Mental health services are provided by several different professions, each of which has its own training and areas of expertise. When faced with serious mental illness, finding the right professional for yourself or a loved one is a critical ingredient in the process of diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Mental Health Professionals: Who They Are
Mental health services are provided by several different professions, each of which has its own training and areas of expertise. Finding the right professional(s) for you or a loved one can be a critical ingredient in the process of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery when faced with serious mental illness.
Types of Mental Health Professionals:
- Psychiatrist – a psychiatrist is a physician with a doctor of medicine (M.D.) degree or osteopathic (D.O.) degree, with at least four more years of specialized study and training in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are licensed as physicians to practice medicine by individual states. “Board certified” psychiatrists have passed the national examination administered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Psychiatrists provide medical and psychiatric evaluations, treat psychiatric disorders, provide psychotherapy, and prescribe and monitor medications.
- Psychologist – some psychologists have a master’s degree (M.A. or M.S.) in psychology while others have a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D.) in clinical, educational, counseling, or research psychology. Most states license psychologists to practice psychology. They can provide psychological testing, evaluations, treat emotional and behavioral problems and mental disorders, and provide psychotherapy.
- Social Worker- Social workers have either a bachelor’s degree (B.A., B.S., or B.S.W.), a master’s degree (M.A., M.S., M.S.W., or M.S.S.W), or doctoral degree (D.S.W. or Ph.D.). In most states, social workers take an examination to be licensed to practice social work (L.C.S.W. or L.I.C.S.W.), and the type of license depends on their level of education and practice experience. Social workers provide various services including assessment and treatment of psychiatric illnesses, case management, hospital discharge planning, and psychotherapy.
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse – Psychiatric/mental health nurses may have various degrees ranging from associate’s to bachelor’s (B.S.N.) to master’s (M.S.N. or A.P.R.N) to doctoral (D.N.Sc., Ph.D.). Depending on their level of education and licensing, they provide a broad range of psychiatric and medical services, including the assessment and treatment of psychiatric illnesses, case management, and psychotherapy. In some states, some psychiatric nurses may prescribe and monitor medication.
- Licensed Professional Counselors – Licensed Professional Counselors have a master’s degree (M.A.) in psychology, counseling or a similar discipline and typically have two years of post-graduate experience. They may provide services that include diagnosis and counseling (individual, family/group or both). They have a license issued in their state and may be certified by the National Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors.
The difference between psychiatry and social work is important to understand. The work that psychiatrists and social workers do is very laudable. They give of themselves and help people who are in their worst circumstance to have the best outcome in life. At times, it may seem like the work that psychiatrists do and the work that social workers do is one in the same. And while there are times where both fields cross paths, there is a difference between social work and psychiatry.
What Is a Psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor. They have received extensive training on addressing mental health issues using medication. It’s easy to confuse the work that a psychiatrist does with a therapist. Therapists listen to people’s problems and talk them through the issues they are dealing with. Just about anyone can claim that they are a therapist. However, a psychiatrist has the medical degree to support their work.
What Is a Social Worker?
A social worker is also a licensed professional. Unlike a psychiatrist, a social worker has not received a doctorate, but, instead, they have received a master’s degree in social work. A psychologist or psychiatrist is going to receive training involving the structure of the human personality. A social worker will get a master’s degree in social work, and their training revolves around how societal factors will affect a person’s behavior. They also learn about the different social services and social resources that are available in the community. Many professionals get their master’s degree in social work while they are working in a different field.
The Benefits of Psychiatry and Social Work
Both psychiatrists and social workers are licensed professionals. This means that they have received standardized training. Through fieldwork and testing, they have proven that they have the skill set necessary to accomplish their job. This also means that they are confined by an ethics code. Both psychiatrists and social workers are required to receive additional training to stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and services that are available.
Both psychiatrists and social workers are given the public’s trust. The work they do has an impact on the community’s mental and emotional health. Being a social worker or psychiatrist can be mentally and emotionally taxing, but the rewards that come from doing this type of work are innumerable.
This article was written by:
Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Rachelle knows that social workers receive masters degrees in social work. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
To be a guest author on the Your Mental Health Blog, go here.
Psychiatry and psychology are overlapping professions. Practitioners in both — psychiatrists and psychologists — are mental health professionals. Their area of expertise is the mind — and the way it affects behavior and well-being. They often work together to prevent, diagnose, and treat mental illness. And both are committed to helping people stay mentally well.
But there are differences between psychiatry and psychology. And people sometimes find those differences confusing, especially when they are looking for help. To make matters even more confusing, psychiatrists and psychologists aren’t the only mental health professionals you can choose from. There are mental health counselors, social workers, nurses and nurse practitioners, and others who deal with issues of mental health. And if you consider the multiple approaches to treatment, ranging from counseling to various forms of psychotherapy, the whole mental health system begins to look like a maze that’s nearly impossible to navigate.
But here’s a guide you can use to help you make your way through that maze.
Definitions are in order for these three designations: social worker, psychologist and psychiatrist. How else will you know the answer to ‘Who ya gonna call?’ Recently the local newspaper had a front page article in the “Your Health” section called “No Room On the Couch.” I was quite happy to see this coverage, especially in light of the opioid epidemic. And I am going to say right up front there are no easy answers to this problem. The mental health profession can be draining and not particularly financially rewarding compared with other medical endeavors, but the job is unique in its reward system. By that I mean it is always interesting and challenging, and the joy received from seeing an individual make connections that lead them to live better lives is hard to describe. I get to see the lights go on! So, on to definitions, and how to decide who to call for what.
Social Worker*, Psychologist and Psychiatrist: Defined
Social Worker, MSW, LCSW
Social workers attend graduate school, usually for a two year program, and must complete an additional 2-3 years of supervised practice, and pass a national exam to achieve licensure, designated by the letters “LCSW.” In North Carolina, they must also complete 40 classroom and/or online hours of additional training every two years. LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Licensed Clinical Social Workers are specifically trained to perform psychotherapy, or ‘talk therapy.’ These mental health professionals do most of the heavy lifting in terms of 1:1 counseling in all sorts of arenas: addictions, couples counseling, anxiety of all types, depression, trauma, gender identity, etc. The primary reasons LCSW’s do most of the talk therapy, IMO, is that we are the least expensive and most available for appointments of the three categories discussed here, and we are licensed to accept insurance if we choose to do so. This will not be a popular opinion, I can assure you, but I believe it to be true. It certainly does not mean you would be shortchanged by electing this option, far from it. LCSW’s literally get the most practice at listening and sussing out what may best help a person sort out their emotions, stories, and misconceptions. We know how to hold a safe emotional space for you.
Psychologist
Psychologists attend graduate school in psychology. The American Psychological Association recognizes the doctoral degree as the minimum educational requirement for psychologists; these degrees include the Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology), or Ed.D. (Doctor of Education). Some states allow people with Master’s degrees in psychology to use the term “psychologist.” Graduate training focuses on all aspects of human behavior, with an emphasis on research and scientific methods. In some states, they can prescribe medications, but this is usually left to MD’s, Psychiatrists (who are MD’s) or Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners. Psychologists are good at testing for categories in which they specialize such as ADHD, Learning Disabilities, or mental competency. They are often called on to provide documentation for individual school education plans known as “IEP’s.” They also do talk therapy, but generally tend to have less availability for this purpose due to the time demands of evaluation, psychological testing, and writing reports to summarize their tests. A good psychologist can be invaluable to getting the right school/work accommodations for your child.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists attend medical school and earn an M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) or D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree. They can go on for additional, specialized training in psychiatry during a residency (an additional 3-4 years). Training for psychiatrists focuses primarily on biological (vs emotional or mental) aspects of mental illness. Because of their medical training, psychiatrists can prescribe medications, and their work with clients may include talk therapy combined with medications. In the real world, they have very limited time for talk therapy because of their deep knowledge of psychiatric medications and the responsibility for prescribing the most appropriate medications. You will often sea psychiatrist for less than 15 minutes for medication management. An initial appointment can be difficult to obtain, and it is typical to have to wait for a couple of months or more to get in the door. As the referenced article above states, there is a shortage, and often practices are not taking new patients. Even more importantly, it is likely that the psychiatrist’s time is consumed by the most severe cases. In this area, the psychiatrist in the article mentioned that 50% of his cases involve opioid addiction.
*There are other types of licenses for various marriage and addiction counselors not discussed above for the sake of brevity, and because the ones mentioned are predominant in North Carolina, where I practice.
So to sum up:
- See a social worker (LCSW) for counseling.
- See a psychologist for in-depth testing for a specific issue.
- See a psychiatrist for severe disorders and medication management.
- But, you can also see a psychiatric nurse practitioner (NP’s) for med management, or your primary care physician.
P.S. I’m a big fan of psychiatric NP’s–they rock. And they know their meds.
If you need help sorting out what’s bothering you, call me or shoot me an email. I’m in your neighborhood and ready to help.
