[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING WEEK

 Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the 
importance of mental health to individuals' and society's well-being 
and to recognize counseling as a vital aid in achieving and maintaining 
good mental health.
  Mental health counseling is provided along a full continuum of care, 
from developmental and preventive services, to diagnosis and treatment 
of mental illness, to long-term services. It assists individuals and 
groups with problem-solving, personal and social development, 
decisionmaking, and self-understanding.
  Mental health counseling is provided in community mental health 
agencies, private practice, psychiatric hospitals, college campuses, 
and rehabilitation centers. It is provided in collaboration with other 
mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, 
social workers, psychiatric nurses, and marriage and family therapists, 
to assure the most appropriate counseling for each client. It is 
provided by professionals with master's or doctoral degrees in 
counseling or similar disciplines, practicing within the scope of their 
training and experience, licensed in 40 States and the District of 
Columbia.
  I congratulate the American Mental Health Counselors Association on 
their designation of May 1 to 7, 1994, as ``National Mental Health 
Counseling Week,'' and urge every American to seek the assistance of a 
qualified mental health counselor, when needed.

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