What is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker?
Hello!
On your search for a therapist, you might have found a variety of professionals including accredited mental health social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, psychiatrist, counsellors and psychotherapists to name a few. But what do they all do, how are they different, how to choose the right person to see – what a mind field! This blog will explain what an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker is and in doing so you can decide if they can support you with your journey.
You may have heard the term social worker before. Maybe you are familiar with them working in an agency or organisation, maybe with families or children, perhaps in homelessness or crisis settings. That is all true social workers do this work. But there is also an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and they specialise in providing counselling or therapy to someone with the aim of improving their mental health.
An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (or AMHSW as it is often shortened to) is a specialist mental health clinician. They are trained in mental health treatment using Focused Psychological Strategies (FPS). They can specialise in working with particular groups of people including trauma treatment or working with children, this specialisation usually reflects their training and experience.
In order for a social worker to gain the accreditation they must meet particular requirements with the professional body the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) including a written application and an exam as well a meeting 30 hours of Continuing Professional Development specific to mental health each year. This consists of many things, and can include additional training and supervision. To become an AMHSW, a Social Worker is required to undertake an additional accreditation process on top of the regular Social Work degree. So an AMHSW has a minimum degree qualification with an additional two years minimum post qualifying experience. They are also required to be clinically supervised in their practice. That means that a more experienced professional will see them to specifically discuss their work with clients.
An AMHSW is a qualified mental health clinician who works in a way that considers the individual and the whole of the system in which they exist. This means that they have expertise in viewing a person and what they are presenting with in the context of their family, system, environment and society.
An AMHSW is a trauma informed professional. This means at a minimum the AMHSW will work with you by applying trauma informed principles. Trauma Informed Principles are safety, trust, choice, collaboration and empowerment. There is a lot of information about these principles on the internet and if you are interested you can take a look at reputable organisations information about Trauma Informed Care, here is a resource I like https://blueknot.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/26_BK_FS_TalkingAboutTrauma_GeneralPublic_DEC23.pdf. Not only are they Trauma Informed, AMHSW’s use a wide range of evidence based therapeutic interventions to help individuals with a wide range of mental health disorders.
An AMHSW can accept referrals from General Practitioners for clients to treat their mental health conditions. They can provide Medicare rebates for people with approved Mental Health Care Plans. They can also provide non-directive pregnancy counselling and chronic disease management.
So regardless of what the persons professional background is, when choosing a therapist it is worth researching the requirements of the professional/s you are considering. For example, do they have a professional body they are registered with and what is their current registration and training requirements, what experience do they have, can I access any rebates through Medicare or a private health fund and how do they work (what modality do they use) and will it fit with the goals you have for therapy. The other really important thing to explore is if you get along with them as a person, can build trust with them, be vulnerable and feel as comfortable as possible in their presence. You also might consider your values and if they align with the stated values of the professional. For example you might notice statements of inclusivity on their website or their email signature. I have another Blog post on how to choose a therapist coming soon. But most importantly, feeling comfortable with the professional you chose is so important as it allows for vulnerability and growth. It is okay to figure this our by taking up any free discovery phone calls if they are offered and asking about the things that are important to you. It is also okay to see a therapist for a session to help figure this out. Just because you have met with someone once, you do not have to continue with them if it is not the right fit, by overriding this and continuing with a therapist that isn’t right for you it will be hard to be truly vulnerable with them. It is okay to not gel with everyone, the therapist you see will understand this and be grateful for your honesty.