Mental Health Counseling
Mental Health counselors practice mental health counseling which is
a dynamic psychoeducational discipline born in the late 1970’s when
several mental health professionals realized that the master’s degree
level counselors working in community settings lacked a professional
home or identity. James Messina, Gary Seiler and others came together
to form the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) in
1976.
In a few short years the association grew to over 12,000 members
with a professional journal, newsletter, national meetings, state
branches and a certification process for the Certified Clinical Mental
Health Counselor (CCMHC) credential in 1979. Early efforts included the
recognition by third party payers and state licensure for MHCs. These
early goals have for the most part been met and AMHCA remains a viable
professional organization.
In 1981, Artis J. Palmo developed a manuscript for the AMHCA Board
of Directors which in part described the evolving role of the MHC. The
counselor collected data to assess the client’s mental and emotional
and/or behavioral problems or disorders and helped clients to
effectively adapt to the concerns presented. In later writings authors
such as Hershenson and Strein (1991); and Palmo, Shosh and Weikel
(2001) emphasized that MHCs are concerned about the client’s
environment with a more global view than other professionals as well as
a concern that goes beyond treating dysfunction or pathology and
dealing with the clients’ self-understanding, personal growth, and
wellness.
Seiler, Brooks and Beck (1987) delivered the first Training
Standards for Mental Health Counselors (60 hours) which established
this profession as the Clinical Identity for the Council of
Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Though slow to accept, by the beginning of 2000, the standard was
pretty much accepted universally for clinical applications.
As Brooks and Weikel (1996) and later Smith and Weikel (2006) have
pointed out, the profession can trace its roots through several
historical antecedents culminating in the shift to community based
treatment and the need for a cadre of professionals to deliver
counseling services in a cost-efficient manner. The MHC of the 2000s
can be found in a variety of employment including mental health
centers, hospitals, clinics, colleges and universities and private
practices. As the profession continues to grow and evolve, more
entities such as third party payers, public policy makers as well as
members of the general public are realizing the effectiveness of the
professional mental health counselor.
(Definition from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Health_Counselor ) |
Practitioners who work in this modality
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