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Job outlook for mental health assistants in the United States
Mental health assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected mental health assistant job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 64,000 new jobs for mental health assistants are projected over the next decade.
Mental health assistant salaries have increased 14% for mental health assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 44,187 mental health assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 133,248 active mental health assistant job openings in the US.
The average mental health assistant salary is $34,333.
Are mental health assistant jobs in demand?
Mental health assistant job and salary trends over time
Mental health assistant jobs over time
Mental health assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44,187 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 42,010 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 39,966 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 37,584 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 35,577 | 0.01% |
Average mental health assistant salary over time
Mental health assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $34,333 | $16.51 | +4.4% |
| 2025 | $32,874 | $15.80 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $31,599 | $15.19 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $30,478 | $14.65 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $30,090 | $14.47 | +1.3% |
Mental health assistant jobs by state
Most common states for mental health assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 3,346 | 49% |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 4,845 | 38% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 213 | 31% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 221 | 30% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 371 | 28% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 173 | 28% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,526 | 27% |
| 8 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,516 | 23% |
| 9 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,378 | 23% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 219 | 23% |
| 11 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 697 | 22% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 230 | 22% |
| 13 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,395 | 21% |
| 14 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 2,099 | 21% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 403 | 21% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 356 | 21% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 283 | 21% |
| 18 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,816 | 20% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 701 | 20% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 150 | 20% |
Most common cities for mental health assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paramus | 1 | 4% | $45,334 |
| 2 | Jonesboro | 2 | 3% | $19,751 |
| 3 | Torrington | 1 | 3% | $37,385 |
| 4 | Fort Wayne | 5 | 2% | $30,217 |
| 5 | Salem | 1 | 2% | $28,181 |
| 6 | Duluth | 1 | 1% | $41,184 |
| 7 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $36,668 |
| 8 | Aurora | 1 | 0% | $34,863 |
| 9 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $29,046 |
| 10 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $27,053 |
| 11 | Mesa | 1 | 0% | $29,617 |
| 12 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $29,787 |
| 13 | Riverside | 1 | 0% | $44,311 |
Mental Health Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of mental health assistant experts
Western Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University
Florida Institute of Technology
SUNY College at Oswego
Ohio State University
California State University - Dominguez Hills
Saint Xavier University
Western Illinois University
Marymount University
St. John Fisher College
Penn State College of Medicine
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
North Dakota State University
Boston College
Monmouth University
University of New Orleans
Lindsey Nichols
Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a Mental Health Assistant?
Lindsey Nichols: Your career path is a journey not typically a single destination. You will be exposed to professions, organizations, people etc. all the time and that networking and those relationships are so important. Unfortunately, social media, movies, etc. give a false impression to viewers about what counselors (of many specialty areas like school counseling, mental health, addictions, etc.) actually do. If you know licensed/certified counselors follow-up with them, ask them questions about their day-to-day activities, and volunteer or work so you can get more exposure to the helping professions, I think about the Boys-and-Girls Club, substituting in your local school district, organizations that provide helping services to people at all ages.
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Assistant?
Dr. Vanessa Alleyne: It will be important to network and utilize professional organizations of which you are a member, such as the ACA (American Counseling Association), or the ASGW (Association for Specialists in Group Work), for example. Meet people, attend training for advanced skills in key areas, and present there when possible. Whether locally or nationally, these are valuable connections to make when starting out, and will also enhance your knowledge base as you begin and grow. Another valuable connection to be made can be found through your alma mater. Find professional affinity groups from your undergraduate program, and certainly maintain or build ties with your graduate program alumni. Finally, many people turn to social media such as Linkedin, which is fine, but can also be a bit overwhelming. Be deliberate in your choices about who to connect with, and don't get fomo! It's ok not to connect with everyone that pops up in your feed. Stay with one social media site at a time until you feel it's working the way you'd like, and then go on to another.
What Mental Health Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Vanessa Alleyne: Two of the most heavily sought out areas of expertise in the field today are trauma and substance use disorders. If you have taken courses in these areas as a grad student, bravo for you! The aftermath of the pandemic has left us in tremendous need of caring, coping strategies for trauma, as well as more evidence based, compassionate care for substance use disorders. The old tough love strategies aren't really effective in today's complex world. Sometimes students will say that they don't want to work with substance abuse, but it's shortsighted to think that you won't, even in a private practice. Many, if not most people seeking help are impacted by substances, either via someone they know or someone in the family. The emergence of legalized sports betting has also begun a new level of problematic gambling that will require a good skill set. Group work for these and other disorders will increase, so the ability to work well in groups will be in high demand. Additionally, we are at the early stages of successful use of psychedelic medicines for a range of mental health disorders. Learning about these possibilities will be important in terms of making appropriate referrals to psychedelic providers. Finally, I will mention a typically unmentionable or perhaps forgotten area that we need better skills in now more than ever. End of life counseling needs are rising as our elderly population in the US soars. We need to be able to support clients and their families through the processes and anxieties that come with these highly difficult experiences. I am beginning a summer course at MSU now in End of Life Counseling as an elective, and the class is FULL. Many of us want and need to explore this final stage of the lifespan, both professionally and personally, in order to be of maximal assistance to others.
Dr. Tiffany Bainter PhD LCPC NCC
Associate ProfessorWestern Illinois University
Clinical, Counseling And Applied Psychology
What Mental Health Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tiffany Bainter PhD LCPC NCC: Education and Credentials: Obtain relevant certifications and advanced degrees in counseling or related fields. Specializations or additional training in areas such as trauma therapy, substance abuse counseling, or marriage and family therapy can increase your market value. Gain Experience: Seek opportunities to gain practical experience through internships, volunteer work, or entry-level positions. Building a strong track record of successful counseling outcomes and client satisfaction can lead to higher-paying roles. Specialize: Consider specializing in a niche area within counseling, such as working with specific populations (e.g., children, veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals) or focusing on particular issues (e.g., trauma, addiction, grief counseling). Specialization often commands higher salaries due to the specialized expertise required. Stay Current: Stay updated with industry trends, research, and best practices in counseling. Attend conferences, workshops, and continuing education programs to enhance your knowledge and skills, making you more valuable to employers. Negotiate Skillfully: When negotiating salary with potential employers, research industry standards and average salaries for your role and location. Highlight your qualifications, experience, and unique skills during negotiations. Be confident, but also realistic and flexible in your salary expectations. Explore Different Settings: Consider working in different settings such as private practice, community mental health centers, schools, hospitals, or corporate counseling programs. Each setting may offer different salary structures and opportunities for advancement. Build a Reputation: Develop a strong professional reputation by delivering quality counseling services, building positive relationships with clients and colleagues, and receiving positive feedback and referrals. A good reputation can lead to increased demand for your services and potentially higher fees. Network and Market Yourself: Network with other professionals in the counseling field, join professional organizations, and promote your services effectively. Building a strong professional network and marketing yourself can lead to new opportunities, higher-paying clients, and consulting or speaking engagements. Consider Additional Income Streams: Explore opportunities for additional income streams such as offering workshops, writing articles or books, providing supervision or consulting services, or teaching courses related to counseling.
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Assistant?
Dr. Pamela Fullerton: All the skills we need to do well in this field are important since we are dealing with people's lives and livelihoods. I believe anyone entering this field needs to recognize the significance and seriousness of our work. In the next 3-5 years, the ever-changing landscape of the population will require us to be continuously working on the competencies and ethical codes mandated through our identities as professional counselors. There is a wonderful counseling model by Ratts and Pederson (2014) called the Counselor-Advocate-Scholar model. I teach this to all my students and during my professional development workshops. This model highlights the three main areas in which we need to be constantly working on and growing in: (1) counseling work, skills, and competencies; (2) advocacy work, skills, and competencies; and (3) research to learn about best practices, recent scholarly innovations to the field, and adding more research to our field. This model can be used in the future as it adapts to whatever changes in the field and population may be occurring/prevalent in the future.
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Assistant?
Mariana Juras Ph.D.: Be attuned to your values, passion, skills, and abilities, and also to what market values.
What Mental Health Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jodi Mullen PhD LMHC RPT-S: The bulk of the work a mental health counselor does is clinical, meaning you meet with clients and provide counseling. There is also record keeping, preparation, and administrative responsibilities. New and seasoned counselors alike spend some time in supervision and consultation with other counselors. Supervision is a time to discuss cases with a more experienced professional where there are opportunities for growth professionally and personally. Consultation involves either meeting with others connected to your clients, like parents of children clients, or with professionals in mental health and other fields that can help the counselor sort out a challenge. In that case it may be an attorney or a trauma specialist.
What will help Mental Health Assistants increase their earning potential?
Donna Sheperis PhD, LPC, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, BC-TMH: When I talk to my former students as well as my friends and colleagues in the profession, they all tell me how richly rewarded they are providing a service to people who struggle with aspects of mental health. Being part of someone’s treatment, watching them find their way through trauma that has been burdening them, helping people leave behind a pass that no longer serves them, helping them find a way through genetically predisposed illness, or to overcome thoughts of death or suicide… These are all remarkable journeys to embark on with clients. To have the privilege to be part of healing when people are in crisis and pain and at their most vulnerable is really an awesome honor. Those experiences keep us hopeful and.buoyed throughout our career. When working in such an interpersonally intense profession, carrying that weight can be challenging itself. Some of the more routine tasks of the work that we do can also be burdening. As mental health counselors, we find ourselves making sure that we seek to do our own work in order to be able to do this work for others.
What will help Mental Health Assistants increase their earning potential?
Dr. Catherine Lounsbury Ed.D., LCPC: Hello Alex, Attached please find my answers to your questions. Please let me know if anything else would be helpful. Thank you, Cathy
What Mental Health Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Samantha Bates PhD, LISW-S: One of the best things about being a mental health practitioner is supporting someone during a time of immense need. The human spirit is beautiful to witness, and the role of a mental health provider is to use the vulnerability and time spent together to empower someone to see their strengths, utilize new skills, and decide what the future holds for them. I think the best day of my professional career was when a young woman told me that had I not been in her life at the time she might not be here today. Knowing you were a support for someone, and the time you spent together made an impact, is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. One thing that is challenging in the mental health profession is the lack of coordinated services and supports. Access and equity continue to challenge the profession and are issues we must address to tackle the mental health crisis.
Phu Phan MSW, Ph.D.
Professor and ChairCalifornia State University - Dominguez Hills
Human Services
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Assistant?
Phu Phan MSW, Ph.D.: As in 1 above, always negotiate and do not just accept what they offer. 3-5K more per year is reasonable. Do this by pointing out your bonus skills such as second language and/or technical skills. Point out that you are a hard worker and will bring added value to them. Enjoy.
What Mental Health Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Phu Phan MSW, Ph.D.: Good oral and written communication are always important and they will get you far. So hone these skills continually. Write short and clear emails. Always own your own work. Learn how to appreciate supervision because it's a skill that is very important in the field. And then take opportunity to learn about mental health recovery strategies.
What will help Mental Health Assistants increase their earning potential?
Phu Phan MSW, Ph.D.: Be open to new experiences and populations. The field is very broad and very interesting. Try to stay at a job for 2 years to learn well. Negotiate your salary. Take on a professional outlook including think about a salary, and not an hourly wage.
What will help Mental Health Assistants increase their earning potential?
Kristen Toole: Post-pandemic disparities have highlighted the necessity of prioritizing mental health and the
need for more mental health providers (Fink-Samnick, 2023; Health Resources & Services
Administration, 2023). The counseling field is expected to outpace the national average for
occupational growth six-fold over the next ten years (U.S. Department of Labor, 2022). There is
no question that counselors are in demand, but there are still a few strategies for new
professionals to maximize their salary potential.
A growing number of students are entering counseling graduate programs, having completed
undergraduate minors and focus areas in related fields. This is fantastic conceptually and can be
a vital strategy for enhancing their counseling work. Skill building is one way to optimize
success and salary.
Some graduate programs, like Xavier's, offer options for obtaining additional certifications along
the way to a master's degree. In Xavier's counseling program, students can choose courses that
allow them to get certificates in addiction counseling and medical trauma-informed care. For
clinical mental health counselors, this is an excellent way to demonstrate skill mastery, and for
school counselors, it provides a unique opportunity to broaden their scope of practice. Either
way, additional certifications exhibit a commitment that potential employers can appreciate.
Counselors who are well-informed about their market value and earning potential can engage in
informed offer negotiations. Additional skills are one way beginning professionals can increase
their starting salary. However, it is important to remember that total earnings include several
elements, and salary is just one piece of that puzzle.
Counselors are immensely versatile and can find work in various settings, so they need to
understand their options in addition to their earning potential. Benefits, schedule, and location
are other things that can impact the earnings bottom line and are essential to consider. Finally,
counselors must know themselves: personality, interests, work values, and abilities impact job fit
and, ultimately, work satisfaction. These are crucial considerations for mitigating compassion
fatigue (Stamm, 2010), which can limit counselors' longevity.
New professionals must research and reflect as they enter the job market. There are many things
to consider when choosing a job, and it can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, various resources,
such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, O*Net, Glassdoor, and Monster, offer
indispensable tools and information to job seekers.
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Specialist in School Psychology and Clinical/ Community Mental Health Graduate ProgramsWestern Illinois University
Clinical, Counseling And Applied Psychology
What Mental Health Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA: - The best I can give to graduates is to focus on taking small steps at first. Often the first year in the field can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The system we work in (the helping profession broadly) often has a lot of challenges, and new professionals want to re-envision a path for changes. This is tangible, but at first, it is important to understand the roles and functions in the workplace before flipping everything upside down. I suggest taking one small change at a time in an area that is important to you and build relationships and trust with your professional colleagues before overloading yourself with the new job and new goals.
Stephanie Chalk
Associate Director of the School of Counseling at Marymount UniversityMarymount University
Clinical, Counseling And Applied Psychology
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Assistant?
Stephanie Chalk: Competence in trauma-informed care is very important and will only continue to become more important to our work as counselors in a post-COVID world. Counselors will need to have a strong understanding of how to assess for trauma and environmental stressors, and how trauma can impact clients and communities. Having the skills to adequately assess and support client safety, enhance client choice and empowerment, and the ability to work collaboratively as an interdisciplinary team with other professionals is going to become an even more valuable skill set for counselors. Counselors often work with psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurse practitioners, school systems, social workers, occupational therapists, and many other professionals as a part of a care team. Having strong collaboration, leadership, and interpersonal skills are becoming more important as the role of counselors is becoming more salient in healthcare.
What will help Mental Health Assistants increase their earning potential?
Stephanie Chalk: Competence in trauma-informed care is very important and will only continue to become more important to our work as counselors in a post-COVID world. Counselors will need to have a strong understanding of how to assess for trauma and environmental stressors, and how trauma can impact clients and communities. Having the skills to adequately assess and support client safety, enhance client choice and empowerment, and the ability to work collaboratively as an interdisciplinary team with other professionals is going to become an even more valuable skill set for counselors. Counselors often work with psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurse practitioners, school systems, social workers, occupational therapists, and many other professionals as a part of a care team. Having strong collaboration, leadership, and interpersonal skills are becoming more important as the role of counselors is becoming more salient in healthcare.
John Kiweewa Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSt. John Fisher College
Wegmans School of Nursing
What soft skills should all Mental Health Assistants possess?
John Kiweewa Ph.D.: Receptivity to Feedback: Openness to consistently accept feedback in a respectful way is a vital quality, especially for new graduates. Such openness is important not only to feedback from supervisors but from colleagues and clients. Agreeing to or feeling bound to act on the feedback received is not as important as communicating appreciation for the effort of others in giving feedback. In this case, display of behaviors such as anger, annoyance, frustration, defensiveness, excessive/exaggerated self-criticism, or withdrawal gets in the way of learning and/or being a member of a team.
Appropriate Self-Disclosure: The ability for mental health practitioners to 'use' themselves for the benefit of their clients is one of the cornerstones of effective counseling. Such a quality is most evident when one only shares information about themselves that fits the nature and purpose of the interaction with a particular client. When personal information is revealed, it is tasteful, relevant, and is not upsetting, distracting, or confusing to others. Prospective employers are keenly aware of the ways self-serving or self-aggrandizing disclosure of personal information can negatively impact the ability to provide meaningful services to clients.
Reliability and Follow Through: Mental health professionals work in a helping profession that requires the professional to be consistently dependable, reliable, and able to follow through with tasks and assignments in a timely and thorough manner. This includes meeting deadlines, being punctual to sessions with clients and for agency meetings, being prepared, and having a reputation as one who can be counted on to do their part when functioning as a team or project member.
Flexibility and Adaptability: This quality is most evident when a mental health counseling professional consistently demonstrates a willingness to change or compromise in the face of new information, circumstances, and contexts. Situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, require mental health practitioners to have an openness to solutions that match the needs of their service recipients and organizations.
Sense of Humor: There is little to cheer about in the professional life of mental health professionals. We spend the majority of our working time listening to the most painful and vulnerable aspects of people's lives. This quality is most evident when a mental health counselor assumes an orientation to life that acknowledges to self and others the value of looking at the "lighter side" of life to maintain a balance; when they find enjoyment in laughing with others and recognize laughter as a way of reducing tension and as an important aspect of social discourse.
Confidence Balanced with Humility: Confidence in one's abilities (self-efficacy) is a general challenge for beginning mental health counselors. Some may appear over-confident as a way to compensate for lack of experience in the field and to project an image of competence. It is, therefore, important that new graduate is able to act with self-assurance by consistently expressing themselves in a clear, deliberate, and unassuming manner. It is not helpful to "put on airs" or flaunt knowledge or skills in order to bring attention to oneself. What is important is to convey appreciation for the privilege to partake in other people's life journeys and struggles.
Martha Peaslee Levine M.D.
Medical Director of the PHP and IOP, Director of the Office of Professional Mental HealthPenn State College of Medicine
Adolescent Medicine, Psychiatry
What skills stand out on Mental Health Assistant resumes?
Martha Peaslee Levine M.D.: Certainly, experience is one thing that we look for, which can be a challenge when applying for their first position. Other ways to get experience are through volunteer work or demonstrating a passion for a certain mental health issue, and being involved in advocacy. Looking for and participating in research opportunities while in college or post-graduate work. Within the field of counseling, it is important to demonstrate a passion for the work. Other skills would be any additional training. Individuals can sometimes pursue workshops or other training that builds on some of their skills or interests. Some organizations target certain interests or specialties. It can be important to get involved in these to get more education and skills and make connections within the field.
What soft skills should all Mental Health Assistants possess?
Martha Peaslee Levine M.D.: Good communication skills are important. Working as a therapist involves interacting with someone. It will be important to demonstrate being able to listen effectively and being able to communicate clearly. Active listening is important in therapy and in an interview. Be engaged; listen to the interviewer so that you are clearly providing the information that they need. For example, I often ask interviewees to tell me about a case that they found rewarding or challenging. From this, I want to know how someone thinks through a clinical situation. I want to hear how they describe their client (anonymously, of course) and how they put together the important parts of the story. If it was challenging and they now recognize ways to handle it differently, that lets me know that they have thought about this. It also shows that they are willing to reflect on difficult situations and learn from them. If someone cannot relate a story or discuss a client with me, that makes me wonder about their skills as a therapist and their interest in their patients. These clinical interactions can come from your work in school, shadowing someone in training, or internships. It is recognizing and describing the important elements of the case. Another important skill is good written communication. Check your resumes for spelling mistakes. Reread any emails to make certain they are clear. Send thank-you notes. Keep things professional--use the interviewer's professional title when you write. Be on time and have a question or two to ask about the position or place of employment. Examples can be, what are they looking for in a counselor? What have they found the most rewarding working in this office? Find your own go-to question, but interviewers what to know that you are interested.
What skills will help Mental Health Assistants earn the most?
Martha Peaslee Levine M.D.: If someone demonstrates compassion, great interpersonal skills, self-reflection, and a willingness to grow in their profession, that will benefit them tremendously. If clients feel understood and helped and want to keep working with you, your team will also recognize your skills.
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.
Associate Professor; Director, Master of CounselingLouisiana State University at Shreveport
Department Of Psychology
What skills stand out on Mental Health Assistant resumes?
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.: Skills that stand out on Counselor resumes include multilingual, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and leadership skills.
Joel Hektner Ph.D.
Professor and Department HeadNorth Dakota State University
Human Development and Family Science
What hard/technical skills are most important for Mental Health Assistants?
Joel Hektner Ph.D.: Solid knowledge of developmental milestones for children, issues faced by aging adults, and common family relationship challenges.
What soft skills should all Mental Health Assistants possess?
Joel Hektner Ph.D.: Interpersonal skills, communication, ability to work collaboratively. Respect for individual and cultural differences.
What skills will help Mental Health Assistants earn the most?
Joel Hektner Ph.D.: The ability to adapt your skills to the context you are in.
Treniece Lewis Harris Ph.D.
Associate Professor of the Practice, Program Director, Master's Program in Mental Health CounselingBoston College
Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology
What skills stand out on Mental Health Assistant resumes?
Treniece Lewis Harris Ph.D.: The skills that likely stand out the most on psychologists' resumes include empathy, critical thinking, knowledge of mental health and illness determinants, psychological assessment, evidence-based psychotherapy skills, and research design and implementation.
What soft skills should all Mental Health Assistants possess?
Treniece Lewis Harris Ph.D.: -compassion
-active listening
-perspective-taking
-open-mindedness and respect for differences
-humility
-curiosity and critical observation
-problem recognition and analytical thinking
-creativity and flexibility
-presentation skills
What skills will help Mental Health Assistants earn the most?
Treniece Lewis Harris Ph.D.: -psychotherapy skills
-neuropsychological assessment skills
-research design and program development skills
-teaching skills
-leadership skills
What soft skills should all Mental Health Assistants possess?
Alan Cavaiola Ph.D.: The type of things to emphasize would be similar to those described above in terms of soft skills. Also, applicants may want to stress if they've worked with any special populations during their Practicum or Internships (e.g., children, adolescents, people with co-occurring disorders, people with substance use disorders, veterans, first responders, people with disabilities, people of various racial or ethnic groups, homeless people, etc.) Also, any counselor working in a Joint Commission or CARF program will be required to know how to write treatment plans, so those skills are also helpful to emphasize. One student was hired because she knew how to administer and score the SASSI-3 (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory).
What will help Mental Health Assistants increase their earning potential?
Christopher Todd Belser Ph.D.: In many states and districts, school counselor salaries are based on a set pay scale, so earning potential is more tied to getting a school counseling job and keeping that job. New graduates often face the dreaded critique of lacking work experience as compared to more seasoned job candidates. However, newer graduates are also more likely to have been trained to design and deliver multi-tiered interventions and more trained on how to utilize school data to drive school counseling programming. Job candidates looking to stand out will need to be able to concretely discuss how their training will help solve issues that the school is facing, which does involve doing a bit of research on the school to which one is applying. Additionally, graduates need to recognize the importance of ongoing professional development--trainings, workshops, and certifications that equip school counselors to address unique circumstances of the school can only increase a person's effectiveness and longevity as a school counselor. Although grants and other external funding typically don't increase salaries for school counselors, these funding opportunities can help purchase evidence-based programs, support interventions, and buy other necessary materials that can make a school counselor's work a little bit easier. Lastly, school counselors can consider pursuing a doctorate degree in a related field (e.g., counselor education and supervision, educational leadership) to enhance their skills and expertise, open doors for new work opportunities and promotions, and possibly move them up on a pay scale.