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Choosing
a Mental Health Professional for Your Child or Teenager
When
should you seek help
Many physical and emotional
signs suggest a possible mental health problem. Problems
can range from those of serious concern, for example, when
an adult has lost touch with reality or is in danger of
harming himself to a change in eating or sleeping, feels
frustrated. Any problem that is personally bothersome warrants
evaluation. Look for the WARNING
SIGNS
>
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Where
do you start
Looking for information can
be a crucial first step. You may not be aware of a mental
health problem, not know exactly what it is, or wonder whether
it is serious enough to seek help. All of these questions
can be discussed with a professional. To find a professional:
1. Talk things over
with the person's doctor.
2. Get a recommendation from a trusted friend or family
member.
3. Check with a clinic affiliated with a local hospital
or medical school.
4. Contact national or local professional organizations.
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What
types of mental health providers are there and how are they
different
- Psychiatrists
-
Psychologists
-
Social Workers
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- Marriage and Family
Counselors
- Licensed Professional
Counselors
- Other licensed professional
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Types of Mental Health Care:
Providers Four professions recognized as mental health providers
are psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage and family therapists,
and licensed clinical social workers. Although the four
fields have different approaches to treating mental illnesses,
they may overlap in the kinds of mental illnesses they treat.
Any of these therapists is qualified to help a client with
most types of mental difficulties, such as depression, anxiety,
or anger management. Only psychiatrists are able to prescribe
medications.
- Make sure the one you select
has dealt with suicidal tendencies.
- Psychiatrists have an M.D.
degree and can provide therapy in addition to prescribing
medication
- Psychologists have a Ph.D.
or Psy.D. degree and can provide therapy in addition to
conducting psychological tests.
- Social Workers have a masters
degree and are identified by the LCSW license
- Marriage and Family Counselors
usually have a masters degree and are identified by the
MFCC license
- Licensed Professional Counselors
(LPCs), mental health practitioners, pastoral counselors,
or school guidance counselors. These counselors usually
have less training and are not monitored by professional
organizations. There may be more risk of safety and confidentiality
issues.
Other possible licensed professionals
include Pastoral Counselors and Mental Health counselors.
· Some professionals, without state licensure, may be certified
by their own professional organization.
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How
to Select a Provider
- Professional's credentials
and training: consider the training of the professional
and inquire as to his/her experience or expertise with
the problem. If the professional is licensed in your state
make sure the professional has the appropriate credential.
- Experience: the professional
should have experience with children and expertise with
the particular problem of concern.
- Involvement: it is
important to understand how parents are involved in the
child's treatment.
- Type and format of treatment:
parents and children should understand the scope of the
treatment, the procedures used and the frequency and duration
of the sessions.
- Cost, insurance policy:
it is the parents' responsibility to know their own financial
resources and any insurance requirements and limitations
- Location, ease of accessibility:
treatment must balance convenience with availability of
the professional.
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How
to find out about a provider - status of their license,
education, complaints
State
of Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners
This website contains a list of licensed Arizona psychologists,
status of their licensure, and whether any disciplinary
action has ever been taken against them.
Arizona
Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (Licensed Professional
Counselors-LPC)
Certification for LPCs in Arizona is voluntary and is not
required to practice any of the professions covered by counselors.
Many professionals request certification to demonstrate
that they have met Board standards for education, experience,
and competence. In addition, certification is increasingly
required by licensing agencies, employers, insurance programs,
and consumers of behavioral health services.
Arizona
Medical Board (Psychiatrists)
Psychiatrists are medical doctors and must be licensed by
the Arizona Medical Board. This site includes the psychiatrists
by specialty (children, adolescents, adults, etc.) Information
included on this site is in which city and state they were
licensee; where they received their medical and psychiatric
training; and the status of their license (active, cancelled,
revoked, etc.).
Here are
some specific questions you can ask
1. Are you a licensed? How
many years have you been practicing?
2. What are your areas of
expertise -- for example, working with children and families?
3. What kinds of treatments
do you use, and have they been proven effective for dealing
with my kind of problem or issue?
4. I have been feeling (anxious,
tense, depressed, etc.), and I'm having problems (with
my job, my marriage, eating, sleeping, etc.). What experience
do you have helping people with these types of problems?
5. What are your fees? (Fees
are usually based on a 45-minute to 50-minute session.)
Do you have a sliding-scale fee policy? How much therapy
would you recommend?
6. What types of insurance
do you accept? Will you accept direct billing to/payment
from my insurance company? Are you affiliated with any
managed care organizations? Do you accept Medicare/Medicaid
insurance?
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How
do I decide if this is the right professional
Once a person has decided on
a therapist, it is important to feel comfortable with the
treating professional or agency. Having confidence in the
person is essential for establishing a positive working
relationship and important when facing difficult moments
or decisions. Patients often benefit from having an initial
consultation or one or two sessions before making a decision
about ongoing treatment. The "fit" must be right in order
to establish a good working relationship. What may work
for one person may not feel right for another. However,
if the patient feels uncomfortable after a few sessions,
this should be discussed in order to assess the source of
the problem. For example, is the difficulty due to embarrassment
about discussing the problem, a person who is resistant
due to being angry at the relatives for suggesting treatment,
or is it incompatible styles between the professional and
the client?
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What
are the types of non-medication treatments
Some of
the more common non-medication treatments include:
1. Cognitive
behavior therapy: this helps the child learn new ways
of thinking and behaving.
2. Verbal
psychotherapy: one's current problems are discussed, perhaps
in light of past difficulties, and options for coping
with different feelings and behavior and for engaging
in different relationships in more effective ways are
developed.
3. Marital
or family therapy: the professional helps members of the
couple or family understand how their behaviors affect
one another and the children, and provides instructions
and strategies for making changes.
4. Group
therapy: issues are explored within a group setting with
individuals who share similar problems.
5. Interpersonal
psychotherapy: feelings and responses are explored within
the context of different interpersonal or social relationships
and situations.
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Information for this page
came from: Robin F. Goodman, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor
of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, Director of Bereavement
Programs and www.AboutOurKids.org.
American Psychological Association
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