There is no question that having a career in mental health is as extremely rewarding as knowing the most useful certifications to advance the profession. However, this type of career can be emotionally taxing and somewhat challenging.
As such, mental healthcare workers need to learn and develop the self-care tools and the relevant skills and techniques required to perform in such a challenging role. Of course, higher education is the best way to acquire these skills.
Qualifications in mental health can be obtained by studying at a university facility or tertiary education provider. However, with so many mental health degrees and qualifications, it can be difficult to choose the best one!
So, if you’re interested in learning more about becoming a qualified mental healthcare worker, our tips will assist you in choosing the most useful mental health certification. Just read on!
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Becoming Qualified as a Mental Health Worker: What Degree Should I Choose?
The mental healthcare industry is steadily increasing in importance in our society. Indeed, with more and more individuals suffering from mental health issues today, mental healthcare workers are in high demand!
So too, are the number of certification courses available to people looking to pursue a career in mental health. But what is the best mental healthcare degree to choose?
A graduate diploma in mental health is an excellent choice for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree. Better yet, you can achieve a Graduate Diploma of Counselling online, in your own time.
By undertaking this certification via online study methods, you can expect to cover course units, including the foundations of core counseling skills, counseling theory, principles of ethical conduct, diversity and inclusion concepts, and grief and trauma counseling techniques, among other areas study.
Of course, the best thing about studying online is that the course material is available to access virtually – whenever it best suits you. That means you can study late at night or even early in the morning before work!
By studying online, you can keep up with your personal and professional commitments while looking. Online courses can also be taken part-time, with this particular degree being able to be completed within just 16 months on a part-time basis.
You’ll be qualified as a counselor in no time! And with that, many career options and doorways will open up. You’ll be well on your way to a satisfying and fulfilling career in mental healthcare.
Career Pathways: What Job Roles are Available in the Mental Healthcare Industry?
Once you are equipped with a qualification in mental health, the opportunities are virtually endless. You can choose to pursue the counseling route or even elect to specialize in niche areas of mental healthcare.
Of course, once qualified in mental health, you are unlikely to have trouble getting a job with your counseling degree! Indeed, just some of the many and diverse job roles available to mental healthcare workers are as follows:
1. Counsellor (Private Practice)
One of the most common career pathways for an individual qualified in mental healthcare is to become a counselor in a private practice. As well as being very emotionally rewarding, satisfying, and fulfilling, it is essential to note that this particular career pathway is one of the most lucrative (salary-wise) in mental health.
Many private mental health practitioners charge consultation fees of over AUD 220 per one-hour session, so the earning opportunities are nothing to sneeze at! Indeed, you can earn a perfect living by pursuing this particular career path.
Additionally, you will experience a great deal of job satisfaction in terms of being able to actively help and assist your patients to deal with difficult life situations.
Admittedly less lucrative in earning potential than being a private counselor, a youth and social work career is not for everyone.
Often driven by moral motivations, an individual pursuing this profession needs to be in it for the right reasons! As such, they must be emotionally strong, resilient, and able to deal with challenging and confronting situations.
For instance, their patients are likely to be marginalized individuals needing significant emotional support. Nevertheless, the profession of a social worker is gratifying and can be said to make a real difference where it is needed most.
3. Corrections/Prison Support Officer
Slightly more niche and specialized, mental healthcare workers can also use their qualifications in the disciplinary arena. Often specializing in offering vocational counseling to prison inmates, this role includes providing emotional support to those behind bars.
It also serves a careers counselor role by offering prisoners guidance to pathways towards employment post-incarceration.
The Benefits: Why Should I Pursue a Career Path in Mental Healthcare?
While there is a definite potential for earning opportunities in mental healthcare – especially as a counselor in private practice – this is not the primary motivating factor for most individuals aspiring to a career in mental health.
Indeed, the most crucial element for many is the knowledge that you can make a difference in society. By supporting individuals who need help, your role is essential to the mental well-being of your patients.
Although this particular career can be very emotionally taxing, you can rest assured that you are making an important impact in the lives of those who need it most. And that, in itself, is extremely rewarding.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt about it, a career in mental healthcare is not for the faint of heart! However, by undertaking the relevant studies and completing a qualification in mental health, you can develop the tools and techniques you need to excel in your career.
Once you have graduated with your mental health certification, you can also rest assured that you will always be able to find a job role relatively easily. And with that role comes the job satisfaction and fulfillment of pursuing a career that helps people be the best they can be.
