Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for mental health nurses in the United States
Mental health nurse job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected mental health nurse job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 195,400 new jobs for mental health nurses are projected over the next decade.
Mental health nurse salaries have increased 10% for mental health nurses in the last 5 years.
There are over 27,693 mental health nurses currently employed in the United States.
There are 86,884 active mental health nurse job openings in the US.
The average mental health nurse salary is $106,812.
Are mental health nurse jobs in demand?
Mental health nurse job and salary trends over time
Mental health nurse jobs over time
Mental health nurse job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27,693 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 26,793 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 26,564 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 25,945 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 25,353 | 0.01% |
Average mental health nurse salary over time
Mental health nurse salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $106,812 | $51.35 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | $103,934 | $49.97 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | $101,708 | $48.90 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $99,255 | $47.72 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $97,057 | $46.66 | +1.4% |
Mental health nurse jobs by state
Most common states for mental health nurses
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 623,657 | 158 | 25% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 159 | 23% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,100 | 20% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,349 | 18% |
| 5 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,179 | 18% |
| 6 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,707 | 17% |
| 7 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 286 | 17% |
| 8 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 145 | 17% |
| 9 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,885 | 16% |
| 10 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,091 | 16% |
| 11 | Alaska | 739,795 | 116 | 16% |
| 12 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 908 | 15% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 477 | 15% |
| 14 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 85 | 15% |
| 15 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,429 | 14% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 806 | 14% |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 551 | 14% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 152 | 14% |
| 19 | Delaware | 961,939 | 138 | 14% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 109 | 14% |
Most common cities for mental health nurses
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson | 2 | 6% | $94,756 |
| 2 | Littleton | 2 | 4% | $85,683 |
| 3 | Lowell | 3 | 3% | $107,402 |
| 4 | Fargo | 2 | 2% | $89,421 |
| 5 | Gainesville | 2 | 2% | $72,010 |
| 6 | Corpus Christi | 2 | 1% | $84,078 |
| 7 | Alameda | 1 | 1% | $117,182 |
| 8 | Antioch | 1 | 1% | $116,678 |
| 9 | Houston | 5 | 0% | $83,529 |
| 10 | Washington | 3 | 0% | $94,282 |
| 11 | Minneapolis | 2 | 0% | $90,492 |
| 12 | Phoenix | 2 | 0% | $100,419 |
| 13 | San Francisco | 2 | 0% | $117,376 |
| 14 | Anaheim | 1 | 0% | $107,612 |
| 15 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $98,295 |
| 16 | Aurora | 1 | 0% | $85,348 |
Mental Health Nurse job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of mental health nurse experts
Northeastern Illinois University
Hartwick College
Loyola University New Orleans
SUNY College at Oswego
San Francisco State University
Ohio State University
California State University - Dominguez Hills
St. John Fisher College
Penn State College of Medicine
San Diego State University
Boston College
Monmouth University
Augustana University
Bay Path University
Weber State University
University of Indianapolis
Lindsey Nichols
Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a Mental Health Nurse?
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 Mental Health Nurse skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lindsey Nichols: Trauma skills will continue to be a major focus as our society continues to drastically change. Technology and being fluent working with someone using some type of technology will be increasingly important. Although they are foundational skills of counselors, flexibility, empathy, openness along with your ability to be reflective of yourself and others (aka a good listener) are important in the field. Of course there is much to counseling, and the learning process never ends!
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Nurse?
Dr. Cynthia Aurentz DNP, MSN, RN, CNE: Nursing is a dynamic field and there are many options. You can work in an Emergency Room, pediatrics, oncology, or even as a vascular access specialist (and many others). One of the great things about Nursing is that if you find you don't like a particular specialty, making a change is easy. Having your RN license qualifies you to work anywhere that an RN license is required so it may simply be a matter of transferring to a different area. Nurses are lifelong learners and there is much to learn! It is beneficial to have a solid foundation in basic medical-surgical concepts. Nursing needs great med-surg nurses and employers are looking for those who are willing to provide excellent direct patient care at the bedside. I also recommend that you learn about Nurse advocacy and become involved. As soon as you graduate, join your State and National Nurse Associations so that you have a voice in the issues that impact Nursing.
What will help Mental Health Nurses increase their earning potential?
Dr. Pamela Fullerton: I think having diverse experiences in the field will be helpful when trying to make yourself stand out from the crowd of other clinicians. I also think adding specialty training and certifications to your resume may help in maximizing salary potential.
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Nurse?
Lorena Marra MS, FNP-C: The new nurse can maximize their salary potential by looking for facilities with a sign-on bonus. Many facilities offer a financial reward for a promise of employment for a short time. This serves not only the new nurse but also the facility. By providing a lucrative sign-on bonus, the facility can ensure that they will have a good nurse for a few years and this means their investment in training will not go by the wayside. The new nurse gets a large amount up-front to help with education costs or whatever they choose, and a guarantee of employment for that short time frame. It is a win-win.
Kevin Foose
Professor of PracticeLoyola University New Orleans
Rehabilitation And Therapeutic Professions
What Mental Health Nurse skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kevin Foose: As our graduates enter the field of counseling and psychotherapy, the guidance that I provide is generally threefold. First I suggest that they develop a niche practice which they are passionate about. I encourage them to specialize rather than 'generalize' their practice. Towards that end I advise that they find a clinical supervisor and mentor with whom they share a theoretical and philosophical foundation. I encourage them to surround themselves with talented, experienced and inspiring professionals. And to follow their curiosity and cultivate the capacity to become highly competent clinically and theoretically with a specific population and modality of treatment (such as working with couples & relationships, adolescence, social justice & advocacy, play therapy etc).
What Mental Health Nurse 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 Nurses increase their earning potential?
Jodi Mullen PhD LMHC RPT-S: There are so many opportunities for mental health counselors entering the field. The need for our services is at an all time high. Recently, there has been a great deal of focus on self-care for professional counselors to ward off compassion fatigue. There is much more being offered for counselor self-care than when I entered the field three decades ago.
What Mental Health Nurse skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Elif Balin: Being informed and realistic about what kind of employers or sectors offer your desired salary levels is important. For example, a counseling position at a public university (which is not a research university or R1) or non-profit organization system will likely remain underpaid (unless there is a prominent political economy shift in the country). If your passion and values are grounded in such a setting, you can still do your research about the salaries (which are usually publicly available) and understand what you want to negotiate for based on your experience. Learn about salary negotiation skills, practice with people who have experience in hiring or at least salary negotiation, and especially reflect on your values around money and what you need the money for, as well as any potential internal or socially imposed biases on talking about money. You can also negotiate for extra benefits such as professional development funds and inquire about the possibility of additional work (e.g., a side job in private practice or paid consultant roles) according to your job contract. If you need a higher salary and open to explore alternative sectors or settings than what you initially considered, then educate yourself about the salary ranges in those settings and ask for tips from more experienced people. In any setting, identify the strengths and unique value you bring to a potential employer and negotiate for a higher salary by clearly articulating those strengths and values you will add.
What will help Mental Health Nurses increase their earning potential?
Elif Balin: As prospective counselors, it's essential to recognize that your career journeys begin when you start exploring and applying for training programs. The curriculum, faculty expertise areas, availability of training opportunities (e.g., internship sites), diversity of an active alumni network, and other aspects of these programs will significantly influence your career readiness and transition to jobs. After graduation, I strongly suggest you stay connected to your training programs, mentors, and alumni networks. This will help you access the hidden job market (e.g., potentially upcoming job openings and priorities for hiring criteria) in your areas of interest or work settings and make you feel supported and part of a community. In case you think your training program did not adequately prepare you for the job market, keep searching for mentors, which can be a one-time meeting or email exchange to learn about what helped them find employment or a longer-term connection that provides you with more insight and feedback about your ongoing areas of growth. Remember that your first job is most likely the first stepping stone toward the following opportunities. Even if you feel discontent with some aspects of a first job, it can lead to meaningful connections and happenstances to create future opportunities. Be aware of your most important needs and values that you can’t sacrifice for your physical and mental well-being, and aspire for a job that gets you what you need to continue growing and making connections toward more desirable next steps. When possible, self-advocate and seek additional resources (e.g., family, community, local or regional professional development grants, additional jobs) that may help you get started with some meaningful first experience and sustain your ongoing career planning.
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Nurse?
Donna Sheperis PhD, LPC, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, BC-TMH: The combination of the increased need for mental healthcare following a global pandemic, as well as the increased advocacy for mental health awareness to defeat the stigma that has always surrounded treatment, means that there is a lot of work to be done to provide the services that we need. If you or someone you know has tried to get an appointment with a counselor lately, you have probably encountered some pretty lengthy wait times. It seems that every practice is full and there’s practically no way to get seen quickly. We need more practitioners and more efficient ways to serve some clients who are struggling with some really pressing concerns.
What Mental Health Nurse skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Donna Sheperis PhD, LPC, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, BC-TMH: There are so many different employment positions that a mental health counselor could take that a day could be incredibly different depending on their area of specialty. A private practitioner could have a full day of hour long individual sessions. A hospital based counselor might spend time running groups or doing crisis stabilization. A home-based counselor might travel from site to site providing family therapy or assessing living situations for child placement. Someone working in a substance use rehabilitation facility might find themselves Providing individual, group, and family therapy all within the span of several hours. In other words, a mental health counselor is going to be very flexible and able to provide a number of different services depending on the type of work that interests them and that they find themselves seeking specialty training and credentialing in.
What will help Mental Health Nurses 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 Mental Health Nurse skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
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 will help Mental Health Nurses 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 general advice would you give to a Mental Health Nurse?
Samantha Bates PhD, LISW-S: Now more than ever, mental health counselors are needed in our schools and communities. Many agree we are experiencing a behavioral health workforce shortage where the demand is greater than the number of professionals hired in agencies to provide mental health services. From my perspective working with schools, adolescents are experiencing heightened risks post-COVID with a 40% increase in mental health symptomology noted across the country (as reported by the CDC). It is a great time to get a social work or counseling degree to help those most in need and make an impact in one's community. Wages and benefits are improving for those in the mental health sector because of the demand and the nuanced skills, knowledge, and competencies practitioners bring to the table.
What Mental Health Nurse 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 Mental Health Nurse 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 Nurses 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.
John Kiweewa Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSt. John Fisher College
Wegmans School of Nursing
What skills stand out on Mental Health Nurse resumes?
John Kiweewa Ph.D.: There is widespread consensus within the mental health counseling field that counseling is much about the skills and techniques as it is about the dispositions or qualities that enable counselors to provide meaningful and effective services to clients. Therefore, responding to the question of what skills stand out on Mental Health Counselors' resumes requires an articulation of attributes, characteristics, variables, or qualities that an ideal mental health counselor would possess. Indeed, there is a copious body of counseling literature describing effective counselor variables. I have highlighted some of the most salient of these variables.
1. Respectfulness of & Responsiveness to Others, Including Diverse Populations: The ability of mental health professionals to provide effective and meaningful services to individuals from diverse backgrounds is of vital importance. More culturally responsive mental health providers tend to produce better outcomes with their clients. Such cultural competence of responsiveness is most evident when a practitioner consistently conveys an attitude of respect, in both verbal and non-verbal communication, for the capability and worth of others and seeks to understand them in terms of what makes them different. It means honoring individual differences such as culture, race, ethnicity, family structure, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and other individual differences without needing to always agree with what others do or say based on these differences.
2. Ability to Balance Multiple Life Expectations and Commitment to Wellness: Mental health professionals work in an environment that demands the ability to balance multiple responsibilities and life expectations. This work-life balance is often most challenging for new professionals, often leading to high rates of burnout. Agencies or organizations will look for a mental health counselor who is able to recognize and accept their capacity to handle multiple life responsibilities such as family, school, work, and avocational pursuits. This includes being realistic in setting limits on time spent in various roles, adjusting schedules to accommodate changes in responsibilities, eating healthily, and getting adequate sleep and exercise in order to function effectively.
3. Empathy, Genuineness, Warmth, and Caring: Empathy can be described as the ability to consistently communicate, in words and actions, an accurate understanding of what others feeling or thinking; when a professional counselor is truly "in tune" with others through verbal and nonverbal actions and reactions, and try to know what it is like to be in the other person's shoes. It includes the ability to consistently convey warmth, caring, and concern for others in interactions with them. Empathy, genuineness, and caring (unconditional regard) are considered the foundational skills and orientations in mental health counseling. In fact, these have long been described as a trio of qualities that are necessary, though insufficient, for positive therapeutic outcomes.
4. Effective Interpersonal Communication: There is broad consensus within the counseling field that effective communication is the cornerstone of successful client/counselor relationships. Broadly defined, interpersonal communication involves the ability for the mental health professional to elicit and appreciate client concerns, to provide a rationale for treatment decisions, and engage the client in the process of shared decision-making and goal setting. Such skills may be both verbal and non-verbal and include micro-level skills (active listening, paraphrasing, questioning, summarizing) and macro-level skills (crisis intervention, assessment, documentation, case conceptualization, use of self, immediacy, etc.). Employers are constantly looking for mental health counselors with the ability to maximize their communication skills and knowledge of human development to enhance their clients' growth and development.
5. Professional Integrity: This quality is most evident when a mental health professional is consistently honest and trustworthy in dealing with others and admits to shortcomings and limitations in knowledge and skills. More importantly, professional integrity requires that a mental health counselor abides faithfully by established professional codes of conduct, as well as agency policies and practices. Such professionalism manifests itself in the ability to set healthy boundaries with clients, as well as communicate clearly the nature and limits of the counseling relationship.
6. Capacity for Organization: The world within which a mental health professional operates has become more complex, and such increasing complexity has necessitated demonstrated capacity for organization. This skill is most evident when a mental health counseling professional is consistently planful and orderly in thinking about and performing tasks. They can prioritize efficiently and are disciplined and task-oriented. They impose the right kind of structure on themselves to be productive without being unreasonably obsessive about things.
7. Commitment to Excellence: Growing both personally and professionally requires openness to new learning and examining one's beliefs, values, assumptions, and effectiveness. When a gap in knowledge is discovered, or a deficit in a personal quality is uncovered, a mental health professional will take the initiative to acquire new information, improve and change. To be committed to excellence requires, in part, a great deal of self-reflection, an awareness that they are one of the primary instruments/tools in counseling.
8. Trauma-informed Care: The ability to appreciate the widespread and complex impact of trauma on clients' lives and develop and integrate trauma-responsive skills, knowledge, and awareness into one's practice has become essential to providing effective counseling services. Employers are, thus, keen on mental health counseling graduates with crisis and trauma intervention skills such as mindfulness techniques, breathing techniques, relaxation methods, grounding strategies, and other knowledge of trauma-specific treatment approaches (e.g., EMDR TF-CBT, animal-assisted therapy, etc.).
9. Assessment and Diagnostic skills: The ability to work collaboratively with a client to determine presenting concerns, desired goals and objectives, and therapy process is a core component of what mental health counselors do. To do so requires skills in selecting and administering assessment tools, formulating diagnostic/clinical impressions, and developing treatment plans/or strategies. Prospective employers, therefore, usually look for candidates with strong assessment and diagnostic skills, particularly knowledge of the DSM-V and/or ICD-CM and use of primary assessment instruments (e.g., Mental Status Exam, PHQ-9).
10. Technology Skills: Digital media and resources (e.g., email, smartphone apps, online forums, Web sites, DVDs, computer software, online social networks, telephone and televideo communication, and mobile devices are fast becoming essential to the work of mental health counseling. The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the need for competence in virtual communication or the ability to provide telehealth, in addition to familiarity with Electronic Medical/Health Records systems.
11. Bilingual: The growing diversity of the United States population means that mental health counselors live and work in a multicultural world. The reality is that mental health practitioners are now more and more likely to encounter clients from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. While the counseling profession has long emphasized cultural competence as a necessary component of ethical and effective service delivery, there is evidence to suggest that the mental health field as a whole has not kept up with the demand for bilingual and multiculturally oriented counselors.
What soft skills should all Mental Health Nurses 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 soft skills should all Mental Health Nurses 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 hard/technical skills are most important for Mental Health Nurses?
Martha Peaslee Levine M.D.: Certainly, these days, individuals will need to know who to use electronic medical records. With the pandemic, understanding telehealth options are important. Outside of that, demonstrating skills in evidence-based techniques will be helpful. Training in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), or MBSR (mindfulness-based stress relief) can be some important skills. Think about the population you will be working with and consider if there are techniques that have been shown to be especially helpful. Then try to develop skills and strengths in that area. Mindfulness and stress reduction techniques can be very helpful with many groups of clients.
What skills will help Mental Health Nurses 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.
Dianne Ciro Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorSan Diego State University
School of Social Work
What skills stand out on Mental Health Nurse resumes?
Dianne Ciro Ph.D.: Formal training and/or experience using one or more evidence-based Interventions.
What skills will help Mental Health Nurses earn the most?
Dianne Ciro Ph.D.: All of the skills outlined above are important for clinicians to be effective in their jobs and earn a good wage.
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 Nurse 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 Nurses 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 hard/technical skills are most important for Mental Health Nurses?
Treniece Lewis Harris Ph.D.: -Differential diagnosis to determine whether a person is experiencing an adjustment problem related to everyday life stressors or mental illness
-Knowledge and application of developmental and personality theory to human behavior.
-Experience in using multiple evidence-based psychotherapy models
-Psychological assessment, especially in neuropsychological testing
-Research design and implementation to study
-Program development
-Curriculum design and teaching skills
What hard/technical skills are most important for Mental Health Nurses?
Alan Cavaiola Ph.D.: There have been profound changes in mental health counseling services since the onset of COVID-19. Many clients prefer the convenience and the privacy afforded by telehealth sessions. Therefore, Zoom, FaceTime, and encryption will also help put applicants at the top of the resume pile. I don't know if this falls under technical skills, but I know of counselors whose primary job involves dealing with Medicaid reviewers and managed care reviewers to justify continued treatment. Unfortunately, the "tail is wagging the dog," and rather than continued treatment decisions being made by mental health counselors, insurance carriers are often making continued treatment decisions based on treatment plans and treatment progress. Counselors who can communicate effectively with these gatekeepers become invaluable for many treatment programs.
Dr. Benjamin Jeppsen
Associate ProfessorAugustana University
Psychology Department
What skills stand out on Mental Health Nurse resumes?
Dr. Benjamin Jeppsen: In Mental Health Counseling, the ability to work with people from various cultural backgrounds is paramount. Training in multicultural psychology, diversity, and inclusion are all essential in our pluralistic society. I would also emphasize training in empirically supported treatments and a clear theoretical orientation grounded in scientific literature. Finally, the recent pandemic has accelerated the use of teletherapy and remote counseling--effectiveness in connecting with people through technology and making the most of an adapted model for therapy will be very important.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Mental Health Nurses?
Dr. Benjamin Jeppsen: Obviously, mastering the technology used in teletherapy and virtual counseling is essential. Further, the use of computer programs for therapy notes, documentation, and diagnosis is also important. Assessment and psychometric abilities are also important as psychotherapy research has been very clear about the important role of outcome measurement and objective assessment in psychotherapy. When prospective clinicians demonstrate the ability to work with numbers (and the software needed to make them useful), they show an openness to the objective assessment of their work.
What skills will help Mental Health Nurses earn the most?
Dr. Benjamin Jeppsen: It depends on the population they want to work with and the clinical setting they are comfortable in. But one thing that I wish I had learned more about was how to run a health service business. Though this won't be an eye-catcher on your resume when applying for counselor positions, if you want to work at a private practice (even if you won't be the owner), an understanding of basic business principles--especially how to work with insurance companies--will help you earn more money. I worked in private practice for a little over a year. I was very frustrated about differing reimbursement processes from one insurance company to the next. Sometimes it was 6 months before I was paid for sessions I completed with clients due to difficult insurance policies. Suppose you're not comfortable contacting your clients directly to collect co-insurance, copayments, etc. In that case, private practice may not be for you. I ended up doing quite a bit of unintended pro-bono work because the insurance company refused payment (due to unmet deductibles, or the client had used all of their "approved" sessions) because I was uncomfortable going to collections with clients who couldn't pay and were unaware of their insurance limits before starting. So in terms of earning potential, learn about how third-party payer systems work, and develop a good prior authorization protocol with documentation of exactly what services you can provide that will get you paid. Then, if your business is healthy enough, hire someone else to do the job of collecting payments, working with insurance companies, and contacting clients who owe to avoid those ruptures and complications in the therapeutic relationship.
Suzanne Gile
Adjunct professorBay Path University
Clinical mental health counseling, developmental psychology
What soft skills should all Mental Health Nurses possess?
Suzanne Gile: Graduates will need to be flexible as they enter the workforce. Many have had fully remote internships and will need to adjust to the field as things start to open back up to in-person sessions. Graduates will need to be able to advocate for themselves to get the needed support in areas they may have missed training opportunities in during their internships. Lastly, graduates will need to have a good grasp of technology to manage online platforms.
How have salaries changed over time for Mental Health Nurses?
Suzanne Gile: I am not sure of the actual percentage change but in my observation salaries have increased significantly. When I entered the field in 1999, I was making $29,000. Clinicians entering the field currently are starting around $45,000. I personally have seen an increase in insurance rate reimbursements over the past 2 years. Aetna used to reimburse $60 per individual therapy session a few years ago but recently made another increase and is reimbursing $111.22 per 60-minute therapy session. Other insurance companies have also increased reimbursement rates.
Dr. Sally Cantwell Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Annie Taylor Dee School of NursingWeber State University
Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Mental Health Nurse job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Sally Cantwell Ph.D.: If I am understanding this question correctly, I believe the biggest trends you'll see in the job market will be work in critical care and mental health nursing positions for registered nurses and psych/mental health and gerontology in advanced practice roles.
Dr. Rachel P. Feldwisch Ph.D.
Director of Counseling Programs and Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Indianapolis
College of Applied Behavioral Sciences
What type of skills will young Mental Health Nurses need?
Dr. Rachel P. Feldwisch Ph.D.: In many ways, counseling program graduates will need to have the same skills that they traditionally would need in order to become effective counselors. In addition to basic counseling skills, they will need to know how to apply ethical codes, how to assess client needs, how to use evidence-based practices, and how to use client data to inform a treatment plan. Students who graduate in 2021 will have the benefit of gaining clinical experience during one of the toughest times in modern history. I view 2020 as a unique educational experience because students have had to learn how to be extremely flexible, how to meet client needs under extraordinary circumstances, and how to apply skills that they learned in-person in the classroom to virtual environments (or vice versa). I believe the next generation of counselors may collectively be the most versatile and resilient group to enter the workforce in our field because of the unique circumstances surrounding their training.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Mental Health Nurses to find work opportunities?
Dr. Rachel P. Feldwisch Ph.D.: While mental health counseling has been a growing profession over the past several decades, the need for counselors has skyrocketed during the past year across the United States. Mental health crisis lines have been overwhelmed, and the desire for ongoing mental health treatment is evident. While the greatest need during the past several years has been in underserved communities, such as rural areas and low-income urban areas, I foresee that the need for mental health counselors will continue to be great across our country for many years to come. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities between 2019 and 2029 are expected to grow by 25%.