Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialist in Integrated Behavioral Health Care
Who is this for?
Candidates for this specialist partner with medical professionals and employ their behavioral health skills to reduce the high rates of comorbidity and mortality experienced by individuals with mental disorders. This medical and behavioral health care alliance improves services for patients by treating coexisting physiological and mental health related issues. Working as members of multi-disciplinary treatment teams, CMHC specialists provide holistic behavioral health interventions in order to alleviate emotional and mental distress as well as increase physical health and wellness.
What does this credential represent?
The AMHCA Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialist in Integrated Behavioral Health Care Counseling establishes the clinical mental health counseling knowledge and skills necessary to support and integrate with medical services. Integrated health care is the systematic coordination of behavioral health care with primary medical services. In order to achieve comprehensive patient health outcomes, Clinical Mental Health Counselors (CMHCs) with this AMHCA Credential use their unique perspective of treatment as well as prevention, wellness, and personal growth to coordinate care with medical providers and other health care professionals.a possess the knowledge and skills to work with medical providers, other health professionals, state agencies, and third-party payers to ensure superior patient health care outcomes.
Successful applicants will be awarded a certificate, and may refer to themselves as a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialist or CMHC Specialist (e.g., CMHC Specialist–Integrated Behavioral Health Care).
Pricing
$150 (digital and print certificate)
Renewal
$50 (digital and print certificate)
Renewal
Valid for 2 years from issue date
Complete Requirements
Be a Clinical Member of AMHCA
Have completed all of the licensing requirements as defined by the respective state and have been awarded the license to practice independently. As an independent practitioner, the applicant must have practiced independently for a minimum of three years after completing all state licensure requirements.
To be recognized as a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialist, the applicant must complete all of the following requirements for each area of specialization (A, B, C, D):
- Complete professional development in each specialist area by at least 90 hours of professional development specifically related to the specialist area. These 90 hours must be documented by the date, course title, and number of course hours. Please note the following criteria:
- One completed post-master’s degree graduate semester credit hour is equal to 15 professional development hours.
- Presentation hours specifically and primarily related to the specialist area can be counted for up to 60 hours of the required professional development hours.
- Graduate courses taught by the applicant specifically and primarily related to the specialist area can be counted for up to 60 hours (a graduate semester hour taught equals 15 contact hours).
- At least 15 of the 90 professional development hours must be earned within the past five years.
- Only professional development hours completed within the past 15 years will be counted toward meeting the specialist training requirement.
- All professional development hours must be completed post-master's degree in mental health counseling or a related counseling field.
- Hours used for one specialist area cannot be applied to an additional specialist area application.
- Alternatively, AMHCA members who are fully licensed for independent practice for five years in an area directly related to the specialty applied can document this license in lieu of documenting professional development hours in the specialty area (e.g., an LCMHC who is also fully licensed for five years as an LMFT can be awarded certification as a Specialist in Couples and Family Counseling).
- Applicants must complete at least 100 hours of face-to-face counseling in the specialist area.
- Applicants must attest to having completed a minimum of 10 hours of specialist supervision by a licensed mental health professional who has expertise in the area. Supervision required for independent state licensure cannot be counted toward this specialist supervision requirement.
- Applicants must attest that they have the knowledge of the ethics and standards of practice in the specialist area and will abide by all applicable codes of ethics.
- Complete application and pay fee.