ABSTRACT
Qualified clinical mental health counselors offer a full range of counseling services including assessment and diagnosis, psychotherapy, treatment planning, brief and solution focused therapy, substance abuse treatment, psychoeducational and prevention programs, and crisis intervention and management. Clinical mental health counselors are likely to work with diverse populations of individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan in clinics, private practice, non-profit and for-profit agencies, homes, schools, colleges and universities, and the workplace. Counselors working in private practice, clinical mental health, and other community-based settings rely on strategies of collaboration, consultation, advocacy, empowerment, and prevention to assist clients. Even with this focus, counselors must be prepared to work within confines of managed care system and clinical mental health agencies and be able to provide comprehensive assessment, diagnoses, and treatment strategies. Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited programs preparing clinical mental health counselors must also demonstrate focus on assessment and diagnosis as part of curricular experiences of counseling students.
