LINE ITEMS
Wellness matters: Mental health help You asked for it! In member surveys and conversations with CPAs around the
state, you told us you want more programming and resources on mental health topics. The American Mental Health Counselors Association predicted that by the end of 2020, more than 103 million U.S. adults would suffer from mental health disorders. The pandemic increased its own havoc on our mental well-being, with 54% of people saying they were more emotionally exhausted and 53% reporting increased sadness in day-to-day life. To help you address mental health and wellness in your own lives and that of your staff, we launched the following: • Mental Health Toolkit: Resources like tips for leaders, a PowerPoint presentation on eliminating the stigma behind mental health, and more are included in our free toolkit for members. • Learning opportunities: Various roundtables, webinars, conference sessions, and other training addressed a variety of topics like mental health first aid, stress hardiness, benefits, and others. Several are recorded for you to watch anytime. • Mental Health & Wellness Resource Center: We’ve spun off a section of the Coronavirus Resource Center to create a brand-new space online for you to download the toolkit, read articles, watch videos and more. Find it at vscpa.com/wellness. • Podcast episodes: VSCPA COO Maureen Dingus, CAE, interviewed experts in these areas on the VSCPA Leading Forward podcast. You can find all episodes at vscpa.com/podcast, where you can listen or read the transcripts. • Mental Health Empowerment Kick-Off: In January we had a free virtual event of sessions that tackled how to create a mentally healthy work culture, CPA perspectives on wellness, and mindful leadership. If you liked that program or missed it, we’re bringing in back! Mark your calendar for Jan. 21, 2022. We’ll also have a Mental Health First Aid program on March 4. Find all resources at vscpa.com/wellness.
BURNING QUESTION
What does the VBOA say about serving cannabis clients? As state regulators begin the process of developing the Cannabis Control Authority to oversee marijuana legalization in the Commonwealth, you may wonder if you or your firm is in jeopardy of investigation by the Virginia Board of Accountancy (VBOA) if you serve clients in these industries. The VBOA gave the following guidance on May 21, 2019: “In the absence of such a determination by the courts (that a Virginia CPA or CPA firm has violated drug laws) the Virginia Board of Accountancy will not pursue independent disciplinary action against Virginia CPAs or CPA firms solely on the basis of providing services to a business involved in the sale or distribution of marijuana, provided that the business is operating legally under applicable state law.” If the VBOA revisits this issue at a future meeting now that legalization has passed, we will update you with any further guidance.
ACCOUNTING AS STEM? CPAs SAY YES! Should accounting be included as part of the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career pathway? CPAs across the country believe so, and the VSCPA joined with the American Institute of CPAs and other stakeholders to encourage state representatives to cosponsor bipartisan H.R.3855, the “Accounting STEM Pursuit Act.” Including accounting in STEM legislation makes sense as the connection between accounting and technology becomes clearer. In addition, this supports long-standing efforts to create more diversity in the accounting workforce. “The Accounting STEM Pursuit Act signals the importance of expanding the pipeline of a diverse accounting profession that supports industries across the United States. It also reinforces our digital-first efforts to educate, upskill and reskill the profession,” said Susan Coffey, CPA, CGMA, CEO of Public Accounting at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.
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DISCLOSURES
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FALL 2021
