The field of socials services can be an excellent career path for many different people. In addition to social work jobs, you will find a wide variety of mental health jobs here, as well. What sort of jobs will you find in the mental health field? What career path will be the right one for your needs? Obviously, knowing your options will help you make the best decisions regarding your education and employment.
Mental Health Positions Available
Counseling is one of the most common of all mental health jobs. It is also one of the most diverse. As a counselor, you can find work in any number of different areas. For instance, colleges, universities and high schools frequently need skilled counselors. You may also find work with community health centers, with medical facilities, hospitals and more.
Social workers also deal with patients with mental health concerns. Mental health positions in the field of social work might include helping those with mental health problems find work, find housing, find education and more. You might also monitor progress, assess their condition and the need for additional treatment.
Psychologists constitute another area where you may find numerous mental health jobs. Psychologists might work in a medical setting, in an academic setting, a research setting or even within the education sector. You might help people directly, or you might research treatments for diseases and mental conditions.
Education Required for Mental Health Jobs
While the technical entry level for social services and related fields is a bachelor’s degree, you will find far more positions open to you if you have a master’s degree. In addition, many clinical psychology job positions cannot be reached without a Ph.D. Even then, you might find that you still have to have years of experience. Therefore, it pays enormous dividends to examine the educational requirements of any position that piques your interest in the realm of mental health. While mental health jobs abound, you have to have a solid educational foundation to get started.
This means that you will have to find the right school for your needs, as well. Online and traditional education providers can help you get started. However, make sure that you investigate the accreditation and the educational courses offered by any school before making a decision.
Additional Resources
The Bureau of Labor Statistics can give you good information about mental health jobs.
Understanding the variety of social work degrees available, including online social work degree options.
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