Talking Points by James L. Werth of the University of Akron

Training Needs for Mental Health Professionals: Improving End-of-Life Care

Talking Points by James L. Werth, Jr., Ph.D.
The University of Akron

Current Status of Training Activities

Research on the training of medical professions has been conducted
No equivalent research on mental health professionals is available
It appears as if graduate school training and opportunities for continuing education are minimal

Why Training is Important

Steps to Improve Training of Mental Health Professionals and Students

National commissions need to begin including psychosocial issues in their analyses and reports.
Funding needs to be made available to develop state of the art educational packages.
Only a very small percentage of the funding - both private and public - has targeted mental health professionals.

Methods of Improving Training

Model courses on psychosocial issues near the end of life
Modules that will allow for the incorporation of end-of-life issues into various courses
Continuing education programs for presentation in person and via the Internet

Recent Congressional Activity

Conquering Pain Act (S.1024), sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden (OR) and cosponsored by Senators Gordon Smith (OR), John D. Rockefeller, IV (WV) and John Breaux (LA)
Conquering Pain Act (H.R.2156) sponsored by Representative Darlene Hooley (OR) and cosponsored by Representatives Nancy L. Johnson (CT) and Jim Greenwood (PA)

Conclusion

"To provide comprehensive, effective, quality end-of-life care to the terminally ill, we must attend to the psychosocial aspects of the dying process. . . ."
"[Further, to] appropriately address comprehensive pain and symptom management, we must incorporate [psychosocial issues] into our overall thinking about mental health, quality of care, and health system structures." (Wyden, 2000, pp. 580-581).

Key References

Ron Wyden. (2000). Steps to Improve Quality of Life for People Who are Dying. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 6, 575-581.