Roles and Responsibilities of a Behavioral Health Counselor

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The paper will summarize the roles and responsibilities of a behavioral health counselor and provide current models of wellness and resiliency. Behavioral health counselors must be able to function in a face-paced primary care environment. Wellness and Resiliency Model When working with diverse populations it is vital as counselors to consider the whole person and be sensitive to cultural norms during the delivery of treatment services (“The role,” n.d.). This process can be confusing to clients and counselors provide structure to the nature and purpose of counseling. During the assessment phase of treatment, counselors distinguish the presenting problem, nature, severity, and duration of the consumer (Gladding and Newsome, 2013). As well as assess the level of readiness and motivation for change and be knowledgeable with tasks and interventions strategies on each level of development with age, gender, cultural background, psychosocial stressors, and level of functioning. For example, resistant consumers who are court ordered to attend treatment can either enhance or detract physically, psychologically, and emotionally by physical settings. Some methods used by counselors can anticipate, accept and strengthen relationship, use persuasion, or confront the situation with resistant clients depending on counselor training (Gladding and Newsome, 2013). It is important counselors provide the most effective treatment, especially with interventions and techniques, through empirical evidence of efficacy of counseling. It is the responsibility of counselors to integrate research and practice of intervention selected coincides with standards of care. In Washington State, regional support networks are established to determine membersh... ... middle of paper ... ...l Justice Advocacy Similar?: Exploring the Perceptions of Professional Counselors and Counseling Students. Journal for social action in counseling and psychology, vol. 2(2), 106-123 Promoting and protecting healthy communities (2003). National League of Cities. Retrieved from http://www.naccho.org/advocacy/resources/upload/city-official-guide.pdf The role of the mental health counselor (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_6100580_role-mental-health-counselors.html Understanding health information privacy (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/index.html Washington State Legislature (n.d). Regional support networks. Retrieved from http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=71.24.300 Washington State Legislature (n.d.). Streamlining delivery system. Retrieved from http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=71.24.400

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