Action | 2011 Mental Health Services Program Changes for Appropriate Utilization & Provider Qualifications |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 4/12/2013 |
As the clinical director for Hall Community Services in Roanoke, I am concerned about the recent memo that suggests that only licensed individuals (LMHP) would be able to provide intake assessments for MHSS, to the exclusion of license-eligible individuals (LMHP-E). I am currently the only person with clinical licensure at this agency, however, we employee three masters level individuals who are under the supervision of a LMHP and doing an excellent job conducting our intake assessments. When serving a population for whom homelessness is a risk, it is critical to initiate services as soon as possible. A delay in providing an intake can easily lead to an individual becoming impossible to locate, therefore falling through the cracks and going unserved.