Board may request a cessation of all external postings until they convene to determine a method to resolve such concerns.
(Established November 17, 2016)
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Need to conform to Section on Board Members