Why do clinicians need behavioral health training?
Behavioral and mental health issues are more prevalent than ever before, and as a clinician that doesn’t specialize in psychiatry, you may not have the tools and skills you need to properly care for your patients experiencing those issues. If you’re working in healthcare as a clinician, whether that’s as a patient care tech, primary care physician, nurse, or in another role, you can benefit from learning more about how a patient’s mental and behavioral health can impact their ability to receive effective treatment. Read on if you’re unsure about why you might need this training, what it would look like for your patients, and where you can get started.
Why do clinicians need behavioral health training?
There are more people struggling with mental health issues than ever before, and taking this into account is important if you want to provide effective care to your patients. In a post-pandemic survey, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 41% of respondents had one or more adverse mental or behavioral health issues linked to COVID-19. However, despite this rise in mental and behavioral health issues, up to half of patients that are referred to outside behavioral health services will never make their first appointment. That’s why it’s important to have a good understanding of basic behavioral and mental health issues so you can effectively treat your patients so their mental health doesn’t negatively impact their lives or their ability to get care.
What does having behavioral health training look like?
Having behavioral health training means knowing how to recognize and respond to different behavioral and mental health issues your patients may present with. It might look like learning how to recognize a panic attack so that a patient who panics at the thought of an X Ray can still get one without mental distress. Without training, you might see them as being uncooperative or unruly, and they may end up more panicked during the X Ray or even leaving without the X Ray because you can’t calm them down enough to get through the test. With behavioral health training, you would have the skills to recognize the panic attack as well as help your patient through the panic and take steps to ensure they’re comfortable and as relaxed as possible during the test.
It might also look like recognizing that a patient is depressed, which is causing them to not exercise or eat properly, therefore leading to a myriad of other health issues. By recognizing mental and behavioral health issues for your patients, you can work to treat both mental and physical health issues so that you are providing well-rounded treatment for those under your care.
However, with behavioral health training you will still need to understand when someone who specializes in mental and behavioral health is vital to treating your patient. With proper training, you can recognize the issues that you can help with as well as the behaviors and patterns that may indicate your patient needs treatment that is beyond your capabilities.
Where can you start?
The Mastery Certificate in Behavioral Health Foundations will equip you with all of the knowledge, skills, and hands-on practice you need to effectively recognize and treat common behavioral health issues patients in your care may exhibit. To learn more about the courses in this certificate and enroll, you can learn more about the mastery certificate here. We look forward to helping you become a more well-rounded clinician capable of helping your patients with mental and behavioral health issues.