There Is No Need to Have a Budget or Business Plan

2019 ◽  
pp. 76-80
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E. Barnett ◽  
Jeffrey Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Private Practice ◽  
Business Plan ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Mental Health Clinicians ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
The Many ◽  
And Training

The business of mental health practice may be quite complex and for those without education and training in the business of practice, it may seem quite daunting. Failure to approach the private practice of mental health from a business perspective may doom one’s practice to failure. This chapter addresses the role of a business plan, explains how it is used, and describes the essential elements that guide practitioners in making decisions relevant to the structuring and running of their practice. The importance of preparation and a detailed business plan, as well as an accompanying budget, is explained. The ways in which such tools can assist mental health clinicians to appropriately plan for and address the many structural, financial, and other challenges that commonly arise in the course of running a business are discussed. Practical strategies and concrete suggestions are offered to help mental health practitioners develop and maintain a financially viable private practice.

Client Records Should Be Destroyed Once the Client Leaves Treatment or Dies

2019 ◽  
pp. 134-140
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E. Barnett ◽  
Jeffrey Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Private Practice ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Professional Relationship ◽  
Treatment Needs ◽  
Legal Obligations ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Assessment And Treatment

Knowing what to do with client records can be a challenge for mental health practitioners. Those in private practice will need to make these decisions themselves given that they cannot rely on a records office or some other entity found in many agencies and hospitals. This chapter addresses each mental health practitioner’s ethical, legal, and clinical obligations with regard to assessment and treatment records when the professional relationship ends. How to store records, when and how to destroy them, confidentiality requirements, and legal obligations are each addressed. Further, the role of treatment records beyond one’s work with clients is explained to assist clinicians in best meeting former clients’ ongoing mental health treatment needs. The importance of maintaining treatment records as a risk management strategy should complaints be received at a later date is explained.

scholarly journals Forensic Mental Health Practitioners’ Use of Structured Risk Assessment Instruments, Views About Bias in Risk Evaluations, and Strategies to Counteract It

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kamorowski ◽  
Corine de Ruiter ◽  
Maartje Schreuder ◽  
Karl Ask ◽  
Marko Jelicic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Blind Spot ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Forensic Mental Health ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Bias Blind Spot ◽  
And Training

The use of structured risk assessment instruments (SRAIs) has increased significantly over the past decades, with research documenting variation between countries. The use of SRAIs, their perceived utility and potential for mitigating bias in forensic risk evaluations (FREs) was investigated in a survey of Dutch forensic mental health practitioners (N = 110) We found generally positive views regarding SRAI utility. Bias in FREs was of concern to respondents. We found no evidence of a bias blind spot (the belief that oneself is less prone to bias than peers/colleagues). SRAIs were rated as the most effective debiasing strategy, but respondents also endorsed introspection. There were few differences in beliefs about sources of bias or debiasing strategies between respondents who had bias training and those who had not, suggesting the need for development of effective strategies to mitigate bias and training related to bias in FREs.

Practitioner Perspectives on Animal-Assisted Counseling

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig ◽  
Quinn Koelfgen Smelser
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Survey Instrument ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Clinical Issues ◽  
Training And Supervision ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Education Training ◽  
And Training

The field of animal-assisted counseling (AAC) is burgeoning. However, there is a paucity of research on the perspectives of mental health practitioners regarding its practice and the experience and training needed to effectively utilize AAC with clients. The purpose of this study was to explore how practitioners perceive AAC and its role in clinical settings. Perceptions of 300 mental health practitioners were assessed using a researcher-developed survey instrument. Findings indicated that a majority of practitioners (91.7%) view AAC as a legitimate counseling modality. Practitioners identified client age ranges and the top five clinical issues that would benefit from AAC. While only 12.0% of respondents had received training in AAC, 57.0% of respondents reported interest in receiving AAC training. Respondents identified types of AAC education, training, and supervision that would be sufficient for clinicians to utilize AAC. The findings from this study contribute to the emerging literature on AAC.

Working with relatives and friends

2019 ◽  
pp. 229-236
Author(s):  
Nicki Moone
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Inpatient Ward ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
The Impact

Working with relatives and carers on inpatient wards demands careful consideration and reflection on how best to adapt practice to meet their needs, working in partnership as stipulated by national policy and practice guidelines. Making all staff ‘carer aware’ means having a systematic approach to building on carers’ strengths and addressing their needs. The role of mental health practitioners in an acute inpatient ward requires a specific set of skills and values when working alongside carers and consideration of the impact that the caring role has had. Attention to best practice, guidance, and protocols go some way to addressing the need to be carer inclusive.

Documentation and Record Keeping Are Burdens to Be Completed as Quickly as Possible

2019 ◽  
pp. 117-122
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E. Barnett ◽  
Jeffrey Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Legal Obligations ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Care Information ◽  
Clinical Records

Documentation and record keeping are not known as the most enjoyable aspects of being a mental health clinician. Yet, as this chapter explains, they play a vital and important role in meeting one’s ethical and legal obligations. Further, it is explained how timely, thorough, effective documentation can help mental health practitioners to fulfill their obligation to provide the highest possible quality of care. Information is also provided on how clinical records may be needed in the future, and the risks associated with minimal or absent documentation. The role of documentation as a risk management strategy, to meet legal requirements, and to assist in providing high-quality care are each addressed. Specific guidance is provided on the needed components of effective documentation.

At This Stage of My Career Paying for Supervision or Consultation Is Just Ridiculous

2019 ◽  
pp. 71-75
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E. Barnett ◽  
Jeffrey Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Health Profession ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Mental Health Clinician ◽  
Mental Health Profession ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Senior Clinician ◽  
Health Practitioners

It is easy to assume that being licensed to practice a mental health profession independently renders one competent to manage effectively every clinical challenge that comes one’s way. Whether novice or experienced senior clinician, all mental health practitioners face clinically challenging situations, ethical dilemmas, and legally perplexing situations in the course of assessing and treating clients. This chapter explains the role of expert consultants in these situations and how they may save one significant money, time, and stress in the long run. Further, this chapter highlights the types of situations during which consultation and supervision may be especially helpful. Guidance is provided on how to know when this type of support and assistance is needed or may be beneficial, both to the client and to the mental health clinician, and how best to utilize it.

scholarly journals Culturally Sensitive PTSD Screening in Non-Western Youth: Reflections and Indications for Mental Health Practitioners

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (Special_Issue_1) ◽  
pp. i151-i161
Author(s):  
James Michael Perry ◽  
Camilla Modesti ◽  
Alessandra Talamo ◽  
Giampaolo Nicolais
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
The World ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Translation And Validation

Abstract Children around the world are exposed to traumatic events and research confirms that cultural factors play a central role in the psychological experience of trauma and the manifestation of symptoms in trauma and stress-related disorders. The DSM-5 and ICD-11 call on practitioners to consider the role of culture and context in the manifestation, assessment, and treatment of mental health disorders. This article analyzes peer-reviewed literature involving youth and adolescent PTSD screening in non-Western contexts, revealing only few instruments that have undergone validation for cultural contexts outside those for which they were developed. Studies that include cultural validation show marked differences in methodology and conceptual framework for adaptation, translation, and validation, and disagreement on the scale and scope of tools necessary to assess the impact of trauma in non-Western youth. The discussed studies reveal a need to debate a uniform methodology for cultural adaptation and validation of PTSD screening instruments.

Fitness and Competency Issues in Canadian Criminal Courts: Elucidating the Standards for Mental Health Professionals

1994 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 198-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E. Whittemore ◽  
James R.P. Ogloff
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Legal Issue ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Criminal Courts ◽  
Criminal Proceedings ◽  
Legal Proceedings ◽  
Health Practitioners

The issue of competency arises at various stages of criminal proceedings in an effort to protect those individuals who are unable to participate in the legal process. The competency question is a legal issue ultimately decided by a judge. However, mental health professionals are often called upon to provide insight into an individual's level of competence. To date, the standards by which an individual is found competent have remained far from clear. This creates a problem for clinicians who are requested to make competency evaluations. This article addresses the competency issues as they arise at various stages of legal proceedings in order to determine the standards that are applied by the courts. Furthermore, given the importance placed on mental health evaluations of competency, the role of mental health practitioners will be addressed as it pertains to the competency question at each juncture in the criminal justice system.

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