THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 14, 1994 TAG: 9412130015
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 26 lines
I was pleased to see the article about mental-health benefits and managed care (Dec. 1). This important segment of people's benefits is often ignored during the ongoing discussions of health-care reform.
I take exception to the comment that managed-care companies may require patients to be seen by lower priced clinical social workers. Licensed clinical social workers are highly trained, highly qualified providers of most mental-health services. Many patients would benefit from being seen by a licensed clinical social worker rather than an M.D.
It's true that these services can then be provided at lower cost. But it is also true that many clinical social workers have additional training in family therapy, which is needed to address many parent-child conflicts.
GARY H. ROTFUS, LCSW
Virginia Beach, Dec. 5, 1994 by CNB