Mental Health Jobs

When most people think of mental health jobs, they think of therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. The mental health field is made up of far more professionals than just those. There might even be some positions here you never would have related to mental health jobs.

Psychiatrist: A psychiatrist is at the top of the food chain in the world of mental health. This position often relies heavily on the reports of others in the mental health profession as they develop treatment plans for clients. Their main duty is to assess and treat mental health issues that require some type of medication. A psychiatrist is also a licensed medical practitioner. With the possible exception of CEOs, this is the highest paying profession in the mental health industry.

Psychologist: The psychologist is primarily involved in testing and interpreting test results. The psychologist cannot prescribe medications. They interpret personality and I.Q. tests in order to diagnose personality and mood disorders. Many psychologists are involved in mental health research projects. In the past, clients who were admitted to inpatient facilities and sometimes even outpatient facilities were first given a series of psychological tests. Changes in insurance has limited this practice and therefore decreased the need for psychologists.

Therapist: In outpatient facilities, the therapist is the one who has the most patient contact. This position requires a college education in most states, but in some states requires no education at all. There are a variety of specializations in the occupation of therapists. There are family, marriage, child and other types of therapists. In inpatient settings, the therapist works closely with the rest of the treatment plan team to decide on an effective treatment plan and discharge date. The therapist has somewhat limited contact with clients in inpatient facilities.

Mental Health Technician: This position is probably one of the most overlooked and underpaid in the field of mental health. These technicians are the ones who spend the most time with the patients in an inpatient setting. The intrinsic rewards far exceed material wealth as the MHT works closely with patients and staff to document behavior and assist in implementing the treatment plan on a day to day basis.

Nurse: The nursing staff in psychiatric inpatient facilities is spending more and more time behind the counter as insurance companies demand more and more paper work. They are the primary medical facilitators between the psychiatrist and the patient, administering medication and keeping detailed records. Actual patient contact is often very limited. Some nurses even serve directly below the CEO as administrators of the nursing staff.

Dietitian: There must be a dietitian in any inpatient facility. The dietitian has the responsibility of budgeting and making menu decisions. While this sounds like just the job for those interested in healthy eating, it's often compromised by the financial limits. The dietitian usually has a staff to assist in food prep and maintaining the kitchen.

Maintenance: Maybe you want to work in the mental health industry but have no people skills or interest in patient contact. The maintenance position may be what you're looking for. Where there is a building there is a maintenance department.

Housekeeping: The larger the facility the larger the housekeeping staff. This staff will be well versed in safe handling of bodily fluids and cleaning chemicals.

Administrative support: This is the category for medical billing, accounting, reception and other positions that fulfill the various functions that go along with all the paper work in this industry. The size of this staff is usually pretty comparable to the size of the nursing staff.

Patient advocate: The patient advocate is the one who makes sure patients' rights are not violated. This position is often coupled with another position, such as the discharge manager and usually works more with the staff than the patients.

As you can see, there are a variety of positions within the mental health field. Educational requirements for each position are going to vary by location due to state regulations.

Reference: Author experience