FMHCA Membership Refund Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish clear guidelines for the cancellation of memberships with the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association (FMHCA). This policy ensures transparency regarding refund eligibility while protecting the value of membership benefits that become available immediately upon purchase or renewal. 

Scope

This policy applies to all individuals who purchase or renew a membership with FMHCA, including but not limited to:

• Clinical Members
• Registered Intern Members
• Student Members
• Affiliate Members
• Agency Members

This policy applies to both new memberships and membership renewals, including manual and automated renewals.

Policy

FMHCA memberships provide immediate access to professional resources, continuing education opportunities, member pricing, and other exclusive benefits. Due to the immediate activation of these benefits, membership fees are generally non-refundable.

Members may request cancellation of a new or renewed membership within seventy-two (72) hours of the purchase date if the following conditions are met:

• The cancellation request is submitted within 72 hours of the membership purchase or renewal.
• The member has not registered for, accessed, or completed any member-only benefits, including but not limited to:
• Live webinars
• On-demand continuing education courses
• Conference registrations using member pricing
• Member-exclusive resources or downloads
• Any other services or discounts associated with FMHCA membership.

If a member has accessed or utilized any membership benefit, the membership will be considered active and non-refundable.

After the 72-hour cancellation period, all membership fees are non-refundable.

Procedure

• Requesting Membership Cancellation
• Members wishing to cancel their membership within the 72-hour window must submit a written request to the FMHCA office.
• The request must include:
• Member full name
• Email address associated with the membership account
• Membership type
• Date of membership purchase or renewal
• A statement confirming that no membership benefits have been used
• Requests must be submitted to:
• FMHCA Office
• Email: Diana@flmhca.org
• Review of Cancellation Request
• Upon receipt of the cancellation request, FMHCA staff will review the membership account to determine whether any member benefits have been accessed or used.
• Refund Processing
• If the request meets the eligibility requirements:
• The membership will be canceled.
• A refund will be issued to the original method of payment.
• Refunds may take 5–10 business days to process depending on the payment provider.

• Non-Eligible Requests
• Cancellation requests that do not meet the policy requirements will not be eligible for a refund. This includes:
• Requests submitted after the 72-hour cancellation window
• Accounts that have registered for, accessed, or completed member benefits

FMHCA Webinar Refund Policy

Cancellation and Refunds:

• Registrants who are unable to attend a webinar must notify FMHCA at least 3 business days prior to the webinar date to receive a refund.
• Failure to notify FMHCA within the specified timeframe will result in the registrant being charged the full registration fee, if applicable.

Cancellation Requests:

• All cancellation requests must be made and confirmed in writing by the applicant via the email account used during webinar registration. These requests should be sent to office@flmhca.org.
• Refunds will be processed using the original payment method and issued to the original payee only.

No Show Policy:

• Applicants who have not checked in by the start time of the training will be considered a "No Show." In such cases, the applicant’s seat, registration, and credits will be forfeited.
• There are no refunds for "No Shows," partial attendance, late arrivals, early departures, or failure to complete the training in its entirety as scheduled.

Professional Conduct:

• Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner during the webinar. FMHCA reserves the right to remove any participant from the webinar if their behavior is deemed unprofessional or unethical. In such cases, the participant’s registration will be canceled with no refund.

No Charge Webinars:

• If an FMHCA webinar session is canceled due to low registration or inclement weather, participants will be notified, and any fees paid will be refunded.

FMHCA On-Demand Webinar Refund Policy

Non-Refundable Policy:

• All FMHCA on-demand webinars are non-refundable. Upon registration, participants receive immediate access to the video link and course materials, making refunds unavailable.

Access to Content:

• Once registration is completed, participants are granted access to the on-demand webinar content. This access is provided via a video link sent to the registered email address.

No Show or Non-Completion:

• Since on-demand webinars are accessible at the participant's convenience, there are no refunds for non-completion or if the participant fails to utilize the provided content.

Completion Window for CE Credits:

• Participants have 6 months from the date of purchase to complete the on-demand webinar and earn Continuing Education (CE) credits. Failure to complete the webinar within this timeframe will result in forfeiture of CE credits, and no refunds will be provided.

Technical Issues:

• If participants experience technical issues accessing the on-demand webinar, they should contact office@flmhca.org for assistance. However, this does not entitle the participant to a refund.

Event Cancellation:

• In the rare event that an on-demand webinar is canceled or becomes unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances, participants will be notified, and FMHCA will offer an alternative solution or issue a refund if access to the content cannot be restored.

FMHCA Regional Event Refund Policy

Cancellation and Refunds:

• Registrants who are unable to attend a regional event must notify FMHCA at least 7 business days prior to the event date to receive a refund.
• Failure to notify FMHCA within the specified timeframe will result in the registrant being charged the full registration fee, if applicable.

Cancellation Requests:

• All cancellation requests must be made and confirmed in writing by the applicant via the email account used during event registration. These requests should be sent to office@flmhca.org.
• Refunds will be processed using the original payment method and issued to the original payee only.

No Show Policy:

• Applicants who have not checked in by the start time of the event will be considered a "No Show." In such cases, the applicant’s seat, registration, and any associated credits will be forfeited.
• There are no refunds for "No Shows," partial attendance, late arrivals, early departures, or failure to participate in the event as scheduled.

Professional Conduct:

• Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner during the event. FMHCA reserves the right to remove any participant from the event if their behavior is deemed unprofessional or unethical. In such cases, the participant’s registration will be canceled with no refund.

Event Cancellation:

• If an FMHCA regional event is canceled due to low registration, inclement weather, or other unforeseen circumstances, participants will be notified, and any fees paid will be refunded.

FMHCA Annual Conference Refund Policy

Cancellation and Refunds:

• Registrants who are unable to attend the FMHCA Annual Conference must notify FMHCA at least 14 business days prior to the conference date to receive a refund.
• Failure to notify FMHCA within the specified timeframe will result in the registrant being charged the full registration fee, if applicable.
• Please Note: All conference registrations purchased at the previous year's conference at a discounted rate are non-refundable.

Cancellation Requests:

• All cancellation requests must be made and confirmed in writing by the applicant via the email account used during conference registration. These requests should be sent to office@flmhca.org.
• Refunds will be processed using the original payment method and issued to the original payee only.

No Show Policy:

• Applicants who have not checked in by the start time of the conference will be considered a "No Show." In such cases, the applicant’s seat, registration, and any associated credits will be forfeited.
• There are no refunds for "No Shows," partial attendance, late arrivals, early departures, or failure to participate in the conference as scheduled.

Transfer Policy:

• Conference registrations are transferable to another individual within 3 days of the conference. To initiate a transfer, please contact office@flmhca.org with the details of the new attendee.

Professional Conduct:

• Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner during the conference. FMHCA reserves the right to remove any participant from the conference if their behavior is deemed unprofessional or unethical. In such cases, the participant’s registration will be canceled with no refund.

Conference Cancellation:

• If the FMHCA Annual Conference is canceled due to low registration, inclement weather, or other unforeseen circumstances, participants will be notified, and any fees paid will be refunded.

FMHCA Professional Conduct Policy

Respectful Behavior:

• All participants are expected to treat others with respect, courtesy, and professionalism. This includes respectful communication and interaction with peers, speakers, FMHCA staff, and other attendees.
• Discrimination, harassment, or inappropriate behavior of any kind based on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or any other characteristic is strictly prohibited.

Ethical Conduct:

• Participants must adhere to the highest ethical standards in all activities associated with FMHCA. This includes honesty, integrity, and fairness in all communications and interactions.
• Members must comply with the ethical guidelines of their respective professions, including confidentiality and privacy standards.

Professionalism:

• Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on FMHCA and the mental health profession. This includes dressing appropriately for events, being punctual, and actively participating in sessions and activities.
• Disruptive behavior, such as interrupting speakers, using offensive language, or monopolizing discussions, will not be tolerated.

Compliance with Policies:

• All participants must comply with FMHCA’s policies, including event-specific guidelines, terms and conditions, and any other applicable rules.
• Violations of FMHCA’s policies, including failure to follow the Professional Conduct Policy, may result in removal from the event, cancellation of membership, and/or other disciplinary actions.

Reporting and Grievance Filing:

• FMHCA takes reports of unprofessional or unethical behavior seriously. Anyone who experiences or witnesses such behavior is required to formally file a grievance with FMHCA. Grievance forms and instructions for submission will be provided by FMHCA staff or can be accessed on the FMHCA website.
• The grievance process is designed to ensure that all reports are handled in a fair, consistent, and confidential manner.
• FMHCA will review all grievances and take appropriate action, which may include issuing warnings, removing individuals from events, or revoking membership.

Confidentiality and Privacy:

• Participants must respect the confidentiality and privacy of others, especially when discussing sensitive or personal information during FMHCA events or activities.

Intellectual Property:

• Participants must respect the intellectual property rights of others, including proper attribution of sources and refraining from unauthorized use or distribution of materials presented during FMHCA events.