Integrated Behavioral Health Resources in Austin, TX

Often, within a given profession, people may not learn about other mental or physical health professionals or roles. This can create confusion when professionals from different disciplines try to work together. This page was created in order to provide an overview of different kinds of professionals and their training.

Social Workers – Social workers generally have a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in social work. After graduating, social workers sit for a licensing exam in order to obtain a Licensed Masters in Social Work (LMSW). After a year or two of practice supervised by a senior social worker, they can become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Social workers can obtain diverse jobs in which they work. This process usually takes around 3-5 years. Some social workers specialize in doing therapy, while others work to connect community members with various types of resources like legal services, housing, or multiple types of mental and physical health providers (this is called case management), or work for non-profit organizations aimed at providing services in communities, or become involved in efforts to improve mental health policy or advocacy for individuals with mental health difficulties.

Specialist Counselors, Clinicians, or Therapists – These individuals generally have a master’s degree, for example in counseling, or could have a more specialized degree in marriage and family therapy or addictions counseling. They generally specialize in offering direct services (such as therapy), and sometimes also provide case management. They might be Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors, or Marriage and Family Therapists, among others.

Psychologists – Psychologists must obtain a doctorate (usually a Ph.D. or a Psy.D.) in the fields of Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, or School Psychology. During that time, they usually also obtain a Master’s degree and complete 3-5 years or clinical practicums (applied work) in order to graduate. Generally, psychologists have more training in research methods and about which therapy practices are considered “evidence-based” compared to other mental health professionals, and also spend more years providing supervised therapy prior to obtaining their degree, although this varies within psychology doctorate programs. They also often have more training in psychological assessment, which involves observing patients while they are asked to do specific tasks or answer certain questions and then writing a report based on their performance. After completing 3-5 years in graduate school, they participate in a national match to obtain a “clinical internship,” a one-year residency (often in a different geographic location than they previously lived) in which they dedicate themselves completely to providing clinical work. In order to become a Licensed Psychologist, individuals must complete the doctorate, the internship year, and (in most but not all states) a post-doctoral residency in which they complete a certain number of additional supervised hours, and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). This process usually takes 6-8 years. Some psychologists have a focus in neuropsychology, or in diagnosing and treating brain disorders that affect psychological functioning, and generally spend their time doing specialized psychological testing.

Primary Care Doctors/Pediatricians – Primary care doctors, also called family doctors and general practitioners, are doctors who are trained in a wide variety of medical maladies that most commonly occur. They are usually the first doctor that sees a patient within the medical system in order to identify a problem, and for more specialized care often refer to other kinds of doctors, like psychiatrists, neurologists, and other specialty doctors. Pediatricians are also generalist doctors, but specialize in working with babies, children, and adolescents. To become a primary care doctor or pediatrician, individuals must attend medical school (to obtain either a Medical Doctor, MD, or Doctor of Osteopathy, DO) and then complete a residency in primary care or pediatrics.

Psychiatrists – Psychiatrists are doctors. After graduating from four years of medical school (an MD or DO; in which they gain expertise in learning about the various bodily systems), take a state exam to practice medicine, and then complete a four-year clinical residency in psychiatry. If they take an additional test offered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology they can become “board certified” psychiatrists. Psychiatrists have specialized training in prescribing psychotropic medications for mental health disorders, such as ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. While any prescriber (any doctor or nurse) can prescribe these medicines, psychiatrists have much more in-depth knowledge of medications for mental health conditions and other doctors often refer to psychiatrists for psychiatric medications because of their additional expertise. Usually, psychiatrists who specialize in working with children and adolescents must complete an additional fellowship after a more general psychiatry residency.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners – Nurse practitioners complete specialized training in nursing to be able to do many of the things that primary care doctors can do. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP) are Nurse Practitioners who have developed a specialty in psychiatric care and mental health, and attend a nursing program specific to that specialty. Like doctors, they can also prescribe medications, but in some states their prescribing power is limited or they must be supervised by a doctor (such as a psychiatrist). In the state of Texas, PMHNPs cannot prescribe certain ADHD medications because they are in a protected class of drugs that can only be prescribed by doctors (they can still prescribe these medications in certain hospital settings or specialized end-of-life care).

The term “therapist” or “counselor” may refer to a number of the above professionals, because indeed, any of the above people might do therapy (meeting with clients, usually for 50-minute sessions with the goal of resolving life difficulties or improving functioning in the context of mental health disorders). If the person has a “Dr.” in front of their name, they are likely a medical doctor or a psychologist. Additionally, however, it is possible to obtain doctoral degrees in social work, nursing, or pharmacy, in which case those professionals would also be referred to as “Dr.”