[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 39 (Wednesday, April 13, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        COMMEMORATION OF NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING WEEK

                                 ______


                        HON. MICHAEL J. KOPETSKI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 13, 1994

  Mr. KOPETSKI. Mr. Speaker, 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 1-7, 1994 as ``National Mental Health 
Counseling Week,'' and urge every American to seek the assistance of a 
qualified mental health counselor or other mental health professional 
when needed.

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