Management and Administration Skills for the Mental Health Professional

Psychologists receive several years of specialized study on the brain, behavior, and mental health, but despite the fact that over half ultimately end up in administrative or managerial roles, they receive no formalized training in the skills necessary to be successful in these roles. This book is the first of its kind to target the managerial and administrative skills necessary for the mental health professional. The book discusses practical information such as how to deal with personnel issues, how to set budgets and allocate resources, and how to document progress and maintain schedules in the domains of private practice, hospitals, government agencies, and universities. Chapter authors are well-known and successful psychologists within these settings and include Raymond Fowler, past president of the American Psychological Association.

"Perhaps the most important message of this book is that by virtue of their training in the clinical, research, and training arenas many psychologists are well-suited to assume complex administrative and managerial roles. As more psychologists are looking to define themselves professionally in other than traditional academic and psychotherapist roles, they may want to look to the examples and opportunities suggested in this book as a point of departure."—CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY, 2002, Vol. 47, No. 1