Essential skills for managed behavioral health care.

Pressure from payers for cost containment and accountability is forcing clinicians to refine existing skills and develop new areas of competence. To adequately address patients' needs in the new health care environment, clinicians must master at least six skill sets and the individual skills within each set. This paper describes six core skill sets-clinical care skills, clinical management skills, clinical knowledge, skills with special populations, administrative competence, and ethical care management-and specific skills within each set. These descriptions are intended to serve as a how-to manual for modern behavioral practice.