Professionalism and Beyond as
Clinical Mental Health Counselors
Presented by:
Jim Messina, Ph.D., NCC, CCMHC
Assistant Professor: Troy University Tampa Bay Site
Website: www.coping.us
From Dream to Reality in 1976
On an impulsive whim Nancy and Jim:
• Coined term “Mental Health Counselor”
• Coined Association Title: The American Mental
Health Counselor’s Association
As the process caught fire
• Established the Profession of Mental Health
Counseling
• Set out to create its “Hallmarks of a Profession”
What are the Hallmarks
of a Profession?
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Professional Membership Organization
Code of Ethics
Accreditation
Certification and Licensure
Research into Effectiveness of Service
Delivery
History Timeline of Creation of
Mental Health Counseling Profession
• 1976 – Coining of term Mental Health Counselor and
formation of American Mental Health Counselor’s
Association as Division of ACA
• 1979 – Creation of the National Academy of Certified
Clinical Mental Health Counselors
• 1981 – First State Law to license Mental Health
Counselors put into effect in Florida
• 1985 – AMHCA had over 12,000 members
• 2011 – AMHCA put out its newest Standards of
Practice in Mental Health Counseling-Helping to put
Health back into Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• 2013 – AMHCA has over 7,000 members
The National Professional Association
of Mental Health Counselors
American Mental Health
Counselors Association
Founded in 1976 when term Mental Health Counselor was coined
Florida Chapter of AMHCA
Suncoast Chapter of FMHCA
Association AMHCA Belongs to
American Counseling Association
Was known as APGA-American Personnel and Guidance Association
in1976 and in 1983 as AACD American Association of Counseling and
Development until 1992 when it changed to ACA
CODES OF ETHICS
Governing
Mental Health Counselors
Research in the field is Reported in
AMHCA’s Journal
AMHCA’s Online Newsletter
Accreditation: Standards for
Training of CMHC
CACREP (The Council for Accreditation of
Counseling & Related Educational Programs)
1988 CACREP set out its first Standards for
accreditation of CMHC Programs using 60 hour
requirement put out in 1979 by AMHCA – But it
also had Community Counseling Programs with up
to 48 hours – Most went Community Counseling
2009 CACREP adopted standards for CMHC
which included 60 hour requirement
2009 CACREP Standards for CMHC
Required both core CACREP areas & specialized
training in clinical mental health
Core CACREP areas include:
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Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
Social and Cultural Diversity
Human Growth and Development across the lifespan
Career Development
Helping Relationships
Group Work
Assessment
Research and Program Evaluation
2009 CACREP Standards for CMHC
Specialized CMHC Training:
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5.
Ethical, Legal & Practice Foundations of CMHC
Prevention & Clinical Intervention
Clinical Assessment
Diagnosis & Treatment of Mental Disorders
Diversity & Advocacy in Clinical Mental Health
Counseling
6. Clinical Mental Health Counseling Research & Outcome
Evaluation
These areas of CMHC preparation address clinical mental
health needs across the lifespan (children, adolescents,
adults and older adults) & across socially & culturally diverse
populations.
AMHCA 2011 Standard Additional
Requirement for CMHC Training
The 2011 AMHCA standards also recommend
these additional areas of training for CMHC
Training programs:
1. Biological Bases of Behavior (including
psychopathology and psychopharmacology)
2. Specialized Clinical Assessment
3. Trauma
4. Co-Occurring Disorders (mental disorders and
substance abuse)
Implications of AMHCA’s 2011 Expanded
Clinical Standards for Training of CMHC’s
1. Evidenced-Based Practices
a. Diagnosis and Treatment Planning using EBP’s
b. Diagnosis of Co-Occurring Disorders & Trauma
2. Biological Basis of Behaviors
a. Knowledge of Central Nervous System
b. Lifespan Plasticity of the Brain
3. Psychopharmacology
4. Behavioral Medicine
a. Neurobiology of Thinking, Emotion & Memory
b. Neurobiology of mental health disorders (mood,
anxiety, psychosis) over life span
c. Promotion of optimal mental health over the lifespan
Accreditation-CACREP
74 Graduate Programs in the USA are CACREP approved in Clinical Mental
Health Counseling
In Florida they are:
1.
Argosy Sarasota
2. Barry University
3. Florida Atlantic University
4. Florida Gulf Coast University
5. Florida International University
6. Florida State University
7. Rollins College
8. Troy University Southeast Region: Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Walton Beach,
Panama City & Pensacola
9. University of Central Florida
10. University of Florida
11. University of North Florida
12. University of South Florida
Online:
1.
Cappella University
2. Walden University
National Certification
Two National Certifications
• NCC: National Certified Counselor – Over
48,000
• CCMHC: Certified Clinical Mental Health
Counselor – Over 1,000 are CCMHC’s
State Licensure-FL 491License Board
In Florida
• 7,784 Licensed Mental Health Counselors
• 1,545 Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists
• 10,070 Licensed Social Workers
State Licensure for Counselors and
Related Fields
In USA
• 120,429 Licensed Professional Counselors
• 54,785 Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists
• 202,924 Licensed Social Workers
All 50 States have Licensed Professional
Counselors but only 15 have Mental Health
Counseling in their Title (Major way of taking
Health out of Clinical Mental Health Counseling!)
15 States with MHC’s in Title
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Delaware-License Professional Counselor of Mental Health (LPCMH)
Florida-Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) First Licensed 1981
Hawaii-Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Indiana-Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Iowa-Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Massachusetts-Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Nebraska-Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP)
New Hampshire- Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC)
New Mexico-Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
New York-Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Rhode Island-Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC)
South Dakota-Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health (LP-MH)
Tennessee-Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service
Provider (LPC/MHSP)
• Utah-Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (LCMHC) as of 2012
• Vermont-Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC)
• Washington-Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Major Recommendation to Promote
Professional Identity of CMHC’s
Given only 15 out 50 states licensed CMHC’s, it is
imperative that we who have LMHC licensure
encourage the LPC’s in the other 35 states to gain
Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor
(CCMHC) status through the NBCC which would
be a clear way of putting HEALTH into Clinical
Mental Health Counseling and a way to get
counselors in all 50 states enabled to call
themselves Clinical Mental Health Counselor
The Growth of Mental Health
Counseling as a Profession
• In 2008, according to US Department of Labor:
120,000 Mental Health Counselors were employed
& only 6.7% of them were self-employed
• By 2018 43,000 jobs will be added (for a for a total
of 163,000), representing a 36.3% growth
• Median annual wages in 2008 for Mental Health
Counselors was $38,150. This is High when
compared to other jobs.
Parity with the Other Mental
Health Professions
The median reimbursable fee for service:
• Clinical Mental Health Counselors is $63
• Psychologists is $75 for psychologists
• Clinical Social Workers & Marriage and Family
Therapists is $60
(January 2006 study by Psychotherapy Finances)
SO! What do Mental Health
Counselors Currently Do?
Mental Health Counselors offer full range of services:
• Assessment & diagnosis
• Treatment planning and utilization review
• Psychotherapy
• Brief and solution-focused therapy
• Alcoholism and substance abuse treatment
• Psycho-educational & prevention programs
• Crisis management
• Trauma Intervention
ACA’s 20/20 Commission’s
Definition of Counseling
Counseling is a professional relationship that
empowers diverse individuals, families and groups
to accomplish mental health, wellness, education
and career goals
They also established:
The counseling profession shall establish uniform
licensing standards with LPC as an entry-level title
for counselor licensure.
What Skills Do Mental Health
Counselors Need?
• Ability to understand dynamics of Human
Development to capture good psychosocial history
of clients
• Diagnosis of and treatment for behavioral pathology
• Evidenced based practices in psychotherapy to
provide credible treatment to clients
• Understanding of basic neuroscience of brain and
nervous system to understand roots of emotional
responses to life’s stressors
• Understanding of psychopharmacological treatment
of psychopathology
What are the future prospects
for the profession?
• Recognized for VA Positions in VA Hospitals and
Field Agencies
• Approved for TRICARE-for military and their
families
• AMHCA hopes to soon be recognized for Medicare
Services
• Increased work in Behavioral Medicine in Hospitals,
Rehab Centers & Primary Care Physicians’ Offices
• Increased work in Substance Abuse & Alcohol
Treatment Facilities
Potential Clinical Setting Openings for
CMHC’s with ACA Implementation
Clinical Mental Health Counselors will be
ideally situated to provide Behavioral Medical
Interventions based on their expanded training
and implementation of AMHCA’s Clinical
Standards. They will then need to promote
themselves in the following settings:
 General Practice: Family Practice & Internal
Medicine Clinics
 Rehabilitation In-patient and out-patient Centers
 General and Specialized Hospitals
 Senior Citizen’s Independent housing, Assisted
Living & Nursing Homes
Mental Health Needs of
OEF & OIF Vets
• The invisible wounds which our OIF and OEF vets
return with are staggering
• PTSD and TBI along with Combat Depression are
staggering disorders which are impacting from 1/3
to 2/3’s of these vets. The Mental Health system
over the next 5 to 10 years will become
overwhelmed in meeting their individual as well as
marital and family needs.
• CMHC’s need to be ready to serve this population
Baby Boomer Generation are Aging
• The increase in Boomers aging and their impact
on the medical and mental health field cannot be
ignored or underestimated
• It is imperative that CMHC’s be armed with
Behavioral Medicine techniques to address the
needs of this geriatric population to address
their chronic health issues, disabilities and
cognitive decline needs
Continuing Education Tools Needed
by Clinical Mental Health Counselors
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Evidenced Based Practices
Neuroscience
Psychopharmacology
Behavioral Medicine
Use of Telehealth Apps with Clients
Military Focused Materials
Multicultural Perspective as a Mental
Health Counselors
Get Professionally Active!
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Join AMHCA
Join FMHCA
Join SMHCA
Get Certified as NCC and CCMHC by NBCC
Get Licensed in State of Florida as LMHC
Continue to expand competencies by Continuing
Education Programming