Mental Health Counselors

Career Description: Counsel with emphasis on prevention. Work with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental health. May help individuals deal with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; suicide; stress management; problems with self-esteem; and issues associated with aging and mental and emotional health.

Industry: Community and Social Services

Other Job Titles for Mental Health Counselors:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
• Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, and help them to develop insight into themselves and their relationships.
• Guide clients in the development of skills and strategies for dealing with their problems.
• Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
• Counsel clients and patients, individually and in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, and making changes.
• Collect information about clients through interviews, observation, and tests.
• Act as client advocates to coordinate required services or to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
• Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
• Collaborate with other staff members to perform clinical assessments and develop treatment plans.
• Evaluate clients' physical or mental condition based on review of client information.
• Meet with families, probation officers, police, and other interested parties to exchange necessary information during the treatment process.
• Refer patients, clients, or family members to community resources or to specialists as necessary.
• Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting clients or patients.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
• Plan, organize and lead structured programs of counseling, work, study, recreation and social activities for clients.
• Modify treatment activities and approaches as needed to comply with changes in clients' status.
• Learn about new developments in their field by reading professional literature, attending courses and seminars, and establishing and maintaining contact with other social service agencies.
• Discuss with individual patients their plans for life after leaving therapy.
• Gather information about community mental health needs and resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy.
• Monitor clients' use of medications.
• Supervise other counselors, social service staff, and assistants.
• Plan and conduct programs to prevent substance abuse or improve community health and counseling services.
• Run workshops and courses about mental health issues.
• Address community groups, faculty, and staff members to explain available counseling services.
• Attend staff meetings and serve on committees as required.
• Compile and study occupational, educational, and economic information to assist counselees in determining and carrying out vocational and educational objectives.
• Provide information for teachers and staff members involved in helping students or graduates identify and pursue employment opportunities.
• Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements and write letters of recommendation.
• Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.
• Provide special services such as alcohol and drug prevention programs and classes that teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to violence.
• Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms.
• Observe children during classroom and play activities to gain additional information about them.
• Interview clients to obtain information about employment history, educational background, and career goals, and to identify barriers to employment.
• Establish and supervise peer counseling and peer tutoring programs.
• Plan and promote career and employment-related programs such as work-experience programs.
• Refer qualified counselees to employers or employment services for job placement.
• Sponsor extracurricular activities such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
• Perform administrative duties such as hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
• Provide information to businesses regarding human resource and employment issues.

Emerging Tasks

• Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
• Coordinate and direct employee workshops, courses, and training about mental health issues.
• Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated paperwork (e.g., consent and release forms), client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
• Supervise other counselors, social service staff, assistants, and graduate students.
• Organize workshops and presentations on career planning and other career-related issues.
• Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, writing letters, answering phone calls, copying, and faxing.
• Plan and promote career and employment-related programs and events, such as work-experience programs, job fairs, and career days.
• Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.
• Prepare master schedule for curriculum offerings.
• Serve as a liaison between the school and parents, educational institutions, and community service agencies.
• Supervise, train, and direct professional staff and interns.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• advise clients in emergency situations
• analyze psychological testing data
• assess therapy needs of patients
• assist clients in understanding personal or interactive problems
• coordinate social service activities with resource providers
• counsel individuals with personal problems
• develop community programs
• develop treatment plans
• direct and coordinate activities of workers or staff
• empathize with others during counseling or related services
• evaluate client progress against measurable recorded goals
• evaluate patient response to therapy
• follow confidentiality procedures
• follow patient observation procedures
• manage detailed case records in a social work setting
• monitor client progress
• obtain information from individuals
• plan therapy treatment program
• recognize physical or emotional abuse
• record client's personal data
• refer clients to community services or resources
• relate to clients' socioeconomic conditions
• use agency mission as a guideline in social services delivery
• use behavior modification techniques
• use conflict resolution techniques
• use counseling techniques
• use current social research
• use grief counseling techniques
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use intervention techniques
• use interviewing procedures
• work with persons with mental disabilities or illnesses
• use interviewing procedures
• use psychological assessment tools
• use scientific research methodology
• work with persons with mental disabilities or illnesses
• use conflict resolution techniques
• use counseling techniques
• use current social research
• use grief counseling techniques
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use intervention techniques
• use interviewing procedures
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use scientific research methodology
• use teaching techniques
• work as a team member

Overall Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Education
A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, physicists, school psychologists, and surgeons.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$17.31
• Average annual wage (2007) - $36,000.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 30.03%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 29,965
• Employment (2006): 99,794

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• Occupational Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Recreational Therapists
• Residential Advisors
• Social and Human Service Assistants
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