Laws and Rules in State Licensing and Public Policy Essay Example Essay Example

Laws and Rules in State Licensing and Public Policy Essay Example Paper Laws and Rules in State Licensing and Public Policy Essay Introduction Laws and Rules in State Licensing and Public Policy Laws and Rules in State Licensing and Public Policy Essay Body Paragraphs Alabama The state of Alabama has specific laid down guidelines on how to recruit professional counselors. The Alabama Recovery Center is the main health facility that offers mental health treatment in the state of Alabama and works closely with the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling (ABEC) that conducts counseling examinations within the state. The requirements for counselor certification and licensure are different and are outlined based on educational background and the professional experience of the applicant. A).The Scope of Counseling and the Criteria for Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor According to Alabama Recovery Center (2012), the types of counseling offered in Alabama deal with chronic pain, substance abuse, marriage/couples, grief and loss, abuse/trauma, depression, Fibromyalgia and anxiety. In chronic pain counseling, the Alabama Recovery Center provides individual and group pain counseling with the help of the Behavioral Science Department of Alabama Pai n Center. Substance abuse counseling is divided into three phases namely intensive outpatient program, after care and custom care. According to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling (2012), the requirements for one to be recognized as a licensed professional counselor in the state of Alabama are: A pass score in one countrywide counselor examination. Either the NCE or the NCMHCE. A post graduate degree in counseling, family therapeutics, community service and any psychological subject attained from a recognized institution. Non-refundable application fee of $200.00 payable to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling and a recent photograph. Course of study form sent directly from relevant educational institution. 2 recommendations from clinical counseling supervisors. Attained 3000 hours of master’s supervised knowledge in trained counseling done over one year supervised by a psychology expert, or a licensed professional counselor done for at least 100 hours. Finis h 60 master’s session hours in counseling at a recognized college or university within the state. B).Distinction between Licensure, Certification and Accreditation a). Certification Certification is the first process through which the competence of counseling students is recognized. After certification, the student counselor can legally adopt the title of a certified counselor. In the state of Alabama, counselor certification is carried out by the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling that is delegated by the governor of Alabama. b). Licensure This is a way of regulating the standards of certified counselors. Licensure is different from state to state unlike certification that is standard across all states. Counseling institutions also have to be granted licenses to legalize their operations. Licenses can be revoked in cases where the counselor or counselor training institutions are found to be acting in violation of professional counseling guidelines. c). Accreditation Th rough this process, institutions that educate counselors are recognized by higher organizations and issued certificates (CACREP 2013).Examples of national accrediting bodies include Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Examples of accredited counseling institutions in the state of Alabama include Alabama State University, Auburn University, South University-Montgomery, Faulkner University, Jacksonville State University and Gadsden State Community College. C). Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Licensed Professional Counselors in Alabama The Alabama Counseling Association code of ethics is divided into eight main chapters that address counseling relationship, confidentiality, privileged communication and privacy, professional responsibility, relationships with other professionals, evaluation, assessment and interpretation, su pervision, training and teaching, research and publication and resolving ethical issues. The counseling relationship section outlines the primary responsibility of the counselor, describes counseling plans, discourages any form of discrimination, sexual intimacy with client or colleague and defines client rights. The confidentiality section describes client right to privacy, groups and families, minor or incompetent clients and consultation. The professional responsibility chapter describes professional competence, advertising and soliciting clients, credentials and responsibility to other professionals. The chapter on evaluation, assessment and interpretation describes the competence to use and interpret tests, informed consent, test selection and test construction. Training and supervision describes roles of counselor educators (Alabama Counseling Association 2010). Standards of practice are described in the code of ethics as representing minimal behavioral statements of the code of ethics. Standard of Practice one (SP-1), is about avoiding harm to clients, Standard of Practice two (SP-2) emphasizes on nondiscrimination .The last Standard of Practice, (SP-56) is about cooperation with investigative committee. D). the Concept of Core Provider Status The core provider is the professional entity allotted the task of equipping a facility or group of facilities with vital operating materials and services. This concept is usually employed by companies, organizations or institutions that require periodical provisions of different materials to be able to run smoothly. Among this wide variety of institutions are medical institutions that require consistent provision of drugs and medical tools and materials to be able to dispense their services to patients. This concept has enabled health institutions to operate for long periods without stopping because there are usually enough materials needed to run these facilities. When there is a shortage of a particular material , the core provider is notified in time so that they are able to acquire the material and deliver it to the health institution in time. Some health institutions core providers, depending on their capacity, provide materials to more than one institution therefore enhancing the efficiency of health facilities. With such consistent, reliable provision of materials to health facilities, most if not all health facilities are able to operate for a whole year without having to shut down because of insufficient materials. This consequently buffers the accessibility of health services to citizens. The task of funding mental health services has for a long time been a responsibility of the American government. Over the years, private providers have also come aboard to supplement provisions made by the government to mental health facilities. Public sector financing for mental health services include Medicaid, Medicare and other public programs initiated by the government. On the other hand, pri vate sector funding includes private insurance coverage, out-of-pocket payment and other private sources initiated by the stakeholders in the private sector. There are some interactions between these providers. Examples of these interactions are public-private interactions, public payer interactions and behavioral and social services interactions (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured 2011). E). Public Policies of Mental Health Services Because mental challenges affect may people in the United States, it is crucial that efficient policies are made to govern the operations of mental health facilities. Public policies should be created with the sole aim of bettering the services provided to people with mental challenges. Results of a research conducted by mental health analysts have suggested that improving the social conditions of people does eliminate the chances of mental problems by a huge percentage. Those at most risk of being mentally challenged are the people who are ranked lowest in financial capability. Consequently, better living conditions translate to better mental health status. Policy makers on mental health should urge the government to improve the social well being of people as the first attempt towards reducing the occurrence of mental health problems. Education, housing, income and poverty levels should be critical pointers to mental health public policy formulators. Public policies, mainly formulated by the government, should ensure that the available funding is channeled first towards those in low-income brackets. Mental health policy makers should also create a direct link with educational institutions to first improve standards of education in a bid to improve the mental capabilities of pupils and students. In ensuring that the proper policies are made towards solving mental health problems, advocacy has to be embraced in exposing the current statistics of mental health problems and how these figures can be reduced. The gener al components of advocacy in mental health policy formulation are awareness-raising, information, education and training provision, mutual help, counseling, mediating between and defending mental health patients. In conclusion, professional counseling in Alabama is at an advanced stage with efficient structures and institutions in place. Counselors conduct their duties within the limits of the professional counselors’ codes of ethics and other stipulations put in place by national associations. Advocacy is important in decoding general misconceptions about mental health problems. References Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling. (2012). Application to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling. In Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling. Retrieved from http://www.abec.alabama.gov/LPC.htm Alabama Counseling Association. (2010). Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. In Alabama Counseling Association. Retrieved from http://www.alabamacounseling.org/ethics.html Alabama Recovery Center. (June 2, 2012). Our Services. In Covenant Health Centers.Retrieved from http://www.covenanthealthcenters.com/alabama-recovery-center/our-services/ Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs .(2013) What is Accreditation.Accreditation Basics.In Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Retrieved from http://www.cacrep.org/index.cfm/what-is-accreditation The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. (April 2011). Mental Health Financing in the United States. A Primer. Washington. The Kaiser Family Foundation. 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