[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 4, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5139-S5140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING WEEK

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to acknowledge 
the importance of mental health to everyone's and society's well-being 
and to call our attention to counseling as a vital part of maintaining 
good mental health.
  Mental health counseling is provided along a continuum of patient 
needs, from educational and preventive services, to diagnosis and 
treatment of mental illness, to long-term and acute care. It assists 
individuals and groups with problemsolving, personal and social 
development, decisionmaking, and self-awareness.
  Such counseling is offered through community mental health agencies, 
private practices, psychiatric hospitals, college campuses, and 
rehabilitation centers. It is often provided in conjunction with other 
mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, 
social workers, psychiatric nurses, and marriage and family therapists 
so that the most appropriate treatment for each patient is assured. It 
is provided by professionals with advanced degrees in counseling or 
[[Page S5140]] related disciplines, practicing within the scope of 
their training and experience. They are currently licensed in 40 States 
and the District of Columbia.
  I want to congratulate the American Mental Health Counselors 
Association on their designation of April 30 to May 6, 1995 as 
``National Mental Health Counseling Week,'' and urge each and every 
American to seek the assistance of a qualified mental health counselor 
when needed. After all, our mental health is just as important as our 
physical health.


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