If you have decided that you want to pursue a career in the mental health industry, find out about the possibilities and resources available before figuring out which specialization is right for you.
Steps
Method 1 of 7: Consider All Options for a Mental Health Career
The field of mental health is vast and in full development. Your options range from becoming a general counselor to a professional psychiatrist, with dozens of positions in between. When you start researching the best career choice for your case, you open your mind. Sometimes it's not easy to make a decision that's completely satisfactory or appropriate, but it's worth a try.
Step 1. Review professional and non-professional career paths
The former plan to follow often long training programs, with consequent internships or apprenticeships, while the latter could be characterized by short-term training programs or sessions with certificate issuance.
- The degrees to become a professional, for example a psychologist, a nurse, a doctor or a psychiatrist, require a considerable training effort before you can enter the world of work.
- Non-professional career paths may offer you similar exposure to good job satisfaction without the same educational commitment. If you follow this path, you can become a consultant, administrator, medical assistant, receptionist or support group monitor.
Step 2. Don't discard anything initially
While you've never seen yourself as a social worker or doctor, don't let the mental images you have don't allow you to evaluate all the options at stake. If you have the right willpower, you can follow any path.
Step 3. Consider alternatives to your current position
If you are currently practicing your profession in a related field, you may be doing lateral work to move to a position more akin to mental health.
For example, if you work in a hospital, apply for a position that allows you to deal with the case management of alcohol and drug abuse or try to move from your job as a math teacher to that of an assistant to a group of young people. who need support
Method 2 of 7: Research Mental Health Career Pathways in the Medical Field
If you have the time and willpower to pursue a career in the medical field, determine all your options before selecting a single path. Even in the medical industry the amount of contact you will have with people suffering from mental illness could vary greatly, and you need to be prepared for the lifestyle and dedication that each path will demand.
Step 1. You could become a specialist doctor, such as a psychiatrist
To pursue this profession, you must follow a university program and graduate, as well as take the postgraduate course after completing your studies. While salaries can be excellent, the work-life balance that will characterize your day-to-day life may vary widely depending on the environment in which you work.
- Physicians can find work offering emergency mental health care for individuals who are admitted to a hospital or providing medical supervision for patients in rehabilitation or psychiatric institutions. They can also work to find the ideal medication regimens for patients who have certain mental health needs.
- Psychiatrists can offer professional treatment to individuals suffering from various mental illnesses, addictions and imbalances. They can provide a variety of therapies and prescribe medications to help resolve or eliminate the symptoms of certain disorders. In addition, they have the opportunity to be hired in private or group practices or at larger mental health institutions, such as psychiatric hospitals.
Step 2. Consider nursing or assistance programs
Becoming a nurse or a physician's assistant can be a faster and cheaper way to enter the field of mental health medically. Although medical care programs are longer and often more competitive, they are also considerably faster than becoming a psychiatrist or any other type of doctor.
- Assistants working in the medical field spend a lot of time interacting with patients. By finding work in a psychiatric hospital or such unit, or by working in a mental health office, caregivers can regularly care for individuals who have certain needs.
- The assistants' duties include carrying out anthropometric and hematological analyzes, conducting admission questionnaires, explaining to patients what they can expect during the visit, updating medical records and directly assisting the doctor during procedures and emergencies.
Method 3 of 7: Consider Social Work or Counseling
If the sometimes cold nature of the medical field exerts no attraction to you, there are many important career options in the mental health industry beyond hospitals and clinics. Social workers, employment or addiction counselors, charity collection organizers, and psychologists in general can offer valuable services to clients who have mental health needs.
Step 1. Examine a classic degree program
Social work, family counseling, and mental health therapy may require professional qualification and education in some areas.
- Many training programs can be completed in less time than a regular undergraduate degree, but some (such as social work and psychology) can be followed up to a master's or doctoral degree.
- Check the requirements of the place where you live before starting work as a psychologist, counselor or psychotherapist to make sure you are not practicing illegally.
Step 2. Get experience by volunteering
While you can't volunteer as a doctor to get an idea of what a career entails, you can often volunteer at community mental health and social care centers to learn more about other careers.
Call homeless shelters, rehabilitation centers, labor and social care counseling offices, local veteran services office, and even public school to ask if they need support with case management, counseling for admissions, phone calls, office supervision or conducting support group sessions. You may find many places happy to immediately offer you an experience
Method 4 of 7: Examine Careers in Emergency Mental Health
If you have the stomach and the courage to handle stressful and high-energy situations, emergency mental health services or crisis counseling may be ideal for you. Look for programs and positions for emergency medical technicians, consultants who manage crises through the switchboard, and for attendants.
Step 1. Get first aid training in the mental health sector
Offered in short sessions, this training will teach you the basics of identifying and intervening in mental health crises.
If the nature of the job calls your attention, you may want to seek out training programs for emergency technicians and use them to apply to mental health institutions, hospitals, crisis management centers, and emergency response teams
Step 2. Challenge yourself with crisis management advice
Many mental health call centers and community centers have volunteer staff, but they often need reliable employees who can talk to patients in tough times, until emergency medical teams arrive.
If you decide to give crisis counseling a try, remember that phone calls can be made by self-destructive teens, abusive drug addicts, and suicidal seniors. Many of your interactions with people will be stressful and the pressure will be high, in fact they can include graphic language and awkward discussions
Step 3. Consider taking care of the safety of mental health institutions
In many cases, organizations working with mentally ill individuals have increased safety precautions. If you have the physical strength and the desire to work in this field, you may find work to protect staff and patients through risky situation control techniques.
Graduate schools, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric units, and community centers are often desperate for a staff member who can handle the physical appearance of mentally ill patient shots. Situations like this can be messy, violent, intimidating and dangerous, and they're not for everyone
Method 5 of 7: Consider Mental Health Awareness and Support Careers
If you are looking forward to entering the mental health industry but working with patients or in treatment centers is not your thing, try taking on a job in the world of support and awareness. Many charitable and non-profit groups exist with the sole purpose of spreading positive messages about mental health. Associations of this type focus on helping those who need to find assistance without being afraid of stigmas and to demystify the clichés about these disorders.
Step 1. Search for groups on social networks
For example, organizations like To Write Love on Her Arms and Bring Change 2 Mind are highly active online and in many cities across North America.
Social networking organizations are often looking for writers, photographers, web designers, marketing and graphic design specialists, fundraising staff, and event planners
Step 2. Work to spread awareness with traveling groups about this
Many international mental health associations offer lecture tours, concerts, sticker and poster campaigns, commercial radio presentations, and awareness events around the world.
Consider jobs coordinating events, networking with hospitals and nonprofits, organizing school activities (such as free counseling or inviting a celebrity to speak), promoting relevant books and films, or advertising various organizations' events
Method 6 of 7: Weigh the Pros and Cons
Once you have written all your realistic options for a career in the mental health industry and considered the possibilities available without further training, start narrowing down the list. Take into account all the positives and negatives of each option and weigh your choices carefully.
Step 1. Find out about the types of graduate and career programs you need to choose from
- If possible, become a shadow of someone already doing that type of work to get an idea of how a typical day for this career evolves.
- Take note of the type of business you will be willing to perform (the good ones, the bad ones, the unpleasant ones), the salary you can expect in the beginning and in the long run, the type of environment you will work in, if the career niche is expanding, what your typical working day will look like and other work characteristics that are important to you.
Step 2. Make a list of the pros and cons
Write down what you consider to be good or bad for each option. Discard the possibilities that don't interest you based on your searches and preferences for certain characteristics if you can.
Step 3. Compare the lists based on the most important factors
Review the remaining options and see if any of them should still be considered based on what matters most to you.
For example, if you absolutely want to do a job with regular patient interaction, you should rule out options like hospital administration
Step 4. Narrow the list and rank your choices
Once you have eliminated the options that you find unattractive and that did not offer features that you consider indispensable, try to make a ranking of the choices that remain.
Method 7 of 7: Select the Mental Health Career That Is Right for You
Part of selecting the right industry career is knowing yourself and knowing what you want from this profession. If you are not thrilled about a potential career choice, cross it off the list and focus only on opportunities that you believe will fulfill you.
Step 1. Choose a career that you love
It would be unpleasant to redirect your career, especially after paying handsomely to train you, for example you find that being a social worker bores you to death. Make sure you have a passion for the career you will choose.
Step 2. Select a career that offers growth opportunities
In order to stay in the mental health field, choose an option that will give you the chance to improve, advance and succeed as your skills and interests evolve for the better.
Step 3. Remember to be flexible
If your first choice was infeasible due to denied admissions or financial reasons, don't forget that there are many paths to the ideal career for you in the mental health field.
- You may be making yourself more attractive to training programs or potential employers in the industry. Try the free opportunities to gain experience in mental health or do some training, for example you can get a certificate in first aid specialized in this field or volunteer at your city hospital or in a crisis management center.
- Make sure you gradually build up mental health experience and visit a professional counselor to help you tailor your resume to make a good impression on organizations in this field.
- Your experience may reflect more skills relevant to potential jobs than you think; describe what you did as an internship assistant at university, such as including behavior monitoring and youth counseling, or the time spent working as a bartender, which allowed you to develop the ability to win over people and a unmatched listening skills.
