We are glad to provide a means for growing our membership as we want to boost access to and awareness of providers dedicated to helping our neuro-diverse population. Our intention is to reduce mental health inequities in our community and boost access to and awareness of care by various providers. We know that many in our community seek out such providers with some level of vulnerability and even previous trauma, making it necessary for an organization like ours to responsibly disclose membership requirements and pertinent provider information to assist in the selection of an appropriate provider.  We are unable to formally screen providers, as we are a volunteer organization made up of providers from various healthcare settings. It should also be noted that we do not have an entire list of clinicians competent in working with the autistic population in the local area.

For these reasons, in order to be eligible for membership or to participate in meetings to develop competency in providing competent care, a health care professional must first be licensed or license-eligible. This signifies that the clinician is a medical/mental health provider who is regulated by a licensing board, follows a code of ethics, and abides by HIPAA confidentiality requirements.

Providers are asked to agree to the Provider Attestation stating their commitment to culturally competent practice, as well as identifying through the Provider Self-Rating of Competency in Neuro-affirming Care, as well as a commitment to involvement in the CAC and continued education. This often includes attending provider education and interdisciplinary meetings, as well as attending trainings dedicated to hearing autistic voices and to developing competencies.

With this in mind, we welcome providers to attend meetings and build their skills and levels of competency, and to be informed before joining. Our meetings include clinical consultation, education, advocacy, and learning about shared resources in the area.

If you are a qualified healthcare provider interested in learning more about our consortium, perhaps becoming a member, and/or improving the quality of your care, please join us at our monthly meetings on the 4th Friday by contacting info@charlotteautism.com for details on the location and time.

By attending a meeting, you are taking the first step toward becoming a member! After attending two of our provider member meetings, you are able to continue forward with the membership process. You are asked to sign a Business Associate Agreement to ensure compliance with confidentiality when participating in these meetings.

Keep in mind:

“We may not all agree on every issue, but we agree to have a conversation.”