What is The Food Allergy Behavioral Health Association*?

In 2018,  in an effort to connect with her peers that worked with food allergies, Tamara Hubbard founded a professional networking group for food allergy-knowledgeable counseling professionals called the Food Allergy Counseling Professionals Network (FACPN). After members from various clinical mental health and counseling professions continued to join and connect, it became important to better highlight the fact that the group was for licensed clinical behavioral health professionals, not just those that identify themselves as counselors. Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC and fellow member Lisa Rosenberg, M.Ed, MSW, LSW put their heads together and the result was the Food Allergy Behavioral Health Association (FABHA). This name better reflects who the members are and the overall goals of this growing professional community. While it's still a professional network, there are a variety of other benefits of joining, including opportunities to collaborate and move the food allergy mental health and counseling niche forward.  [*FABHA is an unincorporated professional network/nonprofit association, and is looking into seeking 501(c)(3) status]
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  • VISION: Behavioral health professionals will provide quality care to those impacted by food allergies
  • MISSION: To provide a collaborative network for behavioral health professionals committed to improving the lives of anyone impacted by food allergies
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Founder: Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC
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Co-Founder: Lisa Rosenberg, M.Ed., MSW, LSW

FABHA's Purpose/Goals​:

  • Provide a central hub for food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral healthcare professionals to connect/collaborate
  • Highlight the psychosocial aspects of food allergies by bringing food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral health professionals together
  • Highlight the benefits of collaborative/integrative care for food allergy patients, and as such, create relationships with allergists  and pediatricians to support their patients and their practices
  • Promote and take part in networking or research opportunities that raise the profile of food allergy behavioral health
  • Create or take part in opportunities to educate behavioral health professionals about working with clients managing food allergies
  • Assist in the development of accredited behavioral health protocols that are built on evidence-based guidelines

Who can join FABHA and is there a membership fee? 

FABHA is professional network and collaboration space for licensed clinicians in Clinical Counseling, Clinical Family Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Clinical Psychology, and Clinical Psychiatry or those that are pursuing their clinical license, and who are committed to improving the lives of anyone impacted by food allergies. (This includes health-focused research psychologists that focus on food allergies or related conditions). At this time, membership is free. 

What are the benefits of joining FABHA?

  • ​​Connection - Connect with other like-minded clinical behavioral health professionals who understand food allergies and work with clients managing them
  • Sharing/Learning - Share great resources, techniques and research data that your peers may find useful. Additionally, members  benefit a growing number of member resources, such as the Member Mentoring Section. There, members can either express interest in receiving/offering mentoring, listing specific skills, training, and topics they hope to share or gain.  
  • Collaboration - Discover or create opportunities to collaborate on projects related to this counseling and behavioral health niche
  • ​Strengthen - By joining FABHA, you're helping to strengthen the area of Food Allergy Behavioral Health and Counseling. Currently, this is an under-developed niche. Therefore, the stronger FABHA is, the stronger this niche becomes and the more resources will be available to the food allergy community and our behavioral health peers.
  • Visibility & Directory - Currently, many food allergic individuals and families express that it can be hard to find food allergy-knowledgeable counseling and behavioral health professionals in their area. In addition to joining FABHA, food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral healthcare professionals may inquire about being listed in The Food Allergy Counselor Directory. This Directory, utilized by the community and medical providers, is a state-by-state listing of clinical behavioral healthcare providers that understand and work with clients managing IgE-mediated food allergies. (Primarily USA/Canada, with some international listings). Members also receive the benefit of having their publications, articles and resources shared via FABHA's Twitter account, which is followed by community members, food allergy organizations, and allergists.

Sounds great! Where can I join & connect with other members of FABHA? 

If you're interested in joining the Food Allergy Behavioral Health Association, please reach out via the form below and we will get back to you with next steps!
  • FABHA has discussion groups housed in two locations: Facebook and LinkedIn.  In order to be allowed into these discussion groups, you *must* have completed the FABHA Membership Application Form and been approved as having met membership criteria. (Currently, the Facebook version is the most active. However, in the future, FABHA will be housed on a separate site and potentially include a member section within that site).
  • To be a member of FABHA, you are not required to join the FABHA Discussion Groups. However, all new members need to complete the FABHA Membership Application Form, even if they're not taking part in those groups.
  • In order to be listed on the Food Allergy Counselor Directory, you need to be a member of FABHA and meet specific criteria.

    Interested in Joining FABHA? Reach out below!

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