Differences between Human Service Providers Vicki Foreman National Louis University Prof Practice and Ethics in Human Services HSC 511 October 23, 2011 Table of Contents Differences between Human Service Providers:3 LPC, Licensed Professional Counselor or LMHC, Licensed Mental Health Counselor:3 MSW or Master of Social Work:4 Psychiatrists:5 Clinical Psychologist:5 Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors:5 Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT):6 Mental Health Nurses:6 Life Coaching:7 Conclusion:7 References10 Differences between Human Service Providers:There are many different types of Licensed Mental Health Professionals or Human Service Providers. A ‘Counselor’ is a general term that can apply to any person giving guidance on personal, social, or psychological problems. A counselor can also apply to a person that leads a group at a children’s camp. Therefore simply being a counselor does not qualify anyone as a Mental Health Professional.
The term counselor is very board, does not require licensure and everyone within the Human Service field is considered a counselor.Licensed Mental Health Professional differs mostly in the education and training they receive. Some of those differences are as follows: LPC, Licensed Professional Counselor or LMHC, Licensed Mental Health Counselor: An LPC license can also be called a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Illinois according to the National Board for Certified Counselors. This licensing occurs at the state and national level and requires a master’s degree in counseling, 3000 hours of supervised clinical experience and passing a state licensing exam.LPC’s are regulated by federal and state laws that define the title and scope of the practice and stipulate certain client protections.
An LPC must adhere to a code of ethics on the state and national level. The state of Illinois requires passing the National Counselor Examination (NCE). Before one can take the NCE they must meet the National Board for Certified Counselors requirements which are: * Master’s degree in counseling or with a major study in counseling from a regionally accredited institution. 3,000 hours of counseling experience and 100 hours of supervision both over a two year post-master’s time period. * Post-master’s experience and supervision requirements are waived for graduate students who have completed CACREP accredited tracks.
* Passing score on NCE (State Licensure Information, 2011) Licensed Professional Counselors provide a full range of services to individuals, couples, families, adolescents and children. They practice in a variety of settings including independent practices, hospitals, social service agencies, substance abuse treatment centers, and many others.They assess and diagnose mental illness, provide psychotherapy, perform treatment planning, provide substance abuse counseling and crisis management. (Burger, 2011, p. 259) MSW or Master of Social Work: To be a Licensed Professional Social Worker also requires a graduate degree from an institution approved by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This degree requires two years of graduate study in combination with two years or 900 hours of internship or field experience and passing an exam.
A MSW focuses on helping individuals live as fully and successfully within the society.They help individuals, families and groups cope with personal problems and try to help shape society to be more sensitive and responsive to human needs. Social workers use three basic methods in the helping process: casework, group work and community organization work. Social workers function in a variety of settings which include: mental health clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, health care agencies, public and private schools, social service agencies, correctional institutions, senior citizen centers, and colleges and universities (Burger, 2011, p. 60) Psychiatrists: Psychiatrists are initially trained as medical doctors. They are the only category legally authorized to prescribe medicine.
To be a Psychiatrist one must have a bachelor’s degree, attend and pass 4 years of medical school, then go on to 4 years of residency and then pass a national exam by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. The majority of Psychiatrists work in a private practice but they also work in a clinic, hospital, conduct research, teach or occupy an administrative position.Psychiatrists are often called upon to act as experts in courts, prisons and other public and private institutions. (Burger, 2011, p. 263) Clinical Psychologist: To be a Clinical Psychologist also requires extensive training after completing an undergraduate degree, 4 years of a post graduate degree.
There are trained in one of three models: 1. Scientist-Practitioner Model of Clinical Psychology usually housed in universities. 2. Practitioner-Scholar Model of Clinical Psychology which focuses on practice similar to medicine and law degrees.
3.Clinical Scientist Model which emphasizes training in clinical research. All Clinical Psychologists are required to have 2 to 3 years of supervised experience, a certain amount of personal psychotherapy and complete a dissertation to get their PhD. Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors: An Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor must obtain a specific certification and licensure which requires educational credentialing standards and 300 hours of supervised field experience before passing a written exam. This is a specialized field that requires specialized training within the Mental Health Human Services field.To obtain the certification of Alcohol and Substance Abuse counselor is an associate’s 2 year degree and can be obtained through many junior colleges.
Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT): To be a Marriage and Family Therapist requires a specific degree with additional training requirements to specialize in Marriage and Family Therapy. A Master’s degree is required to work as an MFT with 3000 hours of supervised internship required before sitting for the licensing exam. Only after completing the education, internship and passing the state exam can one qualify as a Marital and Family therapist and work unsupervised.Mental Health Nurses: Mental Health Nurses are a fairly new and upcoming form of Mental Health Professionals that require a general nursing degree and then additional education to specialize in psychiatric nursing. They must complete a state-approved Master’s Degree which includes 600 hours of clinical service. Mental Health Nurses usually work within a hospital setting when the patient is at their highest time of distress.
They evaluate and provide care to anything from psychiatric disorders, medical mental conditions to substance abuse problems.They provide emergency psychiatric services, create treatment plans and manage patient care. They may also act as consultants to families and staff Life Coaching: Live Coaching is a brand new field of Human Service providers and as such have few federal or state guidelines. A Life Coach helps people explore their options in life and support and affirm the positive and creative in each client. As opposed to psychotherapy, coaching focuses on the future instead of the past and is strength based. It utilizes weekly homework assignments and exercises in enabling a client to reach his or her goals.
Some coach face to face but many also coach over the phone allowing them to have a broad geographic range that also gives them the flexibility to work from home or wherever they want. Life Coaches can work in private practice or within a business consultation model similar to an organizational psychologist which means they coach ‘on site’ at the work place. A Life Coach must obtain the necessary educational requirements however, this is not regulated and the options are scattered. Life coaching specialties include personal, health, relationship, spiritual, career, financial, business and many other areas.
Burger, 2011, p. 265) Conclusion: In conclusion, I see the many similarities within the board range of Human Service titles with the main difference being the educational background and type of exam each must pass. I would have to agree with the best Answer on yahoo. com (Answers. Yahoo, 2011) which states that “None of these certifications have anything to do with what happens when you are in the office.
Each therapist adopts a clinical orientation and skill set that is comfortable for them and practices from that perspective; some mix several clinical perspectives according to what they think works best.I can guarantee you that unless you are going for testing, you will not know from how the therapist behaves which degree s/he has. Just select someone you feel reasonably comfortable with and see how it goes. ” I found the following chart, taken directly from Wikipedia so interesting and informative I thought I’d share it with you: Occupation| Degree| Common Licenses| Prescription Privilege| Average Income ($US)| Psychiatrist| MD/DO| Psychiatrist| Yes| $200,000|Clinical Psychologist| PhD/PsyD| Psychologist| Varies| $75,000| School Psychologist| Doctoral Level PhD/EdD/PsyDPost-Master's Terminal Degree (not doctoral level) EdSMasters Level MA/MS| Certified School Psychology, National Certified School Psychologist| No| $78,000| Counselor/Psychotherapist (Doctorate)| PhD/EdD/DMFT| MFT/LPC| No| $65,000| Counselor/Psychotherapist (Masters)| MA/MS/MC plus two to three years of post-master's supervised clinical experience| MFT/LPC/LPA/LMHC| No| $49,000| Clinical or Psychiatric Social Worker| MSW/DSW/PhD plus two to three years of post-master's supervised clinical experience| LCSW/LICSW| No| $50,700| Social Worker (agency based master's level)| MSW/DSW/PhD| LMSW/GSW/LSW| No| $46,170| Social worker (bachelor level)| BSW| RSW, SWA, Social Work Assistant| No| $29,170| Behavior Analyst| PhD/EdD/M. S. /M.
Ed. /M. A. | LBA/LBS| No| $60,000| Psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner| MSN/DNP/PhD| MHNP/NPP| Yes| $80,711| Physician assistant| MPAS/MHS/MMS/DScPA| PA/PA-C/APA-C/RPA/RPA-C| Yes| $80,356[2]| Expressive/Art Therapist| MA| ATR/MT-BC| No| $45,000| "Professional distictions," 2011) References (2011).
What is the difference between an LCSW, LPC, MSW and PHD in a therapist? Retrieved from http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20101002175408AAcnTwZ Burger, W. R.
(2011). Human services in contemporary America (8th ed. ). : Kingsborough Community College City Univ of NY. Mental health professional.
(2011). In History of Mental Health Professionals. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://en. wikipedia.
org/wiki/Mental_health_professional State Licensure Information, National Board for Certified Counselors § et seq. (National Board for Certified Counselors and Affiliates, Inc 2011).
