Child & Adolescent Mental Health: the Right Career at the Right Time

July 5th, 2008 by admin Leave a reply »
Child & Adolescent Mental Health: the Right Career at the Right Time

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an estimated two-thirds of the young people who need mental health services aren’t getting them. The time is now for a career in child and adolescent mental health.

Mental Health Career Profile
Establish and maintain interpersonal relationships, discover private, and very often hidden, information, and then use that information to potentially save someone’s life. If you believe a meaningful career is about more than just a paycheck, mental health could your profession. With a growing population and the identification of new disorders, the field is ripe for growth and discovery.

Child and adolescent mental health services typically focus on a variety of mental, emotional, and substance abuse issues kids experience daily. This may mean working with patients as individuals or in group settings in order to find answers to developmental difficulties. Working environments may include hospitals, clinics, schools, as well as mental health facilities.

A Career at the Competitive Edge
Why mental services? In a word, diversity. One of the primary benefits of a career in this profession is that you’re typically not restricted to a predictable track. There are multi-level tiers that cater to a variety of interests and education levels. Many of the niches overlap, which can allow you to explore your preferences. A few of your options include:
• psychiatry occupational therapy
• clinical psychology
• psychiatric nursing
• social services
• psychotherapy
• language development

Flexibility is another key benefit. A surprising percentage of mental health professionals are self-employed, working within their own established practice or as a freelance consultant. Because mental health is such an in-demand profession, graduates may find that they can create their own schedules, deciding when and how much to work based on their own professional and personal obligations.

Mental Health in the Numbers
When most people think of mental health, the psychologist usually comes immediately to mind. And it can be a good place to start when looking at the growth potential in the field of child and adolescent mental health. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that psychologists alone held 166,000 positions in 2006. And employment of psychologists projected to increase by 15 percent through 2016–that’s faster than the national average. Also, psychologists working in elementary and secondary schools enjoyed one of the higher annual mean salary levels at $66,040.

To Follow This Career Path
While all professionals in the mental health field typically possess a bachelor’s degree in a pertinent subject, students wishing to be competitive for the top jobs should pursue a specialist’s or doctoral degree in psychiatry, psychology, or counseling. For example, if you have your sights set on serving in an educational setting, a specialist (EdS) degree in school psychology traditionally requires 3 years of full-time graduate study plus a 1-year full-time internship.

The requirements for potential psychologists are usually more stringent. Geri Fox, Director of Psychiatry Undergraduate Medical Education with the University of Illinois at Chicago, encourages board certification by completing two years of child and adolescent psychiatry training in addition to earning board certification in general psychiatry.

Here this nice Video about mental health

Back Ass Crazy Mental Health System, Mind Control Report Be My Friend on MySpace www.myspace.com Do we have a back ass crazy mental health system in modern psychology and psychiatry? The system concentrates on insanity and mental disorders instead of actual mental health. Abraham Maslow approached the problem of the human mind from a completely different angle. Related Video Mind Control, Psychology of Brain Washing, Sex & Hypnosis www.youtube.com MK-Ultra, CIA Mind Control & Brain Washing …

Find your answer for your own question related to mental health

What mental health services could you benefit from?
Hi, I'm conducting an informal survey for mental health services, my question is, if you were to receive counseling or assistance from a mental health services provider, what would you want? For example if you are depressed, what kind of attention/care would you hope to get? I appreciate your time. Thanks!

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52 comments

  1. dlthompson06 says:

    I get the feeling you are a relative or the other parent, so if this is a personal case, I understand why you are concerned. Unfortunately, I am not sure about legal recourse or what legal options you may have, it is an unusual situation. I am sure it probably depends on your relation to the child and may be influenced by state laws.

    However, learning a bit more about special education law will probably help you out. Look for information online about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504. One thing that may make you feel better is to understand that under IDEA/Section 504, a child with epilepsy must be provided with provisions to help him or her succeed in school, in the "least restrictive environment." Even for most children that actually have epilepsy, this will usually not consist of a self contained classroom, but may include some extra help or attention. Obviously if this child has been functioning fine in normal classrooms up to this point, the school will not pull him/her out of regular classes just because of this false diagnosis. My guess would be that most schools would just include extra support in case he or she needs it. Thus, just because a child is "in special education" or has an IEP, it does not mean that the child will be isolated or pulled from regular classes.

    The only time that any child is not mainstreamed is when he or she cannot learn in a regular classroom. Thus, if this child truly has no disability, it would be unlikely (and against IDEA, as well as unethical) for the school to place the child in a separate classroom, even with a false diagnosis. So, if this is your fear, it seems very unlikely. Either way, if you are the other parent or have some rights to this child, it may be beneficial to try and attend the IEP meeting so you can have some input and better understand what the plan is.

    To learn what provisions are made for children diagnosed with epilepsy: http://www.epilepsy.com/info/family_kids_education

  2. jaynic72 says:

    You talk openly and honestly. I told my then 5 yr old that it was not appropriate to touch herself in the living room while watching cartoons. I explained masturbation, and that it is a private thing and she needs to close her bedroom door if she wants to do it, because it's not appropriate for others to see it. She told me what time that she closed her door because she was proud she was following the rules.

    She is now 7, and she doesn't do it at all. I imagine she was just curious about her body when she was 5, because that's way to young. Using the same open method, talk to your kid and let her know what is and isn't appropriate so that she can unlearn some of the stuff she learned. Teach her to respect her body and that it belongs to her and only her.

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