Content area
Abstract
Recently, many new issues have arisen for counselors and therapists due to the influence of managed care on professional practice. Among the new concerns are: confidentiality, reimbursement, diagnosis issues, as well as therapeutic outcomes when working under financial and time constraints. The purpose of this research is to assess the perceptions of masters level mental health professionals regarding these issues. This study is a replication of research conducted at Indiana State University by Murphy, DeBernardo, and Shoemaker, entitled “Impact of managed care on independent practice and professional ethics: A survey of Independent Practitioners” (1998). As expected, masters level mental health practitioners reported overall negative perceptions regarding managed care, although findings differed slightly from the original study. Low response rates limit the applicability of this data, and further research in this area is necessary to further support the findings of the current research.
