MA in Applied Behavioral Analysis and applications to mental health

[miamia078]

I have decided to pursue masters in Applied Behavioural Analysis. My original intention was to undertake an MSW or become a LPC but financially and practically I found out this couldn't be an option for me due to family circumstances. As I already have training (University Diplomas) in Psychotherapeutics cognitive behavioural psychotherapy I do have background training within mental health and I have a particular interest in cognitive behavioural therapy. I therefore began to research applied behavioural analysis and I was recently accepted onto a distance course, where you undertake your practicum's and field placements near your home. The university helps you find these and provides supervision. I am aware that distance learning is not ideal however this was the only university I could find that fitted my price range and offered the flexibility in terms of class scheduling that I require due to my family life. I also like the look of the course and classes, although there do not look to be any classes specifically within mental health which is main interest (the class descriptions aren't detailed so I could be pleasantly surprised later)! Instead it is an MA in Applied behavioural analysis with an emphasis in autism. Although I am interested in working within people with autism and I am looking forward to taking this route I am also aware that my ultimate long term goal is to provide cognitive behavioural therapy working within a mental health field. Again I know there are programs housed in psychology or counselling departments through which I can gain BCBA certification, but again these courses are too expensive for me or do not begin until next year (which is not an option).

My question therefore is - will emphasising in autism and not having any 'mental health specific' classes harm my ultimate goal? Or can I maybe take additional classes from the psychology department or indeed another university to gain experience and help me find work within mental health field later on. Although one of my practicum placements does require me to work within autism, the second one does not specify and means I may be able to undertake a field placement within a mental health setting. Again would this provide me with enough experience?

I guess I am just checking that down the line there will be options for me to apply behavioural analysis to different fields without necessarily having masters that specializes in counselling or psychology first? I would also be interested in hearing of anybodies experiences of studying or working within ABA?

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[BlackSkirtTetra]

You need in-person classes to learn to effectively deal with people in a variety of circumstances, especially those with major disorders like autism. There's only so much that a book or a website can teach you. You need supervised practicums, placements, volunteer hours, and so forth.

I've never understood why people want to get distance-learning degrees in fields like counseling and social work. It's so counter-intuitive.

 

[miamia078]

I completely agree and mentioned in my post that the notion of distance learning can seem counter-intuitive for such subjects and is not ideal. The reason I had to go the distance learning route is because there is only one on-campus program in my area which is far too expensive for me to even consider. Also as an older student with family, I am not able to move to another state to attend college. Sometimes people taking distance learning may be doing it, as it provides the only opportunity to pursue further education to suit their current lifestyle - it is not necessarily always through choose. The theory classes will be online, however the 1500 hours of practical experience which are required for certification, I will be taking through practicums, field placement in my area. I already have an intensive field placement and supervisor in place and I do not doubt the majority of my learning experience will be found through these hours.
Does anybody have any advice regarding my original question for applying behavioural analysis in the mental health field?

 

[BlackSkirtTetra]

If you allow your only option to be distance-learning, you set yourself back before you even get started. I know at the surface that may seem harsh, but it's the truth in this field. Distance-learning is meant for technical subjects such as computer engineering, not social work or counseling. You will not learn effective counseling strategies (or a host of other skills) from a computer screen. These things rely so heavily on person-to-person contact. Sorry!