Being a member of an organization such as the National Council for Behavioral Health comes with important perks for mental health practices. These organizations are on the cutting edge of research and development for at-risk populations, and readily share information on the best methods for working to meet their needs. Being associated with them also gives you an advantage in terms of reputation. While membership fees can be significant, the benefits more than explain why you should join a mental health organization.
Small Providers Seeking a Voice
One of the biggest benefits to joining a national organization is the ability to be part of the conversations shaping mental health policies and regulations. The challenges you face as a small provider contrast with those experienced by doctors and therapists who’ve chosen to join larger physician groups or those employed by treatment centers. In order to make sure your practice is able to provide adequate care and compete with those other types of providers, the people making the rules need to understand your unique challenges. That happens when you give yourself a voice. Membership in professional organizations for mental health caregivers ensures your views are taken seriously.
Share and Succeed Along with Your Peers
You also have the ability to network with other businesses like yours. You have a network of peer providers facing the same types of challenges you are. Share your problems — and your solutions. Listen to what other people are doing, too. You may be surprised to find the perfect solutions are already being put into practice by other mental health professionals. It isn’t just the big groups you can tap for the latest research and resources, either. Sometimes the simplest answers are found in similarly sized businesses desperate to share their findings and to improve treatments for patients in other areas.
Develop Helpful New Business Tools
During conferences especially, organizations are known to put on short, intensive training programs to providers of all sizes. These often cover medical billing, HIPPA compliance, and other administration issues which will help your business run more efficiently. They may also offer discounts on training and on various resources that normally would be outside your reach. These training programs, partnerships and yearly meetings help smaller clinics compete against the conglomerates that seem to be taking over the substance abuse and behavioral health space.
Make the Contacts That Count
Depending on your specialties, you may find national organizations that are more important than others. Membership in the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, for instance, is almost a necessity for a therapist to be hired by clinics practicing CBT in certain regions. Some of these may include the Anxiety and Depression Association, the American Society of Adolescent Medicine, the American Group Psychotherapy Association and others.
Whether you’re interested in new research or resources available, better business practices or simply need to find a new therapist to add to your practice, mental health practice national membership can make these tasks easier all around. At the most basic level, that’s the role they play in your life and in your practice — one of support. Find out more about mental health organizations relevant to your patients’ needs today.