SECTION 5: CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
C. CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
Students who are preparing to specialize as clinical mental health counselors will demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to address a wide variety of circumstances within the context of clinical mental health counseling. Counselor education programs with a specialty area in clinical mental health counseling must document where each of the lettered standards listed below is covered in the curriculum.
- FOUNDATIONS
- history and development of clinical mental health counseling
- theories and models related to clinical mental health counseling
- principles, models, and documentation formats of biopsychosocial case conceptualization and treatment planning
- neurobiological and medical foundation and etiology of addiction and co-occurring disorders
- psychological tests and assessments specific to clinical mental health counseling
- CONTEXTUAL DIMENSIONS
- roles and settings of clinical mental health counselors
- etiology, nomenclature, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders
- mental health service delivery modalities within the continuum of care, such as inpatient, outpatient, partial treatment and aftercare, and the mental health counseling services networks
- diagnostic process, including differential diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic classification systems, including the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
- potential for substance use disorders to mimic and/or co-occur with a variety of neurological, medical, and psychological disorders
- impact of crisis and trauma on individuals with mental health diagnoses
- impact of biological and neurological mechanisms on mental health
- classifications, indications, and contraindications of commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications for appropriate medical referral and consultation
- legislation and government policy relevant to clinical mental health counseling
- cultural factors relevant to clinical mental health counseling
- professional organizations, preparation standards, and credentials relevant to the practice of clinical mental health counseling
- legal and ethical considerations specific to clinical mental health counseling
- record keeping, third party reimbursement, and other practice and management issues in clinical mental health counseling
- PRACTICE
- intake interview, mental status evaluation, biopsychosocial history, mental health history, and psychological assessment for treatment planning and caseload management
- techniques and interventions for prevention and treatment of a broad range of mental health issues
- strategies for interfacing with the legal system regarding court-referred clients
- strategies for interfacing with integrated behavioral health care professionals
- strategies to advocate for persons with mental health issues