Mental Health Assessment Training
Mental health assessments are used in a variety of professional fields, and training for this job will depend on what type of assessments you are interested in performing. Most mental health assessment positions require a Master's degree at the minimum.
One type of mental health assessment is psychiatric assessment. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who takes additional training in psychiatric care. In order to become a psychiatrist, one must obtain extensive training in diagnosis, psychopharmacology, psychotherapies and other medical care issues. Following training, it is required for the psychiatrist to pass both written and oral board exams.
Another type of mental health assessment is psychology assessment. In order to be a psychologist one must have a doctorate in psychology and be trained in administering various evaluations and tests. Some of the test include: IQ tests, personality tests as well as psychopathology evaluations. If one wishes to become a member of the American Psychological Association, one must have doctoral training as well as a minimum of two years in postgraduate studies. Additionally, if one wishes to practice outside of the government or educational fields, one must hold a license in psychology. The requirements for this license vary from state to state.
A third type of mental health assessment is a master’s level assessment. This type of assessment is performed by a therapist who holds a Master’s degree. These types of therapists include marriage counselors and family counselors as well as mental health counselors. The minimal requirements to become one of these types of counselors is to complete a 60 credit Master’s degree in the mental health or counseling field.