New York Mental Health Counselors Association
The Profession of Mental Health Counseling - An Overview
According to the report published by theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse andMental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),more than 110,000 professional counselors are licensed or certified for independent practice inthe United States.
There are almost 5,000 licensed mental health counselors in New York State. Thousands more will be licensed in the coming years as mental health counselors graduate from the 57 graduate programs offering a Master’s in mental health counseling. These professionals will help to fill the gaps in services around the state.
Mental health counselors were included in the Governor Cuomo’s budget passed in March of 2012. The language in the budget called for loan repayment for those mental health professionals who practice in underserved regions and with underserved populations.
The majority of national behavioral health managed care companies either employ or contract withlicensed mental health counselors. Most major insurersreimburses for the services of mental health counselors in New York.
Mental health counselors have been invited by the American Psychiatric Association to participate in the DSM field trials for 2011. One of them is a member of our regulatory board here in New York.
In the Journal of Counseling & Development (Summer 2001 – Volume 79) article: Clinical Judgment in Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning Across Mental Health Disciplines, it was found that mental health counselors scored higher than social workers and similar to psychologists on assigned clinical tasks.
The Veterans Administration considers mental health counselors qualified providers for their hospitals, clinics and for TRICARE.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia license or certify mental health
counselors for private and public practice.
In New York State, licensed mental health counselors are part of a multi-disciplinary
treatment team in Office of Mental Health (OMH) agencies, where they provide
assessment, treatment planning and psychotherapy.
The New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services considers licensed
mental health counselors as qualified health providers (QHP’s).
Mental health counselors adhere to a rigorous code of ethics.
Mental health counseling is a distinct profession with national standards for
education, training and clinical practice.
The New York Mental Health Counselors Association (NYMHCA) is the professional
membership organization that represents the mental health counseling profession in New
York. Professional membership inNYMHCA requires a Master's degree in
counseling or a closely related mental health field and adherence to national standards
for clinical practice.
Mental Health Counseling was rated 33rd on Money Magazine’s Top 50 Jobs in the Country!
Graduate education and clinical training prepare mental health counselors to provide a full range of services for individuals, couples, families, adolescents and children. The core areas of mental health programs approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs include:
-Diagnosis and psychopathology
-Psychotherapy
-Psychological testing and assessment
-Professional orientation
-Research and program evaluation
-Group counseling
-Human growth and development
-Counseling theory
-Social and cultural foundations
-Lifestyle and career development
-Supervised practicum and internship
Licensure requirements for mental health counselors are equivalent to, or exceed those for clinical social workers and marriage and family therapists - two other disciplines that require a master's degree for independent status.
A licensed mental health counselor in New York has met or exceeded the following professional qualifications:
Earned at least a Master's degree in mental health counseling or a closely
related mental health discipline of at least 60 graduate hours.
Completed a minimum of3,000 hours of post Master's clinical work under
the supervision of a licensed mental health professional
Passed a licensure examination.
Mental health counselors practice in a variety of settings, including
independent practice, community agencies, managed behavioral health
care organizations, integrated delivery systems, hospitals, employee
assistance programs and substance abuse treatment centers.
Mental health counselors are highly skilled professionals who provide a full
range of services including:
-Assessment and diagnosis
-Psychotherapy
-Treatment planning and utilization review
-Brief and solution-focused therapy
-Alcoholism and substance abuse treatment
-Psycho-educational and prevention programs
-Crisis management