Embarking on a rewarding role in mental health services
One of the biggest reasons that people choose a mental health career is because they enjoy helping people. Mental Health workers enjoy a workload that is always varied, interesting, and challenging, as no two clients are the same. Job satisfaction comes in the fact that in this field, you are truly changing people’s lives by being there for them, offering support, and helping them make the best of their own lives.
Are you ready for a career in Mental Health?
To get started in this field, you will need to complete a Diploma of Mental Health, which is a practical course that will give you the skills to counsel people affected by mental illness and psychiatric disabilities. You will learn how to promote the social, emotional, and physical well-being of your clients, learn how to respond to crisis situations (domestic violence, trauma patients), provide wellness plans to clients, and much more. From here, you can choose different roles within the Mental Health field.
Mental Health Job Roles
Support Worker: A Support Worker focuses on assisting people who may already have a care plan in place. They offer support to people who are living with a mental illness, sourcing assistance where required and advocating on their behalf. By identifying appropriate supports, you will help transition your clients toward recovery, independent living, and reintegration into their community.
Recovery Worker: In this role, you will support people on their journey to living a fulfilling life within the community. You will work with them, their carers, family, and other people in their lives and help guide them into activities that will enhance their life. The goal is to create independence for their client so that they can live a normal life while managing their mental illness.
Mental Health Worker: A mental health worker provides therapy, assistance, and basic care to patients that have developmental disabilities or mental illnesses. They monitor their patient’s conditions and assist them with daily activities. They are part of a nursing team and typically work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.
Community Services Worker: A community service worker will work with clients to resolve personal issues, identify support, and assign resources to help meet their needs. A community services worker will assess the needs of a client and then plan, develop and implement support programs. They may also provide a personal level of care to clients, such as grooming and feeding; as well as providing emotional support.
Counsellor: Mental health counsellors will work with people dealing with a range of mental health issues. Counsellors work with individuals, families, groups, and communities to deal with mental health issues and improve mental well-being. Duties include listening to patients, developing treatment plans, and creating coping strategies.
Get started
If a career in mental health appeals to you, visit the TrainSmart Australia website and get more information on the Diploma of Mental Health.
