Clinical mental health counselors collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide a better standard of care to their clients. The work could focus on encouraging a person to access medical care, ensuring they follow their medication schedule, or providing support with living a healthy lifestyle. Multidisciplinary care teams of any size work in unison to coordinate and customize a long-term treatment plan. In doing so, they ensure that the patient’s full spectrum of needs is taken into consideration.
Collaboration works well for health professionals and clients
This approach has clear benefits for clients as they will attend fewer appointments and do not have to discuss their needs with a range of different professionals. It is also a preferable solution for the healthcare workers involved, as each provider gains a deeper understanding of their colleague’s area of practice and their responsibilities. Collaboration is an exciting area of clinical practice and one in which team players excel. Graduates in any field who are drawn to this style of working and hope to pursue a healthcare career can do a mental health counselor degree online at the American International College, for example. The course combines extensive theory and research work with local field placements, forming a robust curriculum that thoroughly prepares students for real-world roles.
How mental health counselors engage with a multidisciplinary team
In most cases, the venue for a multidisciplinary meeting will be one of the facilities used by the team’s healthcare organization. However, advances in medical technology mean many teams can collaborate in a virtual space with clinicians from other states or even different parts of the world. In either case, a mental health worker will begin by introducing other members of staff to the client’s case and providing more context. They will discuss any relevant factors, from the client’s engagement with medical services to their lifestyle, and any recent events of which the team should be aware. Next, they will move on to explain what their concerns are for the client and how they feel the team could assist.
Which factors nurture effective collaborations?
Healthcare collaborations can lead to very positive results, but as is the case with any teamwork, the initial stages can be a challenge. Issues can range from a lack of focus to a misunderstanding of other people’s skills or competencies, so making things work can take time. To maximize the effectiveness of their collaborations, mental health clinicians use the following methods:
Prioritizing clear communication
Coordinated care offers the most benefit to patients when the team communicates well. To facilitate this, counselors will explain what they need from the team or from the psychiatrist or primary care physician as individuals. They will discuss what they hope to achieve from each referral and ask what information the other team members need to get this done. Furthermore, as time goes on, they will schedule regular meetings with their colleagues for updates on the client or clients so everyone has adequate support and resources.
Finding mutuality with colleagues from other disciplines
Although medical professionals will share their perspectives during a collaborative meeting, they might not all come to a shared agreement on what is to be done. That’s why mental health workers will look for areas of common ground with their fellow practitioners. This could be achieved by establishing where people’s assessments intersect, what they do agree on, and what goals the team share. Furthermore, it can be useful to connect on a personal level by discussing hobbies and interests.
Making leadership a shared role
When a team of professionals works together toward a shared goal, the concept of leadership in the group can be quite fluid. There could be a member who everyone agrees has the most experience in a certain field and this person will lead when appropriate. However, as the focus of the work changes, another person may step up to take on this role. For instance, a mental health counselor is likely to lead when a patient’s psychological symptoms are discussed, but a nurse practitioner might step up when their discharge from the hospital is being considered.
Researching the specialisms of other professionals
Each person in the team is likely to come from a different discipline. Therefore, a counselor will strive to understand more about the other people’s professional role. They will read through a range of materials to understand more about what another person has to offer and what their day-to-day responsibilities are. This can help them to find comparisons between different approaches as well as learn more about potential areas of divergence. To support their research, counselors can also ask colleagues about their education and their work to compare experiences.
Honesty regarding potential barriers
In any collaborative work, there can be barriers that make it harder for the team to gel and reach useful conclusions. To minimize these and ensure their team is successful, a clinical mental health counselor needs to be open about their concerns. For instance, some members of the team might prefer holding online meetings to save time, while others may have a tradition of meeting in a physical setting. Points of difference such as these should be recognized and discussed to ensure the team remains focused on the patient. Discussions can help individuals understand each other’s point of view without becoming judgmental. In the end, resolutions to these barriers can be sought jointly and in the spirit of compromise without losing sight of what is essential for the team to function well.
Cross-disciplinary collaborations can lead to better health outcomes
In order to deliver the best health outcomes, a clinical mental health counselor focuses on their client as a whole person. This approach is improved and refined through collaborations with other healthcare professionals because each clinician brings their skills and insight to the table. This can contribute to a more comprehensive care plan, as each clinician offers solutions based on their area of expertise and, therefore, every aspect of a patient’s health has been properly considered.
