PSY 5250-03 Mental Health Counseling - 3 semester hours

An overview of the field of mental health counseling will be presented to students who will also study professional roles, functions, credentialing, and general ethics of mental health counselors. The major focus will be on the development of fundamental counseling skills, including listening, empathy training, and basic interviewing. Issues regarding the development of the therapeutic relationship, cultural diversity, and mental status assessment will be covered.

Regardless of how busy your personal schedule an RVU online distance learning program can easily adjust to fit into your hectic lifestyle.  You choose your study times, and you choose when to work on your degree program.  You are in total control.

Mental Health Counseling Career Highlights

Approximately 25 percent of North Americans suffer from diagnosable mental health issues each year. With the increasing awareness of the related social, political and economic impacts of these problems, there is a greater need for professional mental health counselors.

Additionally, most mental health counseling is recognized by health care insurance providers, driving the demand for more qualified professionals.

Mental Health Counseling Approach

Mental health counseling takes a holistic approach, in that it examines a person's external environmental and societal influences, while also monitoring inner emotional, physical and behavioral health.

Mental health counseling is a broad term used to encompass the general counseling field. One generally becomes a mental health counselor (MHC) before specializing in a chosen field.

After earning a master's degree in mental health counseling, most people choose to get licensed or certified in a specialty such as:

•           Educational, career and school counseling

•           Rehabilitation counseling

•           Substance abuse counseling

•           Marriage and Family counseling

•           Pastoral or Biblical counseling

See the paragraph (below) for a full description of the various types of counseling licenses.

COUNSELING LICENSES

Below is a brief description of counseling licenses.

Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) - LCSWs work in social systems, helping individuals, groups or entire communities. LCSW focuses on the clinical aspects of mental health and is a higher designation than the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). An LCSW designation is usually achieved after two years or 3,000 hours of postgraduate practice. Additional educational requirements may apply according to state regulations.

Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) - LMSWs are what most people refer to as "social workers." They handle caseloads of families and/or individuals within a social system. They maintain files and histories of their cases; and they evaluate, treat and administer positive action plans in order to improve the mental, physical and emotional health of the people they serve.

Licensed Independent Social Work (LIS) - In states requiring an LIS designation, the word "independent" simply means that the licensee is authorized to practice unsupervised. This does not exempt the licensee from supervision of the employer for compensation and quality assurance purposes.

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) - An LICSW is licensed to practice unsupervised in a clinical capacity, such as a hospital, clinic or medical center. Clinical social workers often corroborate with doctors and psychiatrists to diagnose, treat and guide patients through recovery.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) - LMFTs work with people as individuals, couples or families to help them better understand their relationship dynamics and assist them in resolving emotional conflict. How we behave in relationships informs a great deal more than our familial relationships. It informs our interaction with the rest of the world as well.

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) - Mental health counselors assist their clients in setting goals and creating action plans in order to prevent, treat and resolve emotional or mental impairment. Mental health counselors can also use their skills to service individuals, families or groups.

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) - LPCs are trained to assist mental health clients in groups or individually to examine their personal issues and expose patterned behavior, then devise plans to resolve these issues. LPCs need a master's degree in professional counseling from an accredited school and 3,000 hours of supervised practical experience. State licensing requirements vary.

Licensed Psychologist (PhD, PsyD, EdD) - Psychologists are health care service providers who have completed a doctoral program in psychology. Their focus is understanding human behavior and assisting clients in managing their behavior for optimal life satisfaction. Psychologists are also academic researchers who constantly strive for deeper knowledge of the human experience.

Marriage, Family and Child Counselor (MFCC) - An MFCC is a credential that counselors and psychologist receive in order to specialize in relationship and child counseling. During your graduate studies, you may choose to specialize and earn an MS degree in counseling with a MFCC concentration. In any case, you will need to fulfill your state's licensing requirements.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) - A PMHNP is master's degree in nursing. (There is a dual RVU Masters program that can get the practitioner both professional degrees at the same time – see the nursing school program).  Licensed professional nurses may choose to specialize in assisting mental health patients. PMHNPs work in hospitals, homes and mental health clinics, assisting mental health patients and supporting the psychiatrist.

Psychiatrist (MDs) - Psychiatrists are medical doctors who treat mental health patients. They can prescribe medications and often focus on the chemical origins of mental illness. Depending on the nature of their individual practice, some psychiatrists may also provide counseling. Often psychiatrists will work with, or refer patients to, licensed counselors in order to treat patients on a biological as well as behavioral level.

Mental health counselors work with individuals, groups and communities on a variety of mental health issues:

• Addiction / substance abuse
• Aging
• Anger management
• Career issues
• Depression
• Marital and relationship problems
• Self image
• Stress
• Suicide

Mental health counselors strive to educate and support people in their own personal development.

Mental Health Counselor Salary

Mental health counselors held 106,000 jobs in 2007 with a median annual salary of $36,960, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The highest earnings are reported by counselors who are self-employed in well-established practices.

Developing a private counseling practice usually takes up to 5 years after licensure.

Mental Health Counseling Degrees

For a career in mental health counseling, you will need to obtain an MA, MS or MSW. Most are two-year master's degree programs. You will also need to complete an internship during school, working directly with people.

Although state licensing requirements vary, a period of supervised, post-graduate work experience is customary.  Be sure to check with your state Department of Professional Licensing. Then be sure to check the licensing and educational requirements for counselors in your state/country.

Counseling Licensing Requirements by State

A quick reference to counseling licensing requirements by state.

Below is a quick reference to each state's licensing requirements for licensed professional counselors.

Before choosing a counseling degree, be sure your program satisfies the licensing requirements in your state.

Other helpful resources are the American Counseling Association and Association of Social Work Boards.

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
3615 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016-3007
Phone (202) 966-7300
Fax (202) 966-2891
www.aacap.org

The AACAP is an excellent resource for families and counseling students to get current information on children's mental health issues.

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
112 South Alfred Street
Alexandria VA 22314-3061
(703) 838-9808
Fax (703) 838-9805
www.aamft.org

AAMFT is the leading national organization for marriage and family therapists. Join AAMFT and have access to career information, networking opportunities and continued learning resources.

American Counseling Association (ACA)
59999 Stevenson Ave
Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone (800) 347-6647
TDD (703) 823-6862  Fax (473-2329
www.counseling.org

The ACA is the world's largest member association for counseling professionals. Being a member of the ACA gives you access to information and resources for continued education and professional development in any stage of your counseling career.

American Psychiatric Association (APA)
1000 Wilson Blvd, Ste 1825
Arlington, VA 22209-3901
Phone (703) 907-7300
www.psych.org

APA is the nationally recognized organization composed of over 36,000 psychiatrists. Their goal is to promote quality care and serve the psychiatric profession through education and research.

American Psychological Association (APA)
750 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone (800) 374-2721
TDD (202) 336-6123
www.apa.org

Affiliated with the American Psychiatric Association above, this APA is dedicated to serving the needs of its members of professional psychologists.

American School Counselors Association (ASCA)
1101 King Street, Suite 625
Alexandria, VA 22314
www.schoolcounselor.org

legislation, school counseling careers and legal and ethical issues.

Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
400 South Ridge Parkway, Suite B
Culpeper, VA 22701
Toll free (800) 225-6880
Phone (540) 829-6880  Fax (540) 829-0142
www.aswb.org

ASWB is the primary contact for the nationwide social work licensing examination. It is also the main resource for social work regulations and requirements.

Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC)
300 N Martingale Road, Suite 460
Schaumberg, IL 60173  Phone (847) 944-1325  www.crccertification.com

The CRCC oversees and defines quality standards for rehabilitation counseling services in the US and Canada.

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone (703) 823-8900 ext 301
Fax (703) 823-1581
www.cacrep.org

CACREP is an accrediting body for many counseling schools and programs.

Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)
1835 Rohlwing Road, Suite E
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Phone (847) 394-1785
Fax (847) 394-2108
www.core-rehab.org

CORE is the premier accrediting body for rehabilitation counseling undergraduate programs. Check their site to find out if your rehabilitation counseling program or school is accredited by CORE.

International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN)
2810 Crossroads Dr, Ste 3800
Madison, WI
(608) 443-2463
(866) 330-7227
Fax (608) 443-2474 or 2478
www.ispn-psych.org

The International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses is a worldwide membership organization dedicated to promoting the awareness of psychiatric-mental health nursing. They strive to affect legislative changes that forward the mental health nursing specialty.

National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC)
3 Terrace Way
Greensboro, NC 27403
Phone (336) 547-0607
Fax (336) 547-0017
www.nbcc.org

The NBCC is the nationally recognized board for professional certification of counselors. You can access information regarding the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) on their website.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH (DEPARTMENTS)

Public Information and Communications Branch
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
Phone (866) 615-6464
TTY (866) 415-8051
Fax (301) 443-4279
www.nimh.nih.gov

NIMH is the federal agency established just to research mental and behavioral disorders.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
PO Box 42557
Washington DC 20015
Phone (800) 789-2647
TDD (866) 889-2647
Fax (240-747-5470
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov

SAMHSA is a terrific resource for counseling students to investigate options for internships. SAMSA is the federal administration dedicated to substance abuse and mental health.