- Evaluate clients’ mental and physical health, addiction, or problematic behavior and assess their readiness for treatment
- Develop, recommend, and review treatment goals and plans with clients and their families
- Assist clients in developing skills and behaviors necessary to recover from their addiction or modify their behavior
- Work with clients to identify behaviors or situations that interfere with their recovery
- Teach clients’ family members about addiction or behavior disorders and help them develop strategies to cope with those problems
- Refer clients to other resources and services, such as job placement services and support groups
- Conduct outreach programs to help people identify the signs of addiction and other destructive behavior, as well as steps to take to avoid such behavior
- Crisis Management
- A Bachelor's Degree, earned at an accredited college or university. Students pursuing careers in counseling often select behavioral health related majors such as psychology, but there is no required major.
- A Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or a closely related mental health/counseling discipline.
*Note: The core areas of mental health education programs are approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and related Educational Programs.
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors must:
- Earn a Master's degree in counseling or a closely related mental health discipline;
- Complete a minimum of two years post-master's clinical work under the supervision of a licensed or certified mental health professional;
- Pass a state-developed or national licensure or certification examination.
Note* Each state has unique requirements. You can find more information about Clinical Mental Health Counselor certification here:
https://nbcc.org/Certification/CCMHC
https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/licensure-requirements
The median national annual salary for mental health counselors is $42,840. Actual salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience and a variety of other factors.
American Mental Health Counselors Association. (2017). Facts About Clinical Mental Health Counselors. Retrieved from https://amhca.site-ym.com/page/facts
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook. (2019). Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm
American Counseling Association. (2015). Licensure Requirements for Professional Counselors, a state by state report. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/licensure-requirements
National Board for Certified Counselors. (2019). Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Retrieved from https://nbcc.org/Certification/CCMHC
