1. Mental Health Profession
Presented by: Misti Anderson M,S.,LMHC, CAP, Qualified Supervisor

2. Skills needed to be in the mental health field
A desire to help other people Active Listener – Ability to Listen to what is being said (and not being said by the client) Ability to identify negative cognitions and modify them to enact positive changes in thoughts and behaviors of others. Organizational and record keeping skills Ability to maintain confidentiality Patience and Understanding (Empathy) Speaking skills

3. What do mental health counselors do?
Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression
Encourage clients to discuss their emotions and experiences
Help clients process their reactions and adjust to difficult changes in their life, such as divorce and layoffs
Guide clients through the process of making decisions about their future
Help clients develop strategies and skills to change their behavior and to cope with difficult situations
Refer clients to other resources or services in the community, such as support groups or inpatient treatment facilities

4. Mental Health Diagnosis
Diagnosis requires piecing together several components and influences of an individual’s entire life. It requires advanced knowledge of how brain chemistry affects moods, thoughts, and behaviors. And it requires a thorough understanding of human growth and development, and abnormal psychology.
This understanding forms what professionals call “clinical judgment,” and is gained through a carefully structured education and clinical experiences of practicing counselors and therapists.

5. Typical Classes taken Ethics Psychological Theory
Developmental Psychology
Research
Statistics
Tests & Measurements
Learning
History and Systems of Psychology
Psychopharmacology
Physiology
Social Psychology

6. MA or MS Degree
What is the Difference Between an MA and an MS? Which Should I Pursue?
Students entering a graduate program for a master’s degree in psychology can choose from a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MS) degree. In a nutshell, an MA degree will focus more on the practice of psychology (counseling, social work, clinical psychology, etc) whereas an MS will focus more on the science of psychology (how does the brain function, what is the connection between society or culture and our actions, etc).

7. LEVELS of practice Bachelor Degree Masters Degree
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Doctoral

8. Bachelor degree Beginning Salary – 33k
Attend APA or CACREP accredited college or university
Typically works under a Licensed Mental Health Counselor

9. Masters degree Master degree in Psychology Beginning salary 40K
Internship to Licensure (1000 hours) and Practicum

10. Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Must hold Master’s degree from APA or CACREP accredited university
Completion of Practicum and Internship
Passing score on National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination, which is administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors
Can diagnose and bill insurance companies for reimbursement
Supervise Bachelor or Masters level clinicians
Earning potential : 45k to 75k ( can make more if in private practice, as a clinical director, program director…)
Emphasis on diagnosis and counseling

11. Psychologist
Completion of Doctoral Degree (university must meet APA standards if you want to become licensed)
Internship
Passing score on Examination for the Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)
Beginning salary 75K (APA reports earnings up to 250k)
Provider of counseling services; emphasis on testing

12. Locations of employment
School (as a counselor, school psychologist, educator)
Community mental health agency
Juvenile Justice or Dept. of Corrections
Private Practice
Consultant
Hospital
Inpatient or outpatient detox centers
Halfway houses
Geriatric related facilities
Nonprofit agencies
Business consultants

13. Looking towards the future
Job Outlook. Employment of mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists is projected to grow 19 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.

14.
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