国外心理健康服务人员胜任特征

什么样的人具有资格担当心理健康服务人员, 这方面的研究属于心理健康服务人员胜任特征的问题。国外有关心理健康服务人员胜任特征的研究主要涉及: 核心胜任特征与特殊胜任特征、能力与胜任特征评估、胜任特征模型及其开发、心理健康服务不同具体领域的胜任特征研究, 这些研究对于改进心理健康服务人员的教育与培训、录用与管理有着重要指导作用。目前该领域研究的局限在于很少关注如何运用已确认的胜任特征去评价心理健康服务领域的学生以及从业人员。     

心理健康服务人员胜任特征与服务满意度的关系*

为考察心理健康服务人员胜任特征与服务双方满意度的关系,对分布于不同机构的心理健康服务人员及其来访者进行问卷调查。结果表明:心理健康服务人员胜任特征总分与自身服务满意度、来访者满意度均呈正相关,与自身服务满意度相关达到显著水平。胜任特征高分组心理健康服务人员自身服务满意度显著高于低分组自身服务满意度。与心理健康服务人员自身服务满意度显著相关的胜任特征条目,多数与知识、技能有关;与来访者满意度显著相关的胜任特征条目,均为来访者能感受到的与咨询关系建立有关的条目。     

Mental Health Value Differences Between Psychologists and Clergy

Mental health values of national samples of Baptist, Catholic, and Methodist clergy were compared with those previously reported for psychologists. Small differences were found on 3 of 8 value dimensions. Clergy considered untrustworthiness to be more indicative of poor mental health than did psychologists. Psychologists considered receptivity to unconventional experiences to be more indicative of poor mental health than did Catholic and Methodist clergy. Catholic and Methodist clergy considered religious commitment to be more indicative of good mental health than did psychologists.     

Working with Mental Health Service Users to Change Mental Health Services

During the last ten years in the UK, service user consultation and collaboration has gradually entered the vocabulary of people providing and purchasing mental health services. However, we are not convinced that much needed change in mental health services will be achieved as a function of increased commitment to market consumerism. We argue here that service user consultation and collaboration should take account of the effects of social inequalities on mental health and on mental health services. This perspective highlights the need for fundamental change in mental health services, and helps us to appreciate the strength of resistance to change, and to understand some of the dynamics involved. We describe here how this perspective has motivated and shaped our own efforts to collaborate responsibly with service users to change mental health services.     

Supervision Needs of Correctional Mental Health Counselors

Supervision of mental health counselors and psychologists is a developing field within psychology. Supervision models and needs are being researched and defined. Supervision for correctional mental health counselors and psychologists is an important part of correctional psychology, but has received very little research attention. There are many aspects of correctional psychology that are unique from the field of psychology as a whole; this is certainly true for supervision of correctional mental health staff. This article examines the supervision needs of correctional mental health counselors and psychologists. An application of one supervision model to correctional psychology is presented.     

Relationships between Sabbath Observance and Mental,Physical, and Spiritual Health in Clergy

Pastoral Psychology - Keeping the Sabbath, that is, setting a day apart for rest and spiritual rejuvenation, has been related to better mental health and less stress in cross-sectional studies....     

Clergy Response to Domestic Violence: A Preliminary Survey of Clergy Members,Victims, and Batterers

Although the presence of both religious organizations and violence in American communities is pervasive, scant attention has focused on how to best enroll clergy and religiously oriented resources in the battle against family violence. Given that it is not uncommon for women or couples to seek counseling or advice from clergy before accessing community-based resources, the frequency, nature, and utility of these contacts were assessed in this exploratory study from the perspectives of 47 female victims and 70 male perpetrators of domestic violence. Forty-one clergy members from various denominations were also surveyed about their contacts with those seeking help for domestic violence. Results indicated that 43% of the victims and 20% of the perpetrators did seek help from clergy. Almost all of the victims who contacted clergy reported satisfaction with the counsel they received. All clergy respondents reported counseling people who had experienced domestic violence during their career, and 80% had violence-related contacts in the past year. The service-related implications of these clergy contacts from victim, perpetrator, and clergy perspectives are discussed.     

Aetiology of Coexisting Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug Disorders: Perspectives of Refugee Youth and Service Providers

In the general population, people with comorbid mental health (MH) and alcohol and other drug (AOD) disorders (comorbidity) have great difficulty accessing appropriate services, and poor outcomes. Little is known about comorbidity in resettled refugees in Australia. This study was designed to identify risk factors and patterns of comorbidity development in young people from refugee backgrounds living in a disadvantaged urban region of Adelaide, South Australia. This qualitative study utilised in‐depth semi‐structured interviews (n = 30) with resettled refugee youth and workers from MH, AOD, and refugee support services. Thematic analyses were conducted to investigate the aetiology of MH and AOD disorders in young refugees. Interviews with both groups revealed how the interrelated nature of risk factors may place young people from refugee backgrounds at heightened risk of experiencing MH and AOD problems. The situations and conditions described by both groups are discussed under six main themes: pre‐migration experiences of torture and trauma; familial factors of intergenerational conflict; post‐migration adjustment difficulties in terms of language, culture, education, and employment; exposure to and availability of substances; maladaptive coping strategies and self‐medication; and access to information and services. Implications for psychologists and MH professionals are identified, emphasising the need for clinicians to understand the complexities surrounding the aetiology of comorbidity in these youth. The initial assessment needs to be comprehensive, including pre‐ and post‐settlement experiences and cultural and family dimensions of their current situation. Treatment may often need to simultaneously address multiple contributing factors and involve culturally sensitive psycho‐education.     

Gaps and Barriers in Services for Children in State Mental Health Plans

Significant gaps exist in children’s mental healthcare, and barriers prevent access to existing services. Current federal initiatives call for state governmental agencies to recognize and resolve deficits in their systems of care. Previous work has acknowledged some of the problems in meeting the mental health needs of children within a system of care. This current project sought to discriminate between gaps (e.g., non-existent services) and barriers (e.g., problems that prevent access to existing services) within state mental health care plans. Because acknowledging barriers and gaps in mental health services is a step towards systems improvement, the present project describes how state governments recognize the limits of their children’s mental health care systems. We analyzed state mental health plans submitted to the federal government in applications for block grant funds. Results illustrate that a varied number of gaps and barriers are acknowledged in state plans. Overall, 90% of state plans discussed barriers and 84% of state plans discussed service gaps. The gap most frequently recognized was lack of providers (74%), while lack of funding (52%) was the most common barrier. This project points to some recognition of system limits in the states and reflects potential efforts to create policies for system improvement for children and families.     

Collaboration of Churches and Service Providers: Meeting the Needs of Older African Americans

ABSTRACT

This article describes a community outreach volunteer project designed to reach frail community-based older adults. The project is an example of church and secular agency collaboration in which the church provides leadership in volunteer recruitment and the agency provides training and outreach activity monitoring. The church's role in this project illustrates that small and medium-size African American churches can play an important role in mobilizing volunteer resources and can perform a linking role in helping secular agencies to gain access to frail, hard-to-reach, low-income older adults.     

Religious Resources,Spiritual Struggles,and Mental Health in a Nationwide Sample of PCUSA Clergy

A growing body of research explores patterns and correlates of mental health among clergy and other religious professionals. Our study augments this work by distinguishing between religious resources (i.e., support from church members, positive religious coping practices), and spiritual struggles (i.e., troubled relations with God, negative interactions with members, chronic religious doubts). We also explore several conceptual models of the interplay between these positive and negative religious domains and stressful life events. After reviewing theory and research on religious resources, spiritual struggles, and mental health, we test relevant hypotheses using data on a nationwide sample of ordained clergy members in the Presbyterian Church (USA). At least some support is found for all main effects hypotheses. Religious resources predict well-being more strongly, while spiritual struggles are more closely linked with psychological distress. There is some evidence that stressful life events erode mental health by fostering an elevated sense of spiritual disarray and struggle. We find limited support for the stress-buffering role of religious resources, and limited evidence for a stress-exacerbating effect of spiritual struggle. Study limitations are identified, along with a number of implications and promising directions for future research.     

Health and Social Service Needs of Transgender People in Chicago

SUMMARY

A needs assessment of transgender people was conducted in Chicago in 2001 to assess their HIV risks, health and social service needs, and barriers to care. One hundred and eleven transgender individuals, 78 male-to-females (MTFs) and 33 female-to-males (FTMs), participated in the study. Fourteen percent of respondents reported being HIV-positive; they were all male-to-female and the majority was of color. Risk factors for HIV included unprotected sex and willingness to have high-risk sex in the future. Respondents experienced high levels of violence. Two-thirds of respondents had thought of attempting suicide. Respondents reported a high need for health and social services, particularly MTFs and people of color.     

Transforming School Counseling to Serve the Mental Health Needs of At-Risk Youth

School counselors have an important part to play in helping schools respond to the increasing number of students whose mental health needs place them at risk for school failure. This article identifies the shortcomings of the current developmental guidance and counseling service delivery model as it relates to work with at-risk youth. In addition, a transformed model is proposed, with suggestions for changes in program organization and planning, school counselor role and function, and skills and expertise. Potential barriers to change are also identified.     

国外心理健康服务及其启示

在回顾了美国、瑞典等国家心理健康服务概况的基础上提出了以下启示：1．中国心理健康服务体系应以构建和谐社会理论为基础;2．在心理服务的教育与培训中,应当尽量兼顾普及知识与提高专业化水平两个目标;3．政府应当大力支持社区心理健康服务以及包含各种社区可用资源的综合性社区服务;4．中国心理健康服务必须从本国文化与国情出发,因此还需要更多这方面的文献总结与实际诃查工作;5．心理健康服务应当全面而有区别地实施予心理健康水平不同的人群。     

The Honeymoon is Over: Occupational Relocation and Changes in Mental Health Among United Methodist Clergy

In this study we examine how the process of relocation affects the mental health of United Methodist clergy and the extent to which relocation is associated with changes in clergy perception of the workplace environment and feelings of self-efficacy. We analyzed data from a longitudinal survey of 1375 clergy, one quarter of whom experienced a move between the baseline survey in 2008 and the follow-up survey 2 years later. Contrary to expectations, we find that mental distress decreased for those who recently moved compared to those who had moved 2 years prior. We also find strong evidence of a “honeymoon effect.” Recently relocated clergy report higher levels of self-efficacy and higher workplace morale compared to those who do not relocate. This study underscores the importance of examining the short and longer-term impact of moving on mental distress and presses scholars to consider the ways in which, under certain circumstances, relocation may improve mental health.     

West African Immigrant Perspectives on Female Genital Cutting: Experiences,Attitudes, and Implications for Mental Health Service Providers

This small pilot study analyzed the experiences of female genital cutting (FGC) among West African immigrants in New York City from three West African countries (the Gambia, Guinea, and Mali) with FGC prevalence rates of 76, 97, and 89%, respectively, among girls and women aged 15 to 49 years. Nine women participated in two focus group sessions. In the first group, five female participants ranged in age from18–20, and in the second, four participants ranged in age from 31 to 44. Focus group data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Despite the small sample size, the findings of this exploratory study highlight important aspects of immigrant women’s experiences regarding FGC and indicate the need for further exploration. Participants drew from personal experiences to discuss FGC and their views of the practice. Salient themes that emerged included the secretive and violent nature of the practice, the primacy of matriarchal decision-makers, the fear among immigrant mothers that their children would be subjected to FGC without their consent, and health care encounters in the USA. The findings of this study are considered in light of their implications for research, service provision, and policy.     

Decision-Making in Mental Healthcare: A Phenomenological Investigation of Service User Perspectives

As Victorian asylums closed down in the United Kingdom, community mental health services were set up to support patients in exercising choice and freedom; in finding a place in society. The success of these services has been questioned, so further policies have been introduced in an effort to protect rights and improve social inclusion. However, capacity to make decisions has been interpreted as no more than a process of rational mental calculation. This article reports on a phenomenological study that explores the decision-making experiences of three men who have endured psychosis. It is not only associated with choice and freedom but also with responsibility, blame, and social exclusion. These men appear to have faced common existential dilemmas, but have sought to express emotional will in conflict with other people and have, perhaps, been placed under more social pressure and become more isolated as individuals, while enduring experiences that are difficult to make meaningful for others. It seems that, paradoxically, efforts have been made to empower these men by controlling them, and medication has been imposed on them so as to regulate thoughts and moods, in attempts to serve their best interests.     

Attitudes Toward Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices: A comparison of Autism Early Intervention Providers and Children's Mental Health Providers

Across the country, states are reporting increases in the number of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) served each year in the early intervention system. Research examining factors impacting the successful dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practice (EBPs) into service systems for these children is limited. Preliminary information indicates that adoption of EBPs is variable. Provider attitudes toward the adoption of EBPs may be one factor that limits or facilitates implementation of efficacious treatments and these attitudes vary by organizational context and provider individual differences. The current study examines cross-context differences in provider attitudes toward EBPs by comparing the attitudes of 71 education-based early intervention providers working with children with ASD to the attitudes of 238 mental health providers in the public mental health system. This provides the first examination of ASD early intervention provider attitudes toward EBP. Results indicated that early intervention providers reported significantly more favorable attitudes toward adopting EBPs than did mental health providers. Early intervention providers with extended experience in the field perceived less divergence between their current practice and EBPs. Implications are discussed.     

Why Clinical Psychology Needs to Engage in Community‐Based Approaches to Mental Health

The aim of this article is to advocate for clinical psychology to engage with community‐based approaches to mental health. This engagement will be challenging given community work is antithetical to the individualism that defines much of clinical psychology. It would also result in a direct challenge to the core tenets of our profession, including an emphasis on individualism, psychopathology, and expert‐driven intervention. We need clinical psychology, however, to decolonise itself to respond to the needs of Aboriginal communities and those from non‐Western collectivist cultures. We also need clinical psychology to consider the sociopolitics of human distress and lend itself to social action for complex problems. Specific examples of community‐based practices will be provided, focusing specifically on those that relate to mental health. Implication for the reform of research methodologies and classroom pedagogies will also be discussed.