About Providers
Providers in Magellan's network are all required to have a
certain level of education and training. This page will provide you
with information about various levels of training, education and
licenses your provider may have.
Below is more information on the different types of behavioral
health providers. Some of our providers have training in more than
one of these areas.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
- A Clinical Nurse Specialist is a licensed Registered Nurse
(R.N.) with a graduate degree in nursing.
- The Clinical Nurse Specialist has advanced training in the
areas of health assessment, pathophysiology or
neurophysiology/biophysiology.
- In the area of psychiatry, the Clinical Nurse Specialist may
also be known as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. The Psychiatric
Nurse Practitioner works closely with a Psychiatrist.
- In some states, a Clinical Nurse Specialist can prescribe
certain medications. In others, he or she can prescribe only under
the supervision of a physician.
- The state of Iowa recognizes an Advanced Registered Nurse
Practitioner (ARNP) with a specialty in one of the following areas:
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric and Mental
Health Nursing
- Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Clinical Social Worker
- A Clinical Social Worker has a master's or doctoral degree in
Social Work (M.S.W., M.S., M.S.S.W., M.A. or A.M. in Social
Work).
- L.C.S.W. (Licensed Certified Social Worker) after a person's
name means that the person is licensed by the state where they
offer services. In some states, Clinical Social Workers are
licensed as L.I.S.W. (Licensed Independent Social Worker) or
L.I.C.S.W. (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker) or CSW-C
(Certified Social Worker-Clinical).
- Clinical Social Workers may have advanced credentials. The
Board Certified Diplomat (BCD) www.abecsw.org or the Diplomate in Clinical
Social Work (DCSW) are the two nationally recognized advance
credentials in Clinical Social Work.
- Clinical Social Workers are highly trained therapists who
assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional conditions and
addictions. Treatment methods include individual, marital, couple,
family and group counseling and psychotherapy.
- Clinical Social Workers are educated and trained to consider
the situation in which their clients live and work. They also pay
attention to the ways in which cultural influences affect
individuals and families.
- A Clinical Social Worker can not prescribe medicines or admit
people to a hospital.
Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor
- Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselors are credentialed at
different levels in each state.
- The level of credential is based on education levels, work
experience in providing direct treatment and supervisory
experience.
- The Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor is state licensed
and/or certified to provide direct services. In Iowa, the
appropriate credential is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor
(CADC).
- A Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor is an addiction-focused
professional who helps individuals and families with health and
recovery.
- Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselors perform many activities
including: screening, assessment and diagnosis of drug and alcohol
issues, management of an individual treatment plan, individual,
family, group counseling, education and prevention strategies.
Licensed Professional Counselor (L.P.C.)
- A Professional Counselor has a master's, doctoral, or
post-doctoral degree in psychology or counseling.
- The letters L.P.C. (Licensed Professional Counselor), L.C.P.C
(Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor), or L.M.H.C. (Licensed
Mental Health Counselor) indicate that a person is licensed to
provide professional counseling by the state.
- Professional Counselors are trained to provide mental health
counseling to individuals, couples, families, and children,
including diagnosis, testing, and assessment; psychotherapy; group
counseling; and lifestyle and career counseling.
- Professional Counselors consider the situation in which their
clients live and work, and view clients through a wellness
model.
- A Professional Counselor can not prescribe medicines or admit a
person to a hospital.
Marriage and Family Therapy (L.M.F.T)
- Marriage and Family Therapists have graduate training
(Master's, Doctoral, or Post-doctoral) in marriage and family
therapy with additional clinical experience.
- The letters M.F.T. (Marriage and Family Therapist), L.M.F.T.
(Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), L.C.M.F.T. (Licensed
Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist), or L.I.M.F.T. (Licensed
Independent Marriage and Family Therapist) after a name indicate
that the person is licensed to provide marriage and family therapy
by the state.
- Marriage and Family Therapists are trained in psychotherapy and
family systems, and treat a wide range of problems, including
depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual psychological
problems, and child-parent problems.
- Marriage and Family Therapists attend to the nature and role of
individuals in primary relationship networks, such as marriage and
the family, and are concerned with the long-term well-being of
individuals and their families.
- Marriage and Family Therapists cannot prescribe medicines or
admit people to a hospital.
Psychiatrist
- A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor or physician who has
completed medical school and a multi-year residency in Psychiatry
(treatment of mental illness).
- Psychiatrists are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of
mental illnesses. As physicians, they are also experts in the use
of medications to treat mental disorders as well as treating these
conditions with an understanding of the interplay with other
medical disorders. As medical experts they also understand how
different medications affect each other.
- They are able to assess both the mental and physical aspects of
psychological disturbances.
- A Psychiatrist uses many forms of therapy to help patients
change behaviors or thought patterns, explore the effects of past
relationships and experiences on present behaviors to treat
troubled relationships. Since Psychiatrists are medical doctors,
they are able to determine the need for medical tests and
medication to help adjust imbalances in body chemistry that may be
part of the mental illness.
- There are several sub specialties, such as child and adolescent
psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry.
- A Psychiatrist's medical training allows greater ability to
talk with other medical specialists.
Psychologist
- A Psychologist is an individual who has completed a doctoral
level degree (about 5 years of graduate school resulting in the
Ph.D., or Psy.D. degrees)
- Psychologists will have a doctoral degree from an academic or
professional college and generally can not prescribe
medication.
- The term Psychologist is legally protected and only licensed
individuals can use the term.
- Psychology is a very diverse discipline; some Psychologists are
scientist-researchers, some are therapists and some become
administrators. Those that specialize in therapy are called
Clinical Psychologists.
- Psychologists are extensively trained therapists. They have
received training in the diagnosis treatment and research of human
behavior. They are also skilled in testing and other problems in
mental functioning.
Ph.D.
- This is a doctoral level degree generally requiring extended
graduate level university training (4-6 years after completing
regular college B.A./B.S. programs).
- Clinical Psychologists will often have this degree, although
the Ph.D. can be issued in many different fields and is not limited
to psychology (e.g., a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, an Ed.D. in
Education).
- Ph.D. means, "Doctor of Philosophy".
Psy.D.
- This is a doctoral level degree generally requiring extended
graduate level university training (3-4 years after completing
regular college B.A./B.S. programs).
- Psy.D. means "Doctor of Psychology".
- Some Clinical Psychologists have this degree.
