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Hello! My name is Kylie Hilliard, and I am currently studying for an M.A. in Professional Counseling. My goal in pursuing a career in professional counseling is to be able to create a meaningful impact on people who seek out professional help for their mental health concerns. I also have an immense passion for mental health, and it is a personal goal of mine to gain the most amount of knowledge as I can throughout my degree as well as in my professional career. In this course, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the treatment and causes of trauma so that I am able to apply that knowledge to my professional career.

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Section 1- Introduction and Assessing Prior Knowledge

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Section 1- Introduction and Assessing Prior Knowledge

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During this initial discussion post I enjoyed being able to read about my classmates unique stories and thoughts as we reflected on our prior knowledge and experiences regarding trauma. One thing that I appreciated learning through my participation in the assignment was being able to further understand my prior knowledge of trauma and mental illness. The readings and quizzes we were provided showed me how much I actually have to learn about the topic, and gave me a great baseline for what areas I should improve in.

Below I will include the artifact of my "Introduction and Assessing Prior Knowledge" discussion post.

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Included are the links to the ethical codes for professional councilors for the state of Texas (where I live), and also the national ethics code for America. These are relevant because not only do I intend to become a therapist in Texas, but also to eventually be certified to practice in other states through telehealth, and while other states will have their own ethical codes, knowing the national ethical code is beneficial while moving forward in my pursuit of expanding my clientele.

https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

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Section 2- Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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Section 2- Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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This assignment is extremely beneficial for my future role as a therapist. Not only does it detail broad definitions for mental illnesses, but it also describes the specific types of mental disorders that fall under the umbrella terms (i.e. seasonal depression falling under the depression tab)

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This developmental blog on trauma assignment is my analysis and thoughts on ACE testing, types of trauma, and treatment options for patients. My knowledge of each of the above topics was effectively broadened through this assignment. I believe that this analysis will be an excellent tool for my future professional role as an LPC because it will allow me to be able to refer back to specific types of traumas and resources that can be beneficial in diagnoses and treatment plan development.

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Linked to this tab is my certificate of completion for the online psychological first aid course. This course provided valuable knowledge of what action should be taken to help victims of tragedy, such as natural disasters. The knowledge that I learned from this course will undoubtedly help me in my future career as a therapist, as it taught me the necessary steps to take when aiding potential victims of a disaster, as well as how to assess what type of help is needed for different situations.

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Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online_Certificate

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As stated in the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council and Texas State Board of Examiners and Professional Counselors rulebook, a Counselor can evaluate a patient and decide the appropriate outside resources or specialists to refer to a client. This can be found in Subchapter B 681.31 (page 94).

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The linked assignment for crisis prevention and threat assessment was/is a valuable tool for me moving forward in my career. Being able to create a plan collaboratively with my peers gave us an opportunity to further develop our skills of creating an action plan, specifically for people who may be experiencing domestic violence. This is a necessary skill to have in the counseling field because there will undoubtedly be times when a patient or a patients family will need assistance in creating an action plan.

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The ABC crisis model assignment is possibly the most valuable assignment I have had besides the reference guide. This assignment gave me a chance to develop a treatment plan on my own, which showed me areas that I am strong in, and areas that I may need improvement in. I will be taking knowledge and experience from this assignment into my future role as an LPC, and I will use the ABC method moving forward.

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Having cultural competence in the mental health field is imperative. As a mental health professional, it is extremely important to be sensitive to differences in culture, as well as how to navigate treatment and diagnoses for those with a different cultural background than the provider. This article highlights some of the important factors, as well as the CDC definitions for cultural competency.

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The Importance of Cultural Competence in Mental Healthcare

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A Q&A with Najah Dail, LPC, LCPC, Director of Outpatient Services, Newport Healthcare By 2044, people from racial minority communities will represent

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Mental Health Crisis Hotline and Resources

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Mental Health Crisis Hotline and Resources

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This website includes the numbers for emergency hotlines and resources sorted by county.

This is a valuable resource for those who may need immediate help for their mental health.

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Facing a Mental Health Crisis?

If you or someone you know are faced with a mental health crisis, please call the crisis hotline of the local mental health or local behavioral health authority for your county. You may find this number by using the online mental health services search form or by calling one of the numbers below.

Crisis services are available 24 hours/7 days a week and include prompt face-to-face crisis assessment, crisis intervention services, crisis follow-up and relapse prevention services. The HHSC Crisis Services Guide (PDF) has information on various state-funded crisis services and organizations that can help connect people to resources.

LMHA Mental Health Crisis Numbers

Need Help?

If you are thinking about suicide, please contact:

Phone Apps

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If you or someone you know are faced with a mental health crisis, please call the crisis hotline of the local mental health or local behavioral health authority for your county.

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American Counseling Association. (n.d.-a). 2014 ACA Code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Dail, N. (2024, May 28). The importance of cultural competence in Mental Healthcare. Newport Healthcare. https://www.newporthealthcare.com/resources/industry-articles/cultural-competence-mental-healthcare/

Mental health crisis services. Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.). https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/mental-health-substance-use/mental-health-crisis-services

Office of the Secretary of State. (n.d.). Texas Administrative Code. Texas administrative code. https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=4&ti=22&pt=30&ch=681

Statutes and rules. Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. (n.d.). https://bhec.texas.gov/statues-and-rules/