Posted on Sep 18, 2019
Any advice for a Mental Health Counseling student who wants to branch medical, and be a counselor?
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I am currently in a Mental Health Counseling Program while doing ROTC. I want to branch medical so I can be a counselor within the military. Does anybody have any bits of advice for increasing my odds in branching medical, or getting a job counseling within the Military?
Medical
ROTC
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 2
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You need to have an advanced Clinical Psychology or Master of Social Work degree to be in that Medical Functional Area in the Medical Service Corps
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MAJ Tom Hutton
PFC (Join to see) that makes it a bit clearer but are you in an MSW program or getting a Masters in another field? The clinical psychologist AOC requires a doctorate degree. There may be a chance to do schooling (educational delay) after ROTC but I would be talking with the staff there to make sure you can apply for a program in that specialty.
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PFC (Join to see)
MAJ Hutton I am in a Community Mental Health Counseling program, working towards licensure as a LMHC.
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MAJ Tom Hutton
PFC (Join to see) so is your plan to remain in the Guard and be an M-Day member or go Active duty? I ask because maybe the LMHC may allow you to practice in the civilian world. The best you can get in either option is to branch as a Medical Service Corps officer but that would be in an administrative area of concentration (AOC) and not a clinical one. You might be able to apply for additional schooling to reach one of the specialties that is in the service.
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PFC (Join to see)
MAJ Hutton I am not too sure if I will go active or try to continue my education. Definitely leaning more towards trying to practice in the civilian world.
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Ok,
That falls under mental health profession and it’s a different commissioning route. You might want to inquire with a Medical Recruiter. See Medical Recruiter Brigade for details.
https://recruiting.army.mil/mrb/
That falls under mental health profession and it’s a different commissioning route. You might want to inquire with a Medical Recruiter. See Medical Recruiter Brigade for details.
https://recruiting.army.mil/mrb/
The official website for the Army Recruiting Command (USAREC)
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MAJ Javier Rivera
PFC (Join to see) ok, then the question is, would you like to be NG or Regular Army once you commission? Still, check with the Medical Recruiters to check for requirements and make sure you get them. If going Regular Army is your goal, then have a more serious conversation with them since ROTC cannot get you in as a counselor but the MRB; well that’s their job!
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PFC (Join to see)
MAJ Rivera, so do you think it is possible to file for an education delay, pursue my doctorate and then become a clinical psychologist? I intend to contact a recruiter I am just unsure if I will want to be in the Regular Army, or only do part-time and continue work as a civilian building a practice or pursuing other career goals.
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MAJ Javier Rivera
PFC (Join to see), I’ll suggest you to contact the MRB to seek what options are available. There were scholarships given way back for those interested in the various medical fields, to include behavioral health. Not only that, hypothetically speaking, you could commission thru ROTC in whichever field the Army decides, then request a commission in the Medical Corps. The sooner you break the code the better!
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PFC (Join to see)
Thank you MAJ Rivera I will definitely contact the MRB and work a plan out that gets me into behavior health
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