One of the best ways to acquire the skills needed to be a mental health specialist is to take an online course. We've identified some online courses from Udemy and Coursera that will help you advance in your career. Since mental health specialists benefit from having skills like patients, social work, and rehabilitation, we found courses that will help you improve these skills.
Mental Health Specialist Skills For Your Resume And Career
Research Summary. Below we've compiled a list of the most important skills for a mental health specialist. We ranked the top skills based on the percentage of mental health specialist resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.5% of mental health specialist resumes contained patients as a skill. Let's find out what skills a mental health specialist actually needs in order to be successful in the workplace.
- The most common hard skill for a mental health specialist is patients. 18.5% mental health specialists have this skill on their resume.
- The second most common hard skill for a mental health specialist is social work appearing on 10.8% of resumes. The third most common is rehabilitation on 6.1% of resumes.
- Three common soft skills for a mental health specialist are emotional skills, interpersonal skills and problem-solving 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.
Below we've compiled a list of the most important skills for a mental health specialist. We ranked the top skills based on the percentage of mental health specialist resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.5% of mental health specialist resumes contained patients as a skill. Let's find out what skills a mental health specialist actually needs in order to be successful in the workplace.
15 Essential Mental Health Specialist Skills For Your Resume And Career
1. Patients
Here's how patients is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Provided psychological care to patients in an in-patient psych unit, including facilitating group activities, crisis intervention, implementing therapeutic approaches
- Consulted more than 20 patients weekly regarding patient medication refills and community resource referrals for quality of life enhancement.
- Rendered direct patient care and services to high-acuity mentally and cognitively impaired patients in the hospital setting.
- Involved patients and families in jointly formulating Individualized Recovery Plans reflecting measurable goals and objectives.
- Develop specific treatment plans in identifying clinical problems for individual patients and their families.
3. Rehabilitation
Here's how rehabilitation is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Provided specialized care and direct supervision for mentally ill adult, child and adolescent directed towards optimal care and rehabilitation.PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Consulted with physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other health care professionals to develop and implement rehabilitation programs.
- Provide referrals for clients to Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for employment services and facilitated a Vocational Group weekly.
- Provided collateral and behavioral rehabilitation in-home, schools, and community-based rehabilitation to youth with varying diagnoses.
- Case manager: Provide community psychiatric supportive treatment and Psycho Social rehabilitation to children and adults.
And if you’re looking for a job, here are the five top employers hiring now:
4. Mental Health
Here's how mental health is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Welcomed and treated individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders as having two primary conditions each requiring attention.
- Authorize psychotherapy psychiatry and mental health clinic services and refer to other county, medical or community-based providers as appropriate.
- Developed and facilitated group education around medication management, substance abuse, treatment adherence, and mental health topics.
- Provided leadership for mental health operations encompassing counseling, crisis management, quality assurance, and progress reporting.
- Perform initial mental health assessments and develop Subjective Objective Assessment and Plan notes in American Psychological Association format.
5. CPR
Here's how cpr is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Keep current CPR certification and Certification in Therapeutic Intervention Procedures.
- Maintain patient charts, supervise patients, provide meals, daily routine planning, CPR and First-Aid certification, patient interactions.
- Required training and certifications for my current position include first aid, CPR, and Therapeutic Options, QMHP-A.
- Trained in Handle with Care crisis intervention, along with First Aid and CPR though American Red Cross.
- Completed initial training: Mental Health First Aid, CPR, and Regional Crisis Response Team Training.
6. Vital Signs
Here's how vital signs is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Assisted in prompting patients to complete ADL/ILS skills, crisis/restraints and taking routine vital signs of patients under high supervision.
- Attended to patients' physical needs and well-being (vital signs, assessments) to reassure patient s health status.
- Take vital signs (temperature, pulse and blood pressure) and assist patient with personal hygiene as necessary.
- Administered and recorded vital signs, blood pressure, and temperature every morning for the nurse coming on shift.
- Perform and record basic nursing tasks, including vital signs, intake and output and obtaining urinalysis samples.
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7. Substance Abuse
Here's how substance abuse is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Applied a variety of psychological methods and techniques in screening, assessment and evaluation of clients identified as substance abusers/chemically dependent.
- Provided support to individuals with Mental Health and/or Substance Abuse disorders in community settings including residential, school and workplace environments.
- Worked closely with the homeless population, monitored a 22-bed inpatient have a mental health diagnosis or alcohol/substance abuse complications.
- Designed and implemented groups for survivors of domestic violence, borderline personality disorder, and adolescent substance abuse issues.
- Provided effective individual therapy as well as effective assessments to identify and explain systematic problems in substance abuse.
8. Mental Illness
Here's how mental illness is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Counseled severely mentally disabled adults to increase insight of mental illness, while cooperatively working with county departments and hospitals.
- Project coordinator for Aid and Assist program for individuals incarcerated who are experiencing acute and/or chronic mental illness.
- Provided excellent counseling services with positive results to family and individuals with behavior problems and/or mental illness.
- Managed aspects of a community based Supported Living Program servicing adults with developmental disabilities and mental illness.
- Conducted case management, counseling and crisis intervention at independent living facility for women with mental illnesses
9. Therapeutic Milieu
Here's how therapeutic milieu is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Developed, implemented and assisted others in coordinating therapeutic milieu groups.
- Maintained therapeutic milieu and recorded patient response to therapies.
- Demonstrated accountability and responsibility for the therapeutic milieu.
- Documented observations and maintained the therapeutic milieu.
- Maintain therapeutic milieu - individual counseling and observation; communication with nursing staff, record keeping in accord with treatment plan.
Mental Health Specialist Jobs
10. Therapeutic Relationships
Here's how therapeutic relationships is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Maintain and encourage face-to-face interactions with client to ensure a person-centered, positive, non-judgmental professional therapeutic relationship.
- Established therapeutic relationships with patients in the milieu while providing direct patient care and maintaining professional boundaries.
- Establish therapeutic relationships with patients by modeling behavior, setting appropriate limits and using empathetic interventions.
- Established strong therapeutic relationships with patients through focus groups and one-to-one processing.
- Establish therapeutic relationships with the patients while maintaining therapeutic boundaries.
11. Direct Patient Care
Here's how direct patient care is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Co-facilitated Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy group sessions and provided direct patient care.
- Provided direct patient care services in accordance with the treatment plan and under the direction of a professional nurse.
- Provide direct patient care while providing therapeutic assistance with activities of daily living.
- Provide direct patient care in the Psychiatric Emergency Room, and Inpatient Psychiatry.
- Direct patient care for patients of varying age ranges and cultural backgrounds.
12. Community Resources
Here's how community resources is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Identified and referred families to appropriate community resources when deemed necessary to ensure their physical and emotional needs were addressed.
- Develop and maintain strong community partnership whereby services are delivered in collaboration with community resources and community based agencies.
- Educate parents and/or consumer of available services and community resources to aid behavioral and mental health intervention process.
- Facilitate and follow-up with referrals to support services and community resources in accordance with client individualized service plan.
- Developed intervention plans utilizing individual and family strengths and collaborated with community resources to enhance family's strengths.
13. Autism
Here's how autism is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Work with a dynamic range of diagnosis; Autism, PDD, Attachment disorders, Anxiety, etc.
- Assisted clients affected by Autism in daily living activities.
- Worked in their homes to help modify behaviors ( anger management , separation anxiety, ) autism was often also diagnosed.
- Coordinated services for adults and children living with intellectual/developmental disabilities, autism, and severe mental illness.
- Worked with children with autism and developmental impairment, providing weekly therapeutic sessions.
14. Mental Health Care
Here's how mental health care is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Worked in the Emergency Department by providing paraprofessional mental health care under supervision of a licensed Psychologist.
- Investigated and answered community concerns regarding mental health care services.
- Educated in military mental health care, worked actively with Military Psychologists, and managed client caseloads.
- Assist in providing mental health care to patients under the supervision of a Psychiatric Nurse.
- Experience in working with drug abuse children and adolescents for improvement of mental health care.
15. Behavioral Issues
Here's how behavioral issues is used on mental health specialist resumes:
- Provided behavioral interventions and assisted parents and teachers by creating individualized service plans to address a variety of behavioral issues.
- Conduct classroom observation to assess and determine both classroom and individual needs for intervention to alleviate behavioral issues.
- Provided clinical best-practice interventions that target emotional/behavioral issues.
- Supervised residents that have behavioral issues.
- Assisted parents in understanding children's growth and development, appreciation of individual differences and behavioral issues.
What skills help Mental Health Specialists find jobs?
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The eight most common skills based on Mental Health Specialist resumes in 2023.
- Patients, 18.5%
- Social Work, 10.8%
- Rehabilitation, 6.1%
- Mental Health, 5.2%
- CPR, 4.8%
- Vital Signs, 4.3%
- Substance Abuse, 4.3%
- Other Skills, 46.0%
skills are in demand
Jobs With Trending Skills
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List Of Skills To Add To Your Mental Health Specialist Resume
According to recent trends, the most relevant mental health specialist Resume Keywords for your resume are:
- Patients
- Social Work
- Rehabilitation
- Mental Health
- CPR
- Vital Signs
- Substance Abuse
- Mental Illness
- Therapeutic Milieu
- Therapeutic Relationships
- Direct Patient Care
- Community Resources
- Autism
- Mental Health Care
- Behavioral Issues
- Direct Supervision
- Money Management
- Crisis Management
- Mental Health Issues
- CPI
- Role Model
- Crisis Intervention
- Support Services
- Compassion
- Behavioral Problems
- Behavior Management
- Medication Administration
- Discharge Planning
- Therapeutic Environment
- Family Therapy
- Therapeutic Interventions
- Community Agencies
- Individual Therapy
- DBT
- Crisis Situations
- Mental Health Assessments
- de-Escalation Techniques
- Mental Health Professionals
- Group Therapy Sessions
- Medication Management
- Anger Management
- Dual Diagnosis
- Psychosocial Assessments
- Mental Disorders
- Independent Living
- Early Intervention
- Behavior Modification
Real Examples Of Mental Health Specialist Resumes That Use These Skills
Build a professional mental health specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 12+ resume templates to create your mental health specialist resume.
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Skills
 Employment History Mental Health Specialist 2019 - Present The Judge Rotenberg CenterCanton, MA
Mental Health Technician 2017 - 2019 Highland Family MedicineSalt Lake City, UT
Primary Counselor (Part-Time) 2014 - 2016 LA FitnessSan Bernardino, CA
 Education Master's Degree Psychology 2016 - 2017 Ashford UniversitySan Diego, CA Bachelor's Degree Business 2013 - 2016 California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA |
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Bradley Woods Mental Health Specialist Skills Mental HealthFood PreparationClient SupervisionStaff MembersRNSupport ServicesCPRSocial WorkersProspective MembersState Regulations Employment History Mental Health Specialist 2019 - Present Horizon House Philadelphia, PA
Youth Specialist 2017 - 2019 Philadelphia Magazine Philadelphia, PA
Service Counselor 2012 - 2016 Youth Villages Woburn, MA
Education Master's Degree Social Work 2016 - 2017 Temple University Philadelphia, PA Bachelor's Degree Psychology 2009 - 2012 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ |
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Sean Dixon Mental Health Specialist Experience Mental Health Specialist2019 - Present InCharge Debt Solutions•Orlando, FL
Juvenile Counselor2016 - 2019 InCharge Debt Solutions•Orlando, FL
Social Services Assistant2014 - 2015 Orlando Health•Orlando, FL
Skills Appropriate LevelCorrectional FacilityResidential FacilityMental HealthFacilityBehavioral IssuesRNCommunity AgenciesFederal RegulationsADL Education Master's Degree Psychology2015 - 2016 University of Central Florida•Orlando, FL Bachelor's Degree Psychology2011 - 2014 University of Central Florida•Orlando, FL |
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Most Important Mental Health Specialist Skills According To Experts
What Type Of Skills Will Young Mental Health Specialists Need?
Jeanne Booth Ph.D.
Professor of Counselor Education and the Director of the Center for Family Studies, University of Lynchburg
As I just mentioned, counselors will now be expected to have skills specific to online delivery of services. The ethical challenge will be that this skill set should be founded upon solid, professional training in teletherapy, not just offering services without related pedagogy, experience, and supervision. Also, because counseling practice will have undergone this "sea change" everyone in the profession will need increased measures of two qualities that were always inherent in the professional practice: flexibility and the ability to cooperate and collaborate both within an agency and across a service community.
What Mental Health Specialist Skills Would You Recommend For Someone Trying To Advance Their Career?
Lynette Bartucci
Lynette Bartucci, M.S., CRC, APCC#7835 Clinics Director / Adjunct Faculty, California State University - Fresno
I would recommend they try to enhance/include computer skills, such as Microsoft programs, including Excel and PowerPoint, and programs such as Zoom. Due to the pandemic, we continue to see a trend of "work from home" options needing essential computer and technology skills. Also, to polish up on grammar and appropriate English vocabulary. Again, a lot of communication needs to be done professionally through emails, texts, memos, and documents.
What Skills Stand Out On Mental Health Specialist Resumes?
Michael Kiener Ph.D.
Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling, Maryville University
Regardless if you are counseling in person or virtually effective professionals will need to develop empathetic therapeutic relationships with their clients. Rehabilitation counselors that have experience working with post-traumatic stress and other forms of trauma will be highly valuable. The increased use of working remotely will require individuals to develop new technology skills and rehabilitation counselors who can work independently will be successful. Finally, volunteering, participation in professional organizations, and internships will help make individuals stand out when applying for jobs.
What Soft Skills Should All Rehabilitation Specialists Possess?
Dr. Ruth Henry
Professor and Chair, Lipscomb University
Important soft skills for rehab are creativity and flexibility. Not every "textbook" type of therapy will work for every patient, so being about to "think outside the box" in developing a novel protocol is useful. During the pandemic, flexibility was essential because some sessions had to be held remotely, and while those sessions are not ideal, being able to adapt to the current needs is essential. People skills are also needed. Therapists meet with their patients several times per week over a period of several weeks, and sessions are more fun for the patient if the therapist has an ability to interact with them; this helps the therapist make a connection for the patient and better compliance with the program can result. On the other hand, silent therapy sessions with no therapist/patient interaction can be awkward and unmotivating.
What Hard/technical Skills Are Most Important For Rehabilitation Specialists?
Dr. Ruth Henry
Professor and Chair, Lipscomb University
It goes without saying that experience and skill in manual therapy are the cornerstones of the therapist's skill set. Experience in or exposure to a variety of treatment modalities, including heat & cold therapy, ultrasound, TENS, K-tape, electrical stimulation, cupping, and others, is also useful. Willingness to try new modalities when the patient's needs indicate a different approach.
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Online Courses For Mental Health Specialists
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Whether you are a health professional working with people with mental health challenges; someone who struggles daily with low mood, anxiety or stress; someone who supports others who face mental health struggles, or you are simply interested in the fascinating interface between food and brain health, this course is for you! Professor Julia Rucklidge has developed this course based on her world-leading research into the links between nutrition and mental well-being. The course will cover...
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This health course will focus on the mental health issues of people with intellectual disability. You will learn about the complexities of diagnosing mental health issues in people with intellectual disabilities and the types of disorders, assessments, screenings, and treatments used. There will also be a special focus on the legal and ethical complexities in health practice with patients who often require substituted consent. This course is open to anyone, but will be of particular relevance...
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For health practitioners, having knowledge of treatment protocols is not enough. They must be able to inspire behavior change in their patients. In order for the treatment to be effective patients must be empowered to implement therapeutic approaches in their lives. In this course, you will learn about health coaching, which is an effective method for helping patients change their behaviors. Health coaching uses a blend of evidence-based strategies, interventions and communication to actively...
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2. Social Work