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Providing Mental Health Services

Monday, September 14, 2009
Related Tags: services | health | clients | confidentiality | goals
 

Instructions

Accessibility

  • Step 1:
    When you provide mental health services, you should be accessible to your clients. This often means working non-standard times, like evenings and weekends. Some clients need mental health services but cannot take time away from their jobs. You will reach more people who need help if you make yourself accessible at convenient times.

Location

  • Step 1:
    You should provide mental health services in a suitable location. Client confidentiality is important, so you should meet with clients in a private office. If you're in a tight area and sound travels even with the door closed, use a white noise machine to muffle your conversations.

Treatment Plan

  • Step 1:
    Center the mental health services around the client and his needs. Do an assessment and create a treatment plan with specific, measurable goals. This plan should also include steps by which the client can meet those goals. Counseling sessions can then be centered around helping the client incorporate the steps in her life and customizing them as needed. You can measure success by comparing the client's progress against the goals.

Cost

  • Step 1:
    Some clients who need mental health services cannot afford them. If you want to help low-income clients or those without insurance, you can implement a sliding-scale fee. This means basing the cost of the mental health services on what the client can afford. You can also keep a list of low-cost or free services to which you can refer people if you cannot provide the services yourself.

Client Rights

  • Step 1:
    Respect client rights when you are providing mental health services. Counseling ethics require you to provide services to everyone, regardless of their race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability. You should explain their right to confidentiality and the specific circumstances in which you would have to break it. Give them details of your training and professional licensure, and let them know they have the right to terminate mental health services whenever they choose.

Providing Mental Health Services Provided by eHow.com
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