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• Burnout: Signs, Solutions, and Self-Care

  

  May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health providers play a critical role in promoting awareness and working to improve the lives of others. Yet, compassion fatigue and burnout are very real issues for those in the field. Last week, the PAR blog explored the state of burnout among mental health professionals. This week, we look at the signs of burnout and provide solutions for self-care. Mental health providers continue to face a workforce shortage and ongoing burnout risks. Organizations and individuals need to prioritize and implement strategies to prevent and reduce burnout. Mental health professionals were understaffed and facing a mental health crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which only exacerbated the demands on a healthcare system already stretched beyond its breaking point. According to the 2023 Mental Health America report, nationally, there are 350 patients to every mental health provider. However, the ratio widely varies from state to state; for example, the Massachusetts patient-to-provider ratio is 140:1, and in Alabama, it is 850:1. The American Psychological Association conducted a survey in 2022 that found that more people required treatment for anxiety ...

• May is Mental Health Awareness Month

  

  Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month seeks to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. Throughout the year, but especially in May, mental health providers play a crucial role in promoting awareness and taking action to improve the mental health of our communities. What is Mental Health Awareness Month? Mental Health Awareness Month began in the United States in 1949 as Mental Health Week. It was expanded to a month-long observance in 1980. The goal of Mental Health Awareness Month is to raise awareness about mental health and wellness, reduce the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, and promote greater access to mental health services and resources. Why is Mental Health Awareness Month important? In the U.S., more than 1 in 5 adults are living with a mental illness. Yet despite the prevalence of mental illness, stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health are significant barriers to treatment and recovery. Mental health and physical health are equal components to a healthy lifestyle, but many individuals fail to receive the support and care they need. Mental Health Awareness ...

• Join PAR at the NASP Virtual Convention

  

  Although NASP 2021 will not be in person this year, there are still so many opportunities to connect, learn more about your favorite PAR products and authors, and interact with PAR staff members. Join us during one of the following sessions:   LIVE session! Attendees will receive NASP CPD credit Wednesday, February 24, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Teleassessment With Children: Strategies for Success Presented by Carrie A. Champ Morera, PsyD, NCSP, LP; Terri D. Sisson, EdS; and Dan Lee, BS   On-demand sessions! Attendees can claim CPD self-study credit A Process Oriented Approach for Identifying and Remediating Reading Disabilities Presented by Steven G. Feifer, DEd, and Jack A. Naglieri, PhD The Neuropsychology of Written Language Disorders Presented by Steven G. Feifer, DEd, author of the FAR, FAM, and FAW Identifying Students with ADHD: Evidence-Based Assessment with the BRIEF2 Presented by Peter K. Isquith, PhD, coauthor of the BRIEF2 Tests and Scales: Evidence for Integrative Assessment of Executive Function Presented by Peter K. Isquith, PhD, coauthor of the BRIEF2 Helping Students Show What They Know: Enhancing Executive Functioning Presented by Steven C. Guy, PhD, coauthor of the BRIEF2 State of Affairs: Trauma Assessment Practices in Children and Adolescents Presented by ...

• Testing clients with disabilities: Modifications vs. accommodations

  

  During our recent PARtalks webinar series on assessing individuals with disabilities, PAR received some questions about adapting, modifying, and accommodating assessments. It is important to be mindful of a range of psychometric, social, clinical, and disability-related issues. We hope the following will provide helpful guidance when determining if modifications or accommodations are necessary. Considerations when assessing individuals with disabilities There are many issues to consider that may complicate the psychological testing of people with disabilities. It is important to attend to issues of bias, reliability, and validity. Language,  motor, sensory, medical, and cognitive disabilities can impact aspects of an assessment. Additionally, comorbid conditions or secondary disabilities can be a complicating factor. It is crucial for examiners to consider each individual's disability and how it relates to other functions to develop a strategy that ensures the appropriate construct is being measured. For example, disability-related symptoms such as fatigue and pain can confound psychometric tests and artificially inflate measures of depression. Or a motor-functioning disability that affects fine motor control may create results that mistakenly imply cognitive impairment. Examiners who do not take these issues into ...

• e-Manuals: Convenient Digital Tools to Help YOU

  

  Editor's note: This article refers to a promotion that has expired. Serving your clients and students is getting a little easier. e-Manuals—downloadable digital versions of PAR professional manuals—are becoming more and more useful as having remote access to files is increasingly necessary for you to do your job efficiently. In our uncertain times, you can’t always rely on paper. e-Manuals allow for greater flexibility in how you access important product information. In addition to the nearly 100 e-Manuals previously available, 13 new e-Manuals can now be purchased and downloaded for your digital tool kit: CAS (Children’s Aggression Scale) e-Manual CAS (College Adjustment Scales) e-Manual CNNS e-Manual COVR e-Manual CPCI e-Manual CTI e-Manual PAI-CS Module e-Manual PAI Public Safety Selection Report e-Manual PDDBI-SV e-Manual RADS-2:SF e-Manual SIQ e-Manual SOPA e-Manual TSCC/TSCYC Screening Form Technical Paper e-Manual And, over the next several months, we’ll release dozens more.   Related article: REMOTE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE IGT2 AND WCST!  The best part? If you’ve already purchased a print professional manual for which we carry an e-Manual equivalent, we’ll provide that e-Manual to you at no charge, for a limited time. Simply call us at 1.800.331.8378 to request your free ...

• The State of Mental Health Among Mental Health Professionals

  

  May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health providers play a critical role in promoting awareness and working to improve the lives of others. Yet, compassion fatigue and burnout are very real issues for those in the field. For the next two weeks, the PAR blog will explore these issues within the mental health community and provide guidance on how those in the mental health field can prioritize self-care to protect their own mental health needs. Mental health providers with prolonged or cumulative exposure to compassion stress may be vulnerable to burnout if early steps to counteract excessive empathetic involvement are not taken. A major part of a mental health professional’s job is the ability to empathize with clients. Developing a successful therapeutic alliance leads to better outcomes and correlates with the capacity to identify, comprehend, and share an individual's feelings, thoughts, and experiences. However, prolonged exposure to distressing information can negatively affect a mental health professional and is a risk factor for secondary traumatic stress. Studies have shown that health professionals have moderate to high levels of burnout and secondary traumatic ...