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Clinical Mental Health. The assignment is designed to introduce you to a day in the life of a clinical mental health counselor or marriage and family therapist.  In addition to your interview, you should also listen to the lecture, review supplemental materials, and use the rubrics as guides to help you complete the assignment. This assignment will count toward your final grade and is worth 200 points.

Directions

Early in the course, arrange for a phone or in-person interview with a clinical mental health counselor in your area. Be sure to select an LMFT, LPC or LMHC, depending on your state license, and NOT a LCSW, Psychologist, or Psychiatrist. If you have any questions about the credentials of your interviewee, be sure to discuss them with your professor early in the course. You should arrange to speak to the professional counselor for thirty minutes to an hour. You will be discussing the work setting (its mission and goals, organization and structure, clients served, etc.) and his or her position and job duties.

The content of your interview with this professional should allow you to answer the questions below. An exact typed transcript of your interview is not required for this assignment. It is expected that you will present their responses in narrative format to make the points reflected in your paper. Clinical Mental Health.  You may find that you use some direct quotes but will essentially be sharing your impressions from the interview in your paper. The paper will be written using APA (7th edition) formatting.

Interview Questions

Part 1: The Organization (level one heading)

1. What is the name of the organization?
2. What is its mission and primary goals?
3. Who does it serve?
4. What services and programs does it provide?
5. What is the administrative structure of the organization?
6. What other types of professionals are employed in this organization?
7. How is it funded? What Insurance does the organization accept?
8. What types of opportunities for staff development are available?
9. How does it determine its clients’ needs and how does it evaluate its services and programs?

Part II: The Person (level one heading)

1. What is the professional counselor’s job title?
2. What does he or she do/ types of services or programs offered?
3. What does a typical day look like? (number and types of clients, administrative activities)
4. What are the challenges of the counselor’s position?
5. What are the benefits of the counselor’s position?
6. What types of knowledge and skills are critical to performing well in this job?
7. How does the counselor think his/her workday is similar to or different from other mental healthcare professionals who work with the same client population?
8. What are some of the things the counselor does as a mental health counselor that he/she never expected to do?
9. What does the professional counselor do to prevent burnout?
10.  What insurance panels does the individual use for reimbursement?

* In your career as a mental health provider, you may be expected to join insurance panels in order to receive reimbursement from insurance companies that cover your clients, including filing for Medicaid reimbursement.

Part III: Reflection- (level one heading)

Clinical Mental Health. Reflect on the process of becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist or clinical mental health counselor and managed care provider. What have you learned as the result of this information-gathering activity? What challenges do you foresee? Your paper should be written in APA format and be 8-10 pages in length, not counting title and reference pages.