What Are Popular Jobs in Behavioral Health Services?
Careers in behavioral health services provide valuable support to individuals needing to address behavior health issues, such as mental illness, depression, addiction or injury. Learn about a few career opportunities within the field of behavioral health services.
Possible Career Options in Behavioral Health Services
A variety of career opportunities are available within the field of behavioral health services. One of the main opportunities includes counseling services. Most of the counseling career paths require you to complete a 4-year degree in a behavioral health studies, or a related health field, and most require a master's degree. Job opportunities include becoming a mental health counselor, behavioral disorder counselor or rehabilitation counselor.
Important Facts About This Field
| Mental Health Counselor | Behavioral Disorder Counselor | Rehabilitation Counselor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required Education | Master's degree | Master's degree | Master's degree |
| Job Outlook (2021-2031) | 22% | 22% | 11% |
| Certification | National Certified School Counselor | Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Mental Addiction Counselor | Certified Rehabilitation Counselor |
| On-The-Job Training | Supervised clinical experience | Supervised crisis training | Supervised clinical experience |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mental Health Counselor
A mental health counselor helps families and individuals deal with emotional and mental disorders. As a mental health counselor, you may address a variety of issues, such as depression, loss of self-esteem, substance abuse, thoughts of suicide, grief and stress. In addition to working closely with other mental health professionals, including psychologists, school counselors or clinical social workers, you may provide community outreach programs and mediation services. The BLS reported that mental health counselors in the U.S. earned a median annual salary of $48,520, as of May 2021.
Behavioral Disorder Counselor
If you provide behavioral disorder counseling, you'll deal with people who have issues related to gambling, eating, drugs, alcohol and other behavioral issues. You'll focus on helping your clients to identify what triggers their destructive behaviors and how to deal with the root cause of their addictions. The median annual income for behavioral disorder counselors, as reported by the BLS in May 2021, was $48,520.
Rehabilitation Counselor
Are you interested in helping individuals with disabilities to cope with the personal, vocational and social issues that often come along with having a disability? As a rehabilitation counselor, you would meet with clients and their families in order to better determine their limitations and identify their strengths. Your main focus will be to coordinate services and assist clients to build self-confidence in order to live as independently as possible, regardless of their disability. Rehabilitation counselors earned a median annual salary of $38,560 in May 2021, reported the BLS.
Other Career Options
In addition to the counseling careers detailed above, a degree in behavioral health services can prepare you for a variety of other job opportunities. Other options include working as a case manager, health educator, community outreach specialist or human service assistant. Common employers for these types of positions include youth centers, community outreach programs, nonprofit organizations, criminal justice facilities and health care organizations.