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What is a behavioral health specialist and how to become one
A behavioral health specialist works in the mental health field and provides support to individuals with mental health disorders. They work to identify and manage patient conditions and develop treatment plans. They may work in various settings including hospitals, clinics, and private practices. Behavioral health specialists use counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and medication management techniques to help patients. They also collaborate with others to ensure comprehensive care. Ultimately, behavioral health specialists aim to improve patients’ lives.
What general advice would you give to a behavioral health specialist?
Barb Burdge Ph.D.
Chair, Dept. of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminology Director and Field Instruction Coordinator, Social Work Program Professor of Social Work, Manchester University
Avg. Salary $44,808
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 9%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%
Asian 3.12%
Black or African American 7.90%
Hispanic or Latino 7.90%
Unknown 6.24%
White 74.22%
Genderfemale 70.79%
male 29.21%
Age - 42American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 42Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a behavioral health specialist?
Pros
Opportunity to make a positive impact on community health
Competitive salaries and benefits
High demand for behavioral health specialists in many areas
Work with a diverse group of clients and colleagues
Flexibility in scheduling and work hours
Cons
Challenging work with complex cases and difficult patients
Heavy workload and long hours at times
Exposure to traumatic events and situations
High level of responsibility for patient care
Potential for experiencing ethical dilemmas or conflicts
Behavioral health specialist career paths
Key steps to become a behavioral health specialist
Explore behavioral health specialist education requirements
Start to develop specific behavioral health specialist skills
Skills Percentages Patients 16.46% Social Work 15.54% Substance Abuse 7.62% Rehabilitation 5.80% Patient Care 5.64% Complete relevant behavioral health specialist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New behavioral health specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a behavioral health specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real behavioral health specialist resumes.Research behavioral health specialist duties and responsibilities
- Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
- Complete training in CPR, self-defense, and mental health.
- Monitor meals for residents suffering from eating disorders and provide compassion and encouragement when an individual are struggling with eating.
- Work with kids who have special needs.
Prepare your behavioral health specialist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your behavioral health specialist resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a behavioral health specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable behavioral health specialist resume templates
Build a professional behavioral health specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your behavioral health specialist resume.
Apply for behavioral health specialist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a behavioral health specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first behavioral health specialist job
Are you a behavioral health specialist?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average behavioral health specialist salary
The average behavioral health specialist salary in the United States is $44,808 per year or $22 per hour. Behavioral health specialist salaries range between $29,000 and $66,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do behavioral health specialists rate their job?
Behavioral health specialist reviews
Stressful, dangerous neighborhoods, sometimes parents are dangerous as well. Work life balance isn't good. Documentation is very time consuming and you will bring that home to finish. If your agency requires that you do your app recorded time sheets then that will prove ardously time consuming constaint that cuts right into your work/home life balance...it's terrible. Wear and tear on your car, no shows from parents upsetting children and paid mileage is horrible. Get ready to barely have a life.
Working collaboratively with clients to help them understand themselves and experience their authentic selves. Learning from my clients.
The (working) clients will always be the best part of this job. There are certain individuals who you can feel want to learn more about their conditions and to adopt healthier thinking patterns or lifestyles.
The insane amount of paperwork, the insurance/agency politics, the high expectations, the low amount of support. Burnout is very concerning for a profession where people in the frontline are the ones trying to make a difference. Individuals who work in this field need to have an incentive to keep pushing. I’m sorry but a kind heart and good intentions are not enough to sustain this type of career.
Updated January 8, 2025
