After some time away from posting, I'm back!
I have been going through the licensure process myself and found inspiration from this post due to not having any resources to find what I needed. I wished there was someone or somewhere I could go for answers. Google turned out to be my main resource. I just mailed my application for licensure as a LPC in my state. I am now looking into other licenses or certifications so that I can provide more services.
The nbcc website, http://nbcc.org/ , is a great site. It has information about becoming an NCC, MAC, NCSC, and NCMHC. Each of these covers a specific knowledge area, such as mental health, addicitons and school counseling. The NCC credential is necessary for all the other credentials, and is considered the base requirement.
To obtain the NCC, and thus, all the other certifications, you must take the NCE (national counselor exam). Coincidentally, this test is also required by many states for licensure as a LPC. Other states may require the NMHCE (National Mental Health Counselor Exam), but we will get into that later. This means you can use hit test for double duty in a way, as it is a path to state licensure, as well as to NCC (national certified counselor) status. I already have a National Counselor Status, and now also my LPC. Now I can move up the ladder of certifications with NBCC. IF you check out their site it will lead you to dscriptions of each specialty. If you use their link to NCMHC information, it will tell you that it is $295 to take this test and for the application. I was disappointed by this, as that is a great sum of money to anyone (if you're the 99%).
I began to search the internet for alternatives. I thought to myself, surely there is another way or a cheaper way. Then I discovered several things, which I will address one at a time.
* You can simply take this exam (as if you were taking it for your state's licensure requirements), without necessarily applying for credential. Why would you want to do that? I wondered that too, for a second. Then I found this site http://www.nbcc.org/Assets/RegistrationForm/NCMHCERegistrationForm.pdf. It is a registration for through NBCC for the NCMHCE. This would therefore already be on file with NBCC in the event that you wanted to use your passing score to get certification later. It is only $100 if you are already a NCC. OR, if it helps, this is where I got the link for the form above http://www.nbcc.org/NCMHCE
* This loophole does require that you already be fully licensed in your state. I intend to use this to have reciprocity for licensure in other states, as well as to find employment at VA sites or on military bases. Confused? I was too. This is the low down. If you want to be employed by military/ VA, you must have passed this exam. They typically have only accepted LCSW for Government jobs in social services. They are now accepting LPC's if you pass the NCMHCE. This way you can find a job with your score rather than your credential. This way, if you meet all requirements for certification, you just have to save up the money for the $295. It is a good way to get your foot in the door. Especially if you are worrie about not passing the first time. Check out Army counseling positions and information here http://acsap.army.mil/sso/pages/index.jsp or here http://www.va.gov/jobs/
* If you are planning on moving to a state that requires NMHCE for licensure, you can use this passing score there, and then earn the state certification for this. Different states have different regulations regarding this. This website is a great resource for knowledge about every state board, as well as last known exam they accepted. http://cfl.columbusstate.edu/stateboards.php
Happy Hunting! If there is any new info you know of, please post and let me know and I will add it! Thanks!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, August 22, 2011
Assessing Clients- Getting all the Information
There are several types of assessments, and they generally vary from agency to agency. However, some clinicians report that it is difficult to build enough rapport on a first meeting to get all of the necessary information from people. There are multitudes of assessments that can be purchased online for private use in practice. This, however, may not always be necessary. This is a good site for public domain assessments for depression, anxiety, etc. You can download assessments for practice use free of charge.
http://www.openpsychassessment.org/
As the DSM changes are nearing, the way we assess clients needs to be changing as well. Start learning about changes now to prepare for the new criteria coming in 2013.
** Do not attempt to administer assessments you have not been trained in or without clinical experience/ knowledge.
http://www.openpsychassessment.org/
As the DSM changes are nearing, the way we assess clients needs to be changing as well. Start learning about changes now to prepare for the new criteria coming in 2013.
** Do not attempt to administer assessments you have not been trained in or without clinical experience/ knowledge.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Continuing Education is a Must!!!
If you are looking to obtain some of those elusive free CEU's for licensure and credentialing, you're in for a treat today! Although there have been no posts in a while, that is not for lack of research and diligent work over here! Counseling still rocks. And now you can rock it a little harder with more bang for your CEU buck.
Check it out:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/ptsd101/pages/continuing-education-credit.asp
http://pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov/
Did I mention these are free? Well they are.
Also, if you need more credit than you get gere here, there are several site that are reputable and offer good deals on CEU's.
Try here: http://elitecme.com/
With our economy and gas prices, we can save money on conference fees and traveling and do some education online. It's not as flashy of a lifestyle, but you can flash more green!
Until the next post, Rock It Out, because counseling ROCKS.
Check it out:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/ptsd101/pages/continuing-education-credit.asp
http://pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov/
Did I mention these are free? Well they are.
Also, if you need more credit than you get gere here, there are several site that are reputable and offer good deals on CEU's.
Try here: http://elitecme.com/
With our economy and gas prices, we can save money on conference fees and traveling and do some education online. It's not as flashy of a lifestyle, but you can flash more green!
Until the next post, Rock It Out, because counseling ROCKS.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The New and Improved??
So, we've been hearing for years that the new DSM, our psychological bible, would come out with major revisions. But now that we are starting to see these revisions manifest in publications that are giving us sneak peeks, it looks kind of scary for the field.
Check out: http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
This is the official site for the new DSM. And, if things don't change, you can visit this site for a look into the field's certain doomed future.
As you click about on the site, notice the "Substance related disorders" section. The categories of abuse and dependence will be disappearing. That's right. DISAPPEARING. These will now fall into other categories or dropped. Note the heading paragraph:
"The work group had extensive discussions on the use of the word “addiction.” There was general agreement that “dependence” as a label for compulsive, out-of-control drug use has been problematic. It has been confusing to physicians and has resulted in patients with normal tolerance and withdrawal being labeled as “addicts.” This has also resulted in patients suffering from severe pain having adequate doses of opioids withheld because of fear of producing “addiction.” Accordingly, the word “dependence” is now limited to physiological dependence, which is a normal response to repeated doses of many medications including beta-blockers, antidepressants, opioids, anti-anxiety agents and other drugs. The presence of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are not counted as symptoms to be counted for the diagnosis of substance use disorder when occurring in the context of appropriate medical treatment with prescribed medications."
This could mean a number of negative things for the field of addictions, since this is a diagnostic book that refuses to diagnose people that abuse their pain medications as having an addiction. Why the kid gloves?
Another startling change is the removal of personality disorders. Good news for our anti-socials and borderlines. Again, how is this helpful? They will now be rated on levels of personality function.
Obviously this is not all of the information you would get from the site, however I found them to be two of the most puzzling changes. Check out the site, and then come back and comment.
Check out: http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
This is the official site for the new DSM. And, if things don't change, you can visit this site for a look into the field's certain doomed future.
As you click about on the site, notice the "Substance related disorders" section. The categories of abuse and dependence will be disappearing. That's right. DISAPPEARING. These will now fall into other categories or dropped. Note the heading paragraph:
"The work group had extensive discussions on the use of the word “addiction.” There was general agreement that “dependence” as a label for compulsive, out-of-control drug use has been problematic. It has been confusing to physicians and has resulted in patients with normal tolerance and withdrawal being labeled as “addicts.” This has also resulted in patients suffering from severe pain having adequate doses of opioids withheld because of fear of producing “addiction.” Accordingly, the word “dependence” is now limited to physiological dependence, which is a normal response to repeated doses of many medications including beta-blockers, antidepressants, opioids, anti-anxiety agents and other drugs. The presence of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are not counted as symptoms to be counted for the diagnosis of substance use disorder when occurring in the context of appropriate medical treatment with prescribed medications."
This could mean a number of negative things for the field of addictions, since this is a diagnostic book that refuses to diagnose people that abuse their pain medications as having an addiction. Why the kid gloves?
Another startling change is the removal of personality disorders. Good news for our anti-socials and borderlines. Again, how is this helpful? They will now be rated on levels of personality function.
Obviously this is not all of the information you would get from the site, however I found them to be two of the most puzzling changes. Check out the site, and then come back and comment.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Hospital or the Slammer: A look at Correlation and Causation.
Fact: "The largest mental institution in the country is actually a wing of a county jail"(NPR, 2008). It has 1,400 mental health beds. This is in downtown Los Angeles, and is affectionately known as the Twin Towers. It is two identical hulking structures, one housing psych patients and one housing criminal offenders.
Fact: 11 of our 50 states have 6 or more mental hospitals. This includes Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Delaware, New York, Massachussettes, and Rhode Island (SAMHSA.gov).
Fact: 7 of the 11 states mentioned above also report having a shortage of psychiatric beds in that state, meaning there is an unserved mental health population in those states (SAMHSA.gov).
Fact: In 8 states, over half of state hospital expenditures were for forensic and mental health services (FCSMHA, 2007).
In light of these facts, some questions began to rise for me regarding the state of our mental health and criminal justice systems. Is their union a positive one or a disadvantage to the people they serve? Should we push for mental wards inside of jails, like in LA, or forensic units inside of psych hospitals? And what's the difference?
According to an article by NPR, the second in a 3 part series on our penal system, this is a tangled web we have woven. Let's begin with a small bit 'o history about mental health.
Not too many decades ago, around the 1970's, we had a significant institutionalized population in the nation's mental health hospitals. These were mostly state run hospitals, and they weren't four star accommodations. Then, around the same time we were experiencing several other social movements,such as womens' liberation, civil rights, protests, etc., we also had a social movement to free patients from these over crowded mental hospitals and move toward a community treatment approach. This is where our modern day day treatment programs and outpatient treatment were born.
According to the NPR article, this led to "thousands of mentally ill ended up on the streets, where they became involved in criminal activity". The article also later states that, "Often, the crimes these people commit are the result of their mental illness". This was a quote, but it was simply taken from a mental health worker at the hospital, not a source, and was not later backed up by data in the article. Also, in several places the article, they discuss that some of the inmates in the LA County jail may be feigning mental illness so that they can live on the mental health ward. I felt that this perpetuates the thought process that people who are found mentally incompetent in courts are simply faking and "getting off" by pretending. I found issue with these insinuations, as it was not cited from a source or supported in any way in the article, so I started to look up information to either support or dispute it.
Firstly, I thought, how do we know that the mentally ill were the perpetrators of these crimes? Then several thoughts followed, such as: Is there a prison that rivals the size of the nation's largest mental institution? Are the states where there are more mental hospitals to detain the mentally ill, represented by lower crime rates? Do mentally ill people get their medications when in jail? Do the states with more psych bed shortages have higher crime?
Here's what I found.
- The state with the highest crime rate is Nevada. Interestingly, this is not one of the 11 states with 6 or more mental hospitals.
- The largest penal institution in the US is in Louisiana. It is the largest maximum security prison. It is larger than the country's largest mental hospital, as it has it's own zip code (chacha.com).
- Of the 15 top US states with the highest crime, 3 of them are also part of the list of 11 states with the most mental hospitals. Therefore 20% of the top crime states are also top states for MH institutions.
- Out of the states with the most mental health hospitals, 6 (54%) have the lowest proportion of mentally ill to the general population. (So why do they have so many hospitals?)
-The state ranked 7 out of 50 for highest crime, Delaware, also saw the biggest increase in crime this year. Rhode Island also became more dangerous, moving nine places in the rankings. Interestingly, both of these states are part of the 11 states with the most psych hospitals.
So, I still found myself with questions. The data is somewhat conflicting. Yet, it could be interpreted in so many ways. Should we increase or decrease our number of state mental hospitals? Should mental hospitals offer more forensic services and beds? Should jails offer more mental health treatment? Should there be stand alone facilities that offer both services- Forensic Psychology Hospitals? Which would be more fiscally beneficial to our state and national budgets? How do we differentiate from the criminals and the disturbed, and how different are they? Please post your thoughts and questions.
Sources:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93581736
http://www.walletpop.com/2010/04/05/most-dangerous-states-crime-rankings-for-2010/
World Prison Population List, 8th Ed.
Funding and Characteristics of State Mental Health Agencies, 2007.
SAMHSA.gov
Fact: 11 of our 50 states have 6 or more mental hospitals. This includes Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Delaware, New York, Massachussettes, and Rhode Island (SAMHSA.gov).
Fact: 7 of the 11 states mentioned above also report having a shortage of psychiatric beds in that state, meaning there is an unserved mental health population in those states (SAMHSA.gov).
Fact: In 8 states, over half of state hospital expenditures were for forensic and mental health services (FCSMHA, 2007).
In light of these facts, some questions began to rise for me regarding the state of our mental health and criminal justice systems. Is their union a positive one or a disadvantage to the people they serve? Should we push for mental wards inside of jails, like in LA, or forensic units inside of psych hospitals? And what's the difference?
According to an article by NPR, the second in a 3 part series on our penal system, this is a tangled web we have woven. Let's begin with a small bit 'o history about mental health.
Not too many decades ago, around the 1970's, we had a significant institutionalized population in the nation's mental health hospitals. These were mostly state run hospitals, and they weren't four star accommodations. Then, around the same time we were experiencing several other social movements,such as womens' liberation, civil rights, protests, etc., we also had a social movement to free patients from these over crowded mental hospitals and move toward a community treatment approach. This is where our modern day day treatment programs and outpatient treatment were born.
According to the NPR article, this led to "thousands of mentally ill ended up on the streets, where they became involved in criminal activity". The article also later states that, "Often, the crimes these people commit are the result of their mental illness". This was a quote, but it was simply taken from a mental health worker at the hospital, not a source, and was not later backed up by data in the article. Also, in several places the article, they discuss that some of the inmates in the LA County jail may be feigning mental illness so that they can live on the mental health ward. I felt that this perpetuates the thought process that people who are found mentally incompetent in courts are simply faking and "getting off" by pretending. I found issue with these insinuations, as it was not cited from a source or supported in any way in the article, so I started to look up information to either support or dispute it.
Firstly, I thought, how do we know that the mentally ill were the perpetrators of these crimes? Then several thoughts followed, such as: Is there a prison that rivals the size of the nation's largest mental institution? Are the states where there are more mental hospitals to detain the mentally ill, represented by lower crime rates? Do mentally ill people get their medications when in jail? Do the states with more psych bed shortages have higher crime?
Here's what I found.
- The state with the highest crime rate is Nevada. Interestingly, this is not one of the 11 states with 6 or more mental hospitals.
- The largest penal institution in the US is in Louisiana. It is the largest maximum security prison. It is larger than the country's largest mental hospital, as it has it's own zip code (chacha.com).
- Of the 15 top US states with the highest crime, 3 of them are also part of the list of 11 states with the most mental hospitals. Therefore 20% of the top crime states are also top states for MH institutions.
- Out of the states with the most mental health hospitals, 6 (54%) have the lowest proportion of mentally ill to the general population. (So why do they have so many hospitals?)
-The state ranked 7 out of 50 for highest crime, Delaware, also saw the biggest increase in crime this year. Rhode Island also became more dangerous, moving nine places in the rankings. Interestingly, both of these states are part of the 11 states with the most psych hospitals.
So, I still found myself with questions. The data is somewhat conflicting. Yet, it could be interpreted in so many ways. Should we increase or decrease our number of state mental hospitals? Should mental hospitals offer more forensic services and beds? Should jails offer more mental health treatment? Should there be stand alone facilities that offer both services- Forensic Psychology Hospitals? Which would be more fiscally beneficial to our state and national budgets? How do we differentiate from the criminals and the disturbed, and how different are they? Please post your thoughts and questions.
Sources:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93581736
http://www.walletpop.com/2010/04/05/most-dangerous-states-crime-rankings-for-2010/
World Prison Population List, 8th Ed.
Funding and Characteristics of State Mental Health Agencies, 2007.
SAMHSA.gov
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Lifetime Learner?
After some research, here are a few more (mostly) FREE CE options. Enjoy, and please add more if you are aware of more!
Also, for the residents of Georgia, here are some job posting for the state. Again, share if you are aware of others.
Sharing is caring!
You can find it just below the top of the page in a big word bubble that says "FREE"! :)
Also, for the residents of Georgia, here are some job posting for the state. Again, share if you are aware of others.
Sharing is caring!
Substance Abuse Counselor
Behavior Analyst
Behavioral Specialist
MCRS Crisis Intervention
Social Service Provider 2
Social Services Chief
Here are a few more resources for Continuing education:
· If you are interested in the use of meditation as a holistic approach to mental health treatment, here is an introductory CE course online for FREE!
· If you treat the military or are interested in offering services to the military, here are several links to CE that is endorsed by The Department of Deployment. Most are FREE! Some are educational only and offer no CE.
* For a certificate program endorsed by Center for Deployment Psychology (not free):
* FREE CE on Healthy Boundaries:
http://ce4less.com/CourseList.aspx?topic=EthicsYou can find it just below the top of the page in a big word bubble that says "FREE"! :)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
CE credits and opportunities to learn
Hello all! Here are some opportunities for CE hours for clinicians. They are FREE! Please comment with more resources if you are aware of other free training offering CE credit. Thanks for reading!
For clinicians working in or interested in Addiction, here is training offered by NAADAC:
For clinicians working in or interested in Addiction, here is training offered by NAADAC:
http://links.mkt1408.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MzYyNjQwMTIS1&r=NjY2Nzg5MDMwMQS2&j=OTQxNTM0MTgS1&mt=1&rt=0
For those working with the military or clinicians hoping to move into this area:
Reliable Resource: Army OneSource Adds Training Programs with CEs
Army OneSource has launched the next leg of their Behavioral Health Focus, "Treating the Invisible Wounds of War." Counselors are invited to join other professional caregivers in a series of free training opportunities designed to increase awareness and sharpen skills at working with enlisted service members, veterans, and their families.
The Treating the Invisible Wounds of War course topics now include:
Part 1 - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Part 2 – Traumatic Brain Injury
Part 3 – Issues of Women Returning from Combat
From your browser, click here and follow these directions:
Step 1: Click on New Users tab at the top of the screen.
Step 2: Create a personal user account following the instructions on the screen. In order to activate the course for an interested individual or group, utilize the course access code denoted below. NOTE: Be sure to enter your Army OneSource referral code of AOSWATRA in the space provided.
Step 3: Login to the system using your new id and password.
Step 4: Click on Courses tab at the top of the screen.
Step 5: Select a course you wish to complete.
Step 6: Click on Register.
Be certain to complete all of the required modules in order to receive full credit. Once you complete a course, your CE credit will be recorded, and you will have access to download and print a Certificate of Completion.
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