Occupation Summary

Mental Health Counselors

O*NET 21-1014.00

Description:

Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention. May help individuals deal with a broad range of mental health issues, such as those associated with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; or aging.

Annual Wages:
Unavailable
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by %.
Education Level:
Master's Degree. According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.

  1. Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
  2. Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
  3. Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
  4. Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
  5. Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
  6. Collect information about clients through interviews, observation, or tests.
  7. Act as client advocates to coordinate required services or to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
  8. Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
  9. Evaluate clients' physical or mental condition, based on review of client information.
  10. Meet with families, probation officers, police, or other interested parties to exchange necessary information during the treatment process.
  11. Refer patients, clients, or family members to community resources or to specialists as necessary.
  12. Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting clients or patients.
  13. Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs on clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
  14. Plan, organize, or lead structured programs of counseling, work, study, recreation, or social activities for clients.
  15. Modify treatment activities or approaches as needed to comply with changes in clients' status.
  16. Learn about new developments in counseling by reading professional literature, attending courses and seminars, or establishing and maintaining contact with other social service agencies.
  17. Discuss with individual patients their plans for life after leaving therapy.
  18. Gather information about community mental health needs or resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy.
  19. Monitor clients' use of medications.
  20. Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse or improve community health or counseling services.
  21. Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
  22. Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
  23. Supervise other counselors, social service staff, assistants, or graduate students.
  24. Coordinate or direct employee workshops, courses, or training about mental health issues.
  25. Perform crisis interventions with clients.
  26. Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
  27. Collaborate with mental health professionals and other staff members to perform clinical assessments or develop treatment plans.


No Industry Employment Patterns found.

Labor Market Information






TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
Region Employment Projected Employment 2030 Projected
Annual Openings 2030
Annual
Growth Rate
Average Income
Texas (all regions) Unavailable Unavailable Unavailable Unavailable Unavailable
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
98.00%
Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
94.80%
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
83.60%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
81.60%
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
78.40%
Sociology and Anthropology
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
66.20%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
63.80%
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
62.00%
Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
60.80%
Philosophy and Theology
Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
59.20%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
97.60%
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
95.00%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
85.00%
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
82.40%
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
80.00%
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
80.00%
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
77.60%
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
77.60%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
75.00%
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
72.40%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
92.40%
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
90.00%
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
85.00%
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
82.40%
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
82.40%
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
82.40%
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
80.00%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
80.00%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
80.00%
Fluency of Ideas
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
75.00%


  • Assisting and Caring for Others
    -- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    -- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    -- Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    -- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Other Activities


  • Achievement
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • Relationships
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.



Tools

Blood pressure cuff kits: Sphygmomanometers;

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Electronic medical thermometers: Digital medical thermometers;

Notebook computers: Notebook computers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;

Scanners: Flatbed scanners;


Technology

Analytical or scientific software: Statistical software; Test interpretation software;

Calendar and scheduling software: Scheduling software;

Data base user interface and query software: Database software; Microsoft Access;

Electronic mail software: Email software; Microsoft Outlook;

Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft; Management information systems MIS; Microsoft Dynamics;

Internet browser software: Microsoft Internet Explorer; Netscape Navigator; Web browser software;

Medical software: Patient electronic medical record EMR software; Client information database systems;

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software; Office suite software;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Project management software: Google Classroom;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel; Spreadsheet software;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word; Word processing software;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Mental Health Counselors include:
  • 29-1141.02 Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
  • 21-1021.00 Child, Family, and School Social Workers
  • 19-3033.00 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
  • 21-1022.00 Healthcare Social Workers
  • 21-1013.00 Marriage and Family Therapists
  • 21-1023.00 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
  • 29-1223.00 Psychiatrists
  • 21-1015.00 Rehabilitation Counselors
  • 21-1093.00 Social and Human Service Assistants
  • 21-1011.00 Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors


No sources of additional information found.

Contact Texas Workforce Commission
Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.