Licensure and disclosure question

[thataway]

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Hi all,
I'm a social work student and was looking over the state licensing paperwork and saw the question, "In the past five years, have you been hospitalized or treated for an emotional or mental illness?"

Well, I have a bit of an odd (or not) situation, and I'm really not sure what I would put. My freshman year I became a huge mysophobe, to the point where it was probably interfering with my life. I contacted a friend of mine via email, a clincian in training, who an unofficially "diagnosed" me with OCD and on top of suggesting I get help, gave me advice on what I might do to get better. It wasn't meant as clinical advice (more like "If you went to therapy, they would probably advise x, y, z") per se, but their suggestions gave me enough of a "jumping off point" that I was able to work through this myself and get better, recovering the fall of my sophomore year. (I'm still a hygenic person, but it's not pathological or anything). I never went to therapy for this and was never offically diagnosed with anything, so there's no paper trail or anything like that and nothing was ever officially treated (unless you count their advice as treatment), but I did probably have OCD. Am I obliged to explain my situation, or does this fall into the same category as, say, a college student who was drinking in excess and advised by to others to cut back?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Hospitalized or treatment would be by a licensed professional, so I wouldn't consider you consulting with a friend as qualifying.

-t

 

[michalita]

Does having treatment in the past 5 years disqualify you from licensure?

 

[pingouin]

Unlikely, but depending on what the treatment was for, the board could require documentation of continued treatment and/or a physician's release for you to work in a licensed capacity. Most professional boards have something in place for these circumstances- I know physicians and nurses do. It's a protection for both the practitioner and the patients.

To the OP- that's not formally "receiving treatment" so I think you're fine.

 

[michalita]

this seems ironic as many program recommend/strongly suggest that clinicians in training undergo personal therapy.

 

[pingouin]

this seems ironic as many program recommend/strongly suggest that clinicians in training undergo personal therapy.

Here are the questions my state asks on the LCSW application:

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS (Yes answers must be explained in sworn affidavit and accompanied by documents as required in the rules.)
a) Have you ever applied for a license as a social worker and been denied?
b) Has your license or social work privileges ever been revoked, restricted, or have you ever been the subject of disciplinary action by any licensing agency, institution or any other entity?
c) Have you ever entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor or received a suspended imposition of sentence?
d) Are you presently being investigated or is there any disciplinary action pending against you?
e) Are you now or ever have been addicted to or used in excess, any drug or chemical substance including alcohol?
f) Are you now being treated or have you ever been treated through a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program?
g) Have you ever been named as a party in a civil suit?
h) Have you ever been disciplined for unethical behavior or unprofessional conduct?
i) Have you ever voluntarily surrendered a professional license?

I'm surprised it doesn't say anything about mental health..

Sometimes applications will exclude things like dysthymia, single-episode depression, GAD, marital counseling, counseling for adjustment disorders- ie "Have you been treated for anything other than..." I doubt having received treatment would prevent someone from becoming licensed unless (1) there's a history of non-compliance with treatment recommendations resulting in subsequent hospitalizations, particularly of the involuntary type, or (2) the licensure supervisor recommends against licensure due to mental illness impairing the supervisee's ability to perform.

 

[michalita]

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Laughatmw]

Advice is not treatment. You do not meet the criteria being asked about, do not disclose. I am not a doctor, but a former psych patient. Never lie because that can hurt you big time in the long run, but never volunteer anything that is not explicitly asked for. If the condition was different and your friend recommended seeking treatment for skin cancer or another ailment you would undoubtedly treat it as advice not treatment. Do not allow guilt to force you to hold a higher standard to advice regarding psychiatric care.

The state is not asking if you believe you have ever had OCD, they are asking if you have ever been treated for it. You have not.