Five Internet Sites for Mental Health Professionals
- BioMed Central
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Treatment Advocacy Center
- Online Therapy Institute
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Mental health professionals usually see patients with a variety of conditions which is why they often rely on internet resources geared toward mental health specialists for access to new information. Between seeing clients and completing necessary documentation, there is little time left for them to stay up-to-date on psychiatric developments and new counseling techniques. Some of these sites have information about all disciplines of psychology and mental health, while others specialize on a particular population or condition. A few popular resources include the following.
1. BioMed Central
This website contains scientific open-access journals with hundreds of articles available. Some relevant publications for mental health professionals include “Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health,” “Addiction Science & Clinical Practice,” and “Borderline Personality Disorder & Emotional Dysregulation.” Some of these publications allow anyone in the field to submit their own work and encourage readers to peer-review published articles.
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SAMHSA is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and their website has information for both professionals and the public relating to mental illness, social issues, and substance abuse. One especially useful section of the site for mental health specialists is the database that contains extensive reports detailing the findings of surveys and experiments the agency has completed throughout the country. Another section contains articles by leaders in the industry detailing the efficacy of new treatments and suggested gold standards of care for different conditions.
3. Treatment Advocacy Center
This site is run by a nonprofit organization and is a useful online resource for professionals in mental health who are looking for information about the legal and social aspects of their field. There is extensive information about the mentally ill population in the criminal justice system, psychiatric hospital bed shortages, and housing issues as well as analysis of recently passed and proposed legislation.
4. Online Therapy Institute
Experienced therapists, Kate Anthony and DeeAnna Nagel began this site in 2008 to address the increasing impact of technology on an individual’s mental health as well as overall counseling practices. Since then, they have published numerous articles and training courses detailing the most effective methods for providing remote mental healthcare. These practices will only become more important as Forbes reports that many large healthcare corporations are perfecting interfaces for telemedicine and are planning on significantly expanding these services.
5. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Trauma-informed care is gaining traction among many psychologists, and this is an extensive online resource for mental health professionals who work with children and adolescents. The articles and research focus on identifying clients who may be at risk of developing behavioral and emotional problems from events in their pasts and the most effective therapeutic techniques for these situations.
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These are just a handful of the many useful sites containing the latest mental health news and personal accounts by other workers in the helping professions. Regardless of career focus, there are great internet resources for mental health specialists available.
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