National Standards for Mental Health Services

There are many types of mental health services, provided by many different professions and agencies. Generally accepted standards within the U.S. can depend on which profession is in question, and the level and type of care that's provided. It's important to understand the differences in each profession, in order to determine standards expected of providers.

• Man and woman talk on park benches.

Overall Guidelines

• There are no clear-cut laws that oversee all types of mental health services in the U.S. However, some groups have developed best-practices guides. The New York Boards of Psychology, Mental Health Practitioners and Social Work developed a practice alert for state services. These are similar to expected practices within each mental health profession, and expectations include having proper training and licensure, completing accurate assessments of clients, following standard ethics and keeping up with new research.

Social Work Ethics

• The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) provides clear ethical standards for its members. These are used within broader areas of social work, such as case management, as well as for specific services provided by social workers, like mental health counseling. One section of the NASW code of ethics states, "Social workers should provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience."

Psychology Ethics

• The American Psychological Association has general principles and standards that guide psychologists. Areas covered include dealing with conflicts of interest, practicing within competency areas, preventing harm to patients and dealing with privacy.

Psychiatry Standards

• Like other professionals within the mental health field, psychiatrists also have general standards of care. Like other doctors, psychiatrists are expected to follow general medical ethics. A more specific guide developed by the American Psychiatric Association offers more specific expectations for psychiatrists.

Information Center

• The National Mental Health Information Center, provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides some helpful resources. The center offers practice guides, links and documents developed by many types of mental health professionals. It also has a call center for specific mental health questions.