Mental Health Counselors

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.

Job Task

• Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
• Modify treatment activities and approaches as needed in order to comply with changes in clients' status.
• Plan, organize and lead structured programs of counseling, work, study, recreation and social activities for clients.
• Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
• 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.
• Gather information about community mental health needs and resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy.
• 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.
• Meet with families, probation officers, police, and other interested parties in order to exchange necessary information during the treatment process.
• Monitor clients' use of medications.
• Act as client advocates in order to coordinate required services or to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
• Collaborate with other staff members to perform clinical assessments and develop treatment plans.
• Collect information about clients through interviews, observation, and tests.
• Counsel clients and patients, individually and in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, and making changes.
• Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
• Discuss with individual patients their plans for life after leaving therapy.
• 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.
• Evaluate clients' physical or mental condition based on review of client information.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
• Guide clients in the development of skills and strategies for dealing with their problems.
• 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.

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