Research Summary. We analyzed 2,477 mental health specialist resumes to determine which ones land the most jobs. Below you'll find examples of resumes that can help you get an interview (and a job offer) from companies like Allendale Association and McLean Hospital. Here are the key facts about mental health specialist resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average mental health specialist resume is 420 words long
  • The average mental health specialist resume is 0.9 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • Patients is the most common skill found on a mental health specialist resume. It appears on 18.5% of resumes.
After learning about how to write a professional mental health specialist resume, you can make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our resume builder.

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Mental Health Specialist Resume Example

Choose From 10+ Customizable Mental Health Specialist Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Mental Health Specialist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Mental Health Specialist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Mental Health Specialist Resume
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Mental Health Specialist Resume

What Should Be Included In A Mental Health Specialist Resume

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1. Add Contact Information To Your Mental Health Specialist Resume

Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document.

Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine.

Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching).

Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

Mental Health Specialist Resume Contact Information Example #1

Hank Rutherford Hill

St. Arlen, Texas | 333-111-2222 | hank.hill@gmail.com

Do you want to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
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2. Add Your Relevant Education To The Resume

Your resume's education section should include:

  • The name of your school
  • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
  • The name of your degree
If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

Optional subsections for your education section include:

  • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
  • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
  • Extra certifications
  • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc.)

Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

  • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
  • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
  • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
  • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

Majors
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Mental Health Specialist Resume Relevant Education Example #1

Master's Degree In Psychology 2014 - 2016

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ

Mental Health Specialist Resume Relevant Education Example #2

Master's Degree In Psychology 2014 - 2016

Ashford University San Diego, CA

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3. Next, Create A Mental Health Specialist Skills Section On Your Resume

Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

  • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
  • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
  • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job
Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

Example Of Mental Health Specialist Skills For Resume

  • Mental Health Skills

    Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

  • CPR Skills

    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

  • Vital Signs Skills

    Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

  • Community Resources Skills

    Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

  • Behavioral Issues Skills

    Behavioral issues are the tendencies of individuals displaying unpleasant behavior as a result of sickness or addiction.

Top Skills for a Mental Health Specialist

Source: Zippia.com
  • Patients, 18.5%
  • Social Work, 10.8%
  • Rehabilitation, 6.1%
  • Mental Health, 5.2%
  • Other Skills, 59.4%
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
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4. List Your Mental Health Specialist Experience

The most important part of any resume is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of engineers" and "Managed a team of 6 engineers over a 9-month project."

Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

What Experience Really Stands Out On Mental Health Specialist Resumes?

Jeanne Booth Ph.D.

Professor of Counselor Education and the Director of the Center for Family Studies, University of Lynchburg

Specificity is an essential highlight that stands out on a resume - particularly as it relates to experience in the field. That means enough detail to clearly articulate professional skills. So, for example, not just a mention of facilitating small groups, but rather the topic of the group, the theoretical approach, etc. And, perhaps more importantly, outcomes. Applicants will really stand out if they can reference engagement in evidence-based best practices and then have data that demonstrates the success they have had in application and facilitation of those practices.Show more

Don't have any experience?
How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any
Work History Example # 1
Mental Health Specialist
Sheppard Pratt Health System
  • Assisted patients, doctors, nurses and other MHWs on two different acute care units.
  • Minimized staff turnover through appropriate selection, orientation and training.
  • Completed Crisis Prevention Training; certified in CPR & AED by American Heart Association.
  • Acquired First Aid and CPR Certification through this job, active through the summer of 2017.
  • Maintained ongoing communication between attorneys & clients from point of referral/discovery to trial phase, facilitating & expediting case settlements.
Work History Example # 2
Mental Health Specialist
STAR Center Maritime Training
  • Prevented and managed aggressive behavior among clients and administered CPR in emergency interventions.
  • Served as liaison between undergraduate/graduate students and faculty and staff in effort to facilitate communication between schools for event planning.
  • Focused on leadership and communication along with administration.
  • Assisted 7 children per station during small group learning periods.
  • Planned and implemented security and recovery operations including Communications Security (COMSEC) devices and network encryption systems.
Work History Example # 3
Mental Health Specialist
Fairfax County Government
  • Focused on leadership and communication along with administration.
  • Assisted constituent in the drafting of Hazardous communications, fall protection, and safety plans.
  • Consulted with businesses (primarily construction) with regards to Federal OSHA compliance mandates.
  • Led groups devoted to treatment of PTSD and Panic Disorder.
  • Assisted 7 children per station during small group learning periods.
Work History Example # 4
Co-Facilitator
The Tungland
  • Worked with Behavioral and Head Trauma Cliental Client Intervention Techniques
  • Co-facilitated Court ordered offenders groups and managed intake/assessment process for treatment.
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5. Highlight Your Mental Health Specialist Certifications On Resume

Certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers that you know your stuff. If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your mental health specialist resume:

  1. Mental Health
  2. Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI)
  3. Basic Life Support (BLS)
  4. Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS)
  5. Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW)
  6. Medication Aide Certification (MACE)
  7. Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
  8. Academy of Certified Social Workers Credential (ACSW)
  9. Certified Criminal Justice Specialist (CCJS)
  10. OSHA Safety Certificate

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6. Finally, Add a Mental Health Specialist Resume Summary Or Objective Statement

A resume summary statement is a 1-3 sentence spiel at the top of your resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. In this section, include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

Remember to address skills and experiences that are emphasized in the job description.

Are you a recent grad?
Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement

Five Key Resume Tips For Writing A Mental Health Specialist Resume:

1.
Relevant Experience
Make sure that the jobs, experience, and accolades that you include are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
2.
The Right Skills
This is a great time to run wild with those keywords from the job description. For example, if they’re looking for someone with experience in Mental Health Services, be sure to list it in your resume’s skills section.
3.
Quantifiable Achievements
Your workplace accomplishments tell the story of the unique value you bring to an organization. Stay away from dry descriptions of job duties. Use numbers to help contextualize your achievements..
4.
ATS-Friendly
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a piece of software employers use to collect, scan, organize, and rank applications. The key to getting your resume past ATS and into the hands of hiring managers is smart keyword usage.
5.
Impeccable Formatting
Formatting a resume so that it looks professional and attractive is important. With Zippia’s resume builder, you can put together a modern-looking resume in less than 10 minutes. Just choose a resume template that suits your style, answer some questions about your background, and you’ll have a resume that’ll pass muster with both the ATS and the hiring manager.
Not sure how to make a resume that stands out?
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What Are The Duties Of A Mental Health Specialist?

The duties of a mental health specialist are to help patients manage a variety of mental illnesses. They typically work in rehabilitation centers and healthcare facilities, such as hospitals and clinics, but can also be found in schools, correctional centers, and the military.

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