I Left Behavioral Health after 23 Years: Ask me anything

I was a Clinical Therapist for 16 years and I left at the end of a 7-year stint as the CEO of a Comprehensive Service Agency.

The common narrative is that this country (U.S.) and most of the world are in the middle of a mental health crisis. I will offer my insight to anyone who asks.

I was a Clinical Therapist for 16 years and I left at the end of a 7-year stint as the CEO of a Comprehensive Service Agency.

The common narrative is that this country (U.S.) and most of the world are in the middle of a mental health crisis. I will offer my insight to anyone who asks.

Hello Aaron, thank you for offering your life long earned knowledge and experience on the subject. Why do you think or do you think we are in the middle of a mental health crisis? I personally think it's just the symptom of the real problem we are in...a Spiritual crisis and war. Any thoughts?

I’m thinking it’s more a spiritual Crisis.

"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD.

- Amos 8:11

Hi Aaron,

Praise God for Christian health workers!

Many years ago I was studying to be a clinical psychologist -- but life happened and I got bumped onto another path.

My family and friends often ask why I didn't go back to school and finish (I was almost done with my Master's program but I know I would have had to complete a doctorate, as the state I was in was very competitive.) However, something I found myself discovering as I took higher level classes was that the insurance companies rule everything.

I was becoming very disillusioned by the fact that it seemed as a clinician, I would have to lie on a regular basis if I were to take up that kind of work. It seemed to me that medical professionals are forced to fit their patients with a diagnosis that fits into what insurance will pay for, not what patients actually might be suffering with or what they might really need. But, I also understand that it may the only way to get them help.

So if insurance says it will only pay for X, Y, and Z, and your patient has A, B, and C, did you have to try to say that your patient somehow had X, Y, or Z, even if that wasn't close to being true?

I have also heard of incidences of diagnosing people with things they don't have just to "treat" them longer and keep the insurance money flowing, though I know this happens throughout the medical community.

Over time, I understood why God led me on a different path -- I couldn't have dealt with that kind of atmosphere. But I have utmost admiration for those who have served in this field.

In your professional experience, how do Christians in the field handle/get around these situations?

You have good insight.

You summarized, very well, what eventually led to my exit from the field: it became governed by money.

As a wee-lad (okay, not that young) I wrestled with this very thing although on a much more muted scale. I asked God show me why He had led me to behavioral health. I was there simply to "learn about people". That quieted my soul for many years. As the changes began to mount (at that time I was a CEO) I knew my exit was not long away.

In my state, the politicians gave a handful of insurance companies all the behavioral health dollars to manage. These companies had nuanced definitions of "quality care". The differences amounted to a rating and measuring system unique to the company so each contract was different at their cores.

Of course, these were companies who are skilled at not paying the provider what is due. I realized, just in time, that I did not want to spend my best years wrangling with insurance companies. I announced my leaving in January. My final day was in April. I stayed long enough to train up the administrators for the day-to-day operations.

You have good insight.

You summarized, very well, what eventually led to my exit from the field: it became governed by money.

As a wee-lad (okay, not that young) I wrestled with this very thing although on a much more muted scale. I asked God show me why He had led me to behavioral health. I was there simply to "learn about people". That quieted my soul for many years. As the changes began to mount (at that time I was a CEO) I knew my exit was not long away.

In my state, the politicians gave a handful of insurance companies all the behavioral health dollars to manage. These companies had nuanced definitions of "quality care". The differences amounted to a rating and measuring system unique to the company so each contract was different at their cores.

Of course, these were companies who are skilled at not paying the provider what is due. I realized, just in time, that I did not want to spend my best years wrangling with insurance companies. I announced my leaving in January. My final day was in April. I stayed long enough to train up the administrators for the day-to-day operations.

So, I say, even if a person is "Born this way.", the fact that God created man perfect and is able to restore man to perfection that there is no excuse for remaining that way.

The church is so lacking in this area. I have shared about my sister and her issues to find someone to help her in her marriage. She never got that help and now these issues have spread to her teen children. It breaks my heart and I did all I could do to help. I so wish the church would support Christian teaching in this area.

2nd Thess. 2: 7-11 says:
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

And, Romans 1: 22-28; says, 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Years ago a ten year old boy caught my attention because he was strutting like a runway model as he walked passed me. Later on I found out the he eventually told his family and friends that he had a same sex attraction or that he was gay. I also remember that the heritage foundation came out with a study that supported that a same sex attraction can be due to a physical cross wiring condition, but God made a clear distinction between all of His other creations and His creation of man when the scriptures said the God saw that His creation of man was, not just good, but that, man, His creation, was "very good". Male and female was created perfect, and God told Eve that her "desire" would be to the man. It seems to me the desires of the daughter of Eve, would also be physically inherited because God spoke it into existence like He did all his creation except for, male and female, which He purposely took the time to create from the dust of the earth with His own hands, but I've heard people with a same sex attraction say, "Born this way.", not taking into consideration that it was the consequence of sin, that made man, God's creation, not perfect. So, I say, even if a person is "Born this way.", the fact that God created man perfect and is able to restore man to perfection that there is no excuse for remaining that way.

I was a Clinical Therapist for 16 years and I left at the end of a 7-year stint as the CEO of a Comprehensive Service Agency.

The common narrative is that this country (U.S.) and most of the world are in the middle of a mental health crisis. I will offer my insight to anyone who asks.

You bring up a very good point: where is the church in all of this?

It is clear that there is great emphasis about having the mind of Christ and about the renewing of our mind. This assumes a general state of fallenness where our mind and thoughts are concerned.

One of my most troubling moments was when, as a young man, I was invited by a pastor to a meeting. He knew I was a believer and a clinical therapist. He wanted me to survey the church to see what they needed. I asked, “You mean you’re the shepherd and you don’t know what your flock needs?” (I did not have much of a filter in my youth.). Needless to say our conversation ended abruptly. I was hurt inwardly knowing that the church was under the care of such people. Here I was, known very little by the pastor, being asked to survey the people under his care. I assumed he was impressed with my degree (he was more impressed than I was.)

They have given over authority in these areas to the secularly educated. I am certainly not against education but even advanced degrees can be obtained by the basest of men and women.

Yes, I agree from all I've seen and heard. When a pastor of my sisters was counseling she and her hubby having serious issues, his advice was "fight naked, then you won't be upset anymore". I couldn't believe that this was advice you'd give a struggling couple. Several years later, ya you got it, he left his wife. smh

A-ha! I didn't know this about you but it's good to know my friend.

Okay, in your professional opinion do you think the Internet has anything to do with this craziness?

Wouldn't say it created it, just let us know how bad it really is out there. lol

There’s that, too: the evolution of news. When “likes” became monetized (either directly or indirectly) the content was shifted to appeal to our souls. The truth is lost in the opinion because the opinion, the more salacious the better, garners more clicks.

I was a Clinical Therapist for 16 years and I left at the end of a 7-year stint as the CEO of a Comprehensive Service Agency.

The common narrative is that this country (U.S.) and most of the world are in the middle of a mental health crisis. I will offer my insight to anyone who asks.