About Providers

In addition to criteria that apply to all practitioners, we have established criteria specific to each professional designation. Professional designation criteria require certain levels of education and training.

Follow the links below for more information on the different types of mental health providers. It is not uncommon for mental health providers to have training in more than one of these areas.

Certified Employee Assistance Professional (C.E.A.P.)

• A Certified Employee Assistance Professional has the work experience and/or education for certification eligibility, and has passed the Employee Assistance Certification Commission (E.A.C.C.) exam, of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA)
• Certified Employee Assistance Professionals may be licensed or have a degree in another field as well, such as psychiatry, psychology, counseling or social work.
• Certified Employee Assistance Professionals practice at the employee's work site or at another location. They help employees identify issues or concerns and find solutions to address them successfully.

Clinical Nurse Specialist

• A Clinical Nurse Specialist is a licensed Registered Nurse (R.N.) with a graduate degree in nursing.
• The Clinical Nurse Specialist has advanced training in the areas of health assessment, pathophysiology or neurophysiology/biophysiology.
• In the area of psychiatry, the Clinical Nurse Specialist may also be known as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner works closely with a Psychiatrist.
• In some states, a Clinical Nurse Specialist can prescribe certain medications. In others, he or she can prescribe only under the supervision of a physician.

Clinical Social Worker

• A Clinical Social Worker has a master's or doctoral degree in Social Work (M.S.W., M.S., M.S.S.W., M.A. or A.M. in Social Work).
• L.C.S.W. (Licensed Certified Social Worker) after a person's name means that the person is licensed by the state where they offer services. In some states, Clinical Social Workers are licensed as L.I.S.W. (Licensed Independent Social Worker) or L.I.C.S.W. (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker) or CSW-C (Certified Social Worker-Clinical).
• Clinical Social Workers may have advanced credentials. The Board Certified Diplomat (BCD) www.abecsw.org or the Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW) are the two nationally recognized advance credentials in Clinical Social Work.
• Clinical Social Workers are highly trained therapists who assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional conditions and addictions. Treatment methods include individual, marital, couple, family and group counseling and psychotherapy.
• Clinical Social Workers are educated and trained to consider the situation in which their clients live and work. They also pay attention to the ways in which cultural influences affect individuals and families.
• A Clinical Social Worker can not prescribe medicines or admit people to a hospital.

Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor

• Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselors are credentialed at different levels in each state.
• The level of credential is based on education levels, work experience in providing direct treatment and supervisory experience.
• The Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor is state licensed and/or certified to provide direct services.
• A Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor is an addiction-focused professional who helps individuals and families with health and recovery.
• Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselors perform many activities including: screening, assessment and diagnosis of drug and alcohol issues, management of an individual treatment plan, individual, family, group counseling, education and prevention strategies.

Licensed Professional Counselor (L.P.C.)

• A Professional Counselor has a master's, doctoral, or post-doctoral degree in psychology or counseling.
• The letters L.P.C. (Licensed Professional Counselor), L.C.P.C (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor), or L.M.H.C. (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) indicate that a person is licensed to provide professional counseling by the state.
• Professional Counselors are trained to provide mental health counseling to individuals, couples, families, and children, including diagnosis, testing, and assessment; psychotherapy; group counseling; and lifestyle and career counseling.
• Professional Counselors consider the situation in which their clients live and work, and view clients through a wellness model.
• A Professional Counselor can not prescribe medicines or admit a person to a hospital.

Marriage and Family Therapy (L.M.F.T)

• Marriage and Family Therapists have graduate training (Master's, Doctoral, or Post-doctoral) in marriage and family therapy with additional clinical experience.
• The letters M.F.T. (Marriage and Family Therapist), L.M.F.T. (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), L.C.M.F.T. (Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist), or L.I.M.F.T. (Licensed Independent Marriage and Family Therapist) after a name indicate that the person is licensed to provide marriage and family therapy by the state.
• Marriage and Family Therapists are trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and treat a wide range of problems, including depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual psychological problems, and child-parent problems.
• Marriage and Family Therapists attend to the nature and role of individuals in primary relationship networks, such as marriage and the family, and are concerned with the long-term well-being of individuals and their families.
• Marriage and Family Therapists cannot prescribe medicines or admit people to a hospital.

Pastoral Counselor

• A Pastoral Counselor is a mental health professional with training in both mental health and theology.
• He/she typically holds a masters or doctoral degree in Pastoral Counseling, Counseling, Psychology, Social Work or Marriage and Family Therapy. Pastoral Counselors may also have a masters or doctorate degree in theology or divinity.
• Pastoral Counselors are licensed and/or certified per state requirements according to their mental health training.

Psychiatrist

• A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor or physician who has completed medical school and a multi-year residency in Psychiatry (treatment of mental illness).
• Psychiatrists are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. As physicians, they are also experts in the use of medications to treat mental disorders as well as treating these conditions with an understanding of the interplay with other medical disorders. As medical experts they also understand how different medications affect each other.
• They are able to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological disturbances.
• A Psychiatrist uses many forms of therapy to help patients change behaviors or thought patterns, explore the effects of past relationships and experiences on present behaviors to treat troubled relationships. Since Psychiatrists are medical doctors, they are able to determine the need for medical tests and medication to help adjust imbalances in body chemistry that may be part of the mental illness.
• There are several sub specialties, such as child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry.
• A Psychiatrist's medical training allows greater ability to talk with other medical specialists.

Psychologist

• A Psychologist is an individual who has completed a doctoral level degree (about 5 years of graduate school resulting in the Ph.D., or Psy.D. degrees)
• Psychologists will have a doctoral degree from an academic or professional college and generally can not prescribe medication.
• The term Psychologist is legally protected and only licensed individuals can use the term.
• Psychology is a very diverse discipline; some Psychologists are scientist-researchers, some are therapists and some become administrators. Those that specialize in therapy are called Clinical Psychologists.
• Psychologists are extensively trained therapists. They have received training in the diagnosis treatment and research of human behavior. They are also skilled in testing and other problems in mental functioning.

Ph.D.

• This is a doctoral level degree generally requiring extended graduate level university training (4-6 years after completing regular college B.A./B.S. programs).
• Clinical Psychologists will often have this degree, although the Ph.D. can be issued in many different fields and is not limited to psychology (e.g., a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, an Ed.D. in Education).
• Ph.D. means, "Doctor of Philosophy".

Psy.D.

• This is a doctoral level degree generally requiring extended graduate level university training (3-4 years after completing regular college B.A./B.S. programs).
• Psy.D. means "Doctor of Psychology".
• Some Clinical Psychologists have this degree.