Why you Need to Know the Difference Between Mental Health Services

If you or a loved one has made the decision to seek help, it can be daunting searching the options available. While I recommend seeking help before you hit a boiling point, the truth of the matter is that it’s not always possible!

My Help Connect was made with the vision that more than one category is needed to get individuals the information they need. This platform brings together providers from twelve key domains, but if you don’t know how those domains are different, it doesn’t do much good, does it? So let’s break it down! Below are the twelve key categories featured on My Help Connect and what they can offer you:

1. Therapy: Psychotherapy offers a one on one individualized treatment approach that most commonly occurs on an outpatient level of care at 1x per week. Outpatient is considered the lowest level of care in mental health care, meaning the person receiving services has been assessed to be appropriate to receive a minimum of support. That being said, therapy is in no way a small amount of support. One-on-one therapeutic work is powerful, and finding the right provider to tailor to your specific needs is crucial. There are multiple specialties in this field, and ways of conducting therapy, that range from traditional talk therapy, somatic based therapies (body-based), or trauma-focused. Most therapists are equipped to diagnose mental health disorders, but may not be able to offer help on every mental health disorder - that’s why finding a therapist that offers specialities in your needs is key. Therapy offers additional support in times of need, but would not be appropriate as the only resource for an individual needing more than 1-2 hours per week in support.
2. Psychiatry: Psychiatrists are medical doctors, typically an M.D. or D.O., who specialize in mental health and substance use disorders. Psychiatrists have the ability to assess a wide range of symptomatology in both physical and mental aspects of psychological problems. While psychiatrists are equipped to provide psychotherapy and assessment, which they do during the process of diagnosing, the major difference is that psychiatrists can provide psychotropic medication in the treatment of mental health disorders. Depending on the psychiatrist you decide to choose, you may find sessions are typically shorter than traditional therapy and focus around symptom management through medication.
3. Testing & Assessment: Overall assessment will be found in both therapeutic, psychiatric, and case management services. Assessment is needed to understand the full scope of why an individual is seeking services; you can compare it to giving a full health & history background when going to a new doctor. In order to guide the scope of treatment, past information is needed to make the best decisions for your care. More specialized testing & assessment is available by specific providers to help you independently understand how to guide treatment from that point. There are certain psychologists, therapists and doctors who have specialized training in areas such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, learning disabilities, and other mental health areas. When looking for the most direct path to diagnosis, testing and assessment specialists are the way to go.
4. Treatment Centers: Treatment centers can cover a wide range of specialities, the most common being substance use disorders, mental health disorders, and eating disorders. Treatment centers exist on a spectrum of care which evaluates clients to ensure they are placed in the care they need. Examples include residential or inpatient centers where clients may live on site for a period of time, partial hospitalization programs which offer six hours of care per day for up to five days a week, and intensive outpatient programs which offer a minimum of nine hours of care per week. These programs are perfect for someone requiring more acute care, and the range of services offered in these programs includes individual therapy, group therapy, medication management, and case management. A prime indicator of positive outcomes in treatment is length of stay, so titrating down these levels of care to ensure you have the most time in treatment as possible is key.
5. Sober Living: Sober living is exactly as it sounds, a living environment in which clients seeking sobriety & structure can live with others who are doing the same thing. Sober living facilities range in services offered, but typically there are routine drug and alcohol screenings, requirements for employment, encouragement of community support groups, and curfews. These facilities are a perfect solution for someone who is looking to gain accountability and radically alter their living environment in order to support their substance use recovery.
6. Case Management: Think of case management as providing access to services that you can “wrap your arms around”. While therapists and psychiatrists are working with more intangible concepts, such as emotional regulation, communication skills and family dynamics, case managers are providing clients with the physical resources needed to be successful in the real world. Services offered typically include a vast knowledge of community resources, filing for disability services, FMLA, food support or unemployment, vocational & educational support, and so much more. Case managements are typically referred to as the “safety net” for mental health clients, as they spot and address issues that may cause clients to fall through the cracks.
7. Intervention: Intervention and Interventionist services are available to help clients make choices about entering into substance use recovery and treatment. Equally important is their role in helping families understand addiction and begin the healing process, regardless of the clients’ choice to accept help. An interventionist is necessary in providing education to the client, including extensive knowledge of referral sources to connect clients to the most appropriate care. They also serve as a bridge to the family’s recovery, helping them understand substance use behaviors, reactions to those behaviors, and how to navigate relationships with the substance user in the future.
8. Transport Services: Transport services are a logistical and critical part of allowing clients to access the resources they need. It is how it sounds - how do I or my loved one have the transportation to and from necessary recovery resources? These services can be offered by recovery coaches, treatment programs or peer recovery specialists. It is often an unthought of component to receiving well-rounded care, but vital to ensuring clients have both accountability to services and means to attend them.
9. Coaches & Companions: Coaches and companions work with clients to give them access to a very individualized approach towards treatment, typically with more flexibility and availability than therapists, psychiatrists or case managers. As coaches operate under different certification standards than other providers, it provides an opportunity to meet clients more frequently, help keep accountability to mental health or recovery goals, while also helping clients access different critical resources and connections to make the change they are seeking. Coaches and companions specialize in a range of services, from substance use recovery support to deepening your sense of purpose. Coaches are available to help clients tap into the power they already have inside.
10. Consultants: If coaches are there to help clients tap into their own answers, consultant’s hold the answers that clients are looking for. Consultant’s have an area of expertise that clients wish to learn, and typically are for providers who wish to strengthen and heighten their depth of knowledge and application of that knowledge. Think of it as a mentor/mentee relationship, teaching skills, tools or knowledge of a specific trade.
11. Legal Services: Legal services can range from handling pending legal problems to offering advocacy for those in need. These services are necessary to clear space for a person to recover in all areas. Navigating legal issues is not something clients should be doing alone. Specific legal support such as advocacy, disability rights, or pending criminal/civil matters needs to be handled by appropriate parties. These legal services provide relief and focus which could not be obtained alone.
12. Support Groups: Support groups are best known in substance use recovery circles. These groups offer community and social support from peers who can understand the struggles clients are faced with. Support groups may be held by licensed therapists, coaches, treatment centers, or within the community (think 12 steps). Having the realization that you are not the only person who has felt a specific way can be a light in the dark. Other types of support groups include topics of grief, mental health, illness and more. The best thing about support groups is the wide array of types to choose from, most of which are free to all.
    

It may be that when looking for these resources, there’s an urgency that pushes individuals to believe the first pitch for help that comes their way. I want you to feel empowered in understanding how these resources can serve you and ones you love. Additionally, these are not the only resources available to you! Continue to do your homework and find the tools you or your loved one need to begin on a recovery journey.

You can follow more of Alexa's insight on Instagram @yoursadtherapist

My Help Connect is a verified, independent & factual community for providers & clients created to easily find the best help possible. Connect with My Help Connect's message through multiple platforms:

Instagram: @myhelpconnect

Facebook: My Help Connect

LinkedIn: Company Page & Member Page

Twitter: @myhelpconnect