Health Professions and Related Programs
Mental health services
Listed by colleges as Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Colleges award this field under 14 named programs, from Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling to Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other.
Inside the major
Programs within this field
Colleges may offer this field under 14 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.
- Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
- Prepares you to help prevent substance abuse, counsel individuals and families with drug and alcohol problems, and perform intervention and therapeutic services for persons suffering from addiction. Covers individual and group counseling skills, psychology of addiction, sociology, crisis intervention, substance abuse identification methodologies, substance abuse treatment modalities, substance abuse prevention and treatment resources, pharmacology and behavioral aspects of abused substances, treatment evaluation, patient observation and education, group dynamics, professional standards and ethics, and applicable law and regulations.
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician
- Prepares individuals, under the supervision of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other mental health care professionals, to provide direct patient care services, assist in developing and implementing treatment plans, administer medications, and perform related administrative functions. Covers mental health theory, applied psychopathology, patient communication and management, crisis intervention, psychotropic medication, mental health treatment procedures, substance abuse, record-keeping, clinical administrative skills, and applicable standards and regulations.
- Clinical/Medical Social Work
- Prepares you for the specialized professional practice of social work, in collaboration with other health care professionals, in hospitals and other health care facilities and organizations. Covers social work, psychiatric case work, clinical interviewing techniques, therapeutic intervention strategies, patient testing and evaluation, patient and family counseling, social rehabilitation, patient care planning, record-keeping, and support services liaison.
- Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling
- Prepares you to serve as facilitators, advocates, and referral professionals linking health care and related social services with affected recipient communities. Covers public and community health, human and social services, health services administration, group counseling, health education, group advocacy, cross-cultural and multilingual communication, and applicable laws and policies.
- Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
- Prepares you for the independent professional practice of marriage and family therapy, involving the diagnosis of cognitive, affective, and behavioral domain disorders, both mental and emotional, within the context of marriage and family systems and the application of short- and long-term therapeutic strategies in family group contexts. Covers psychotherapy, family systems and studies, small group intervention and therapy, marital problems, depression, identification of psychopathologies and behavioral disorders, holistic health care, practice management, applicable regulations, and professional standards and ethics.
- Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
- Prepares individuals, including but not limited to, ordained clergy and other counseling professionals to respond to the emotional and/or spiritual needs of patients and families in health care emergencies and other situations, and to consult with and counsel other health care professionals. Covers advanced interpersonal communication; individual and small group counseling; interdisciplinary teamwork; crisis management; extended care relationships; self-analysis; medical ethics; pastoral care art; spiritual dimensions of human growth and health; counseling psychology and therapy; and applications to grief, death, emotional collapse, injury, individual/family adjustment, and chronic illness situations.
- Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy
- Prepares you to practice the provision of psychoanalytic counseling to individuals and groups based on the psychodynamic principles evolved from authorities such as Freud, Adler, and Jung. Covers self-analysis, personality theory, dream analysis, free association and transference theory and techniques, psychodynamic theory, developmental processes, applications to specific clinical conditions, practice management, and professional standards and ethics.
- Mental Health Counseling/Counselor
- Prepares you to provide evaluations, referrals, and short-term counseling services to help people prevent or remediate personal problems, conflicts, and emotional crises. Covers human development, psychopathology, individual and group counseling, personality theory, career assessment, patient screening and referral, observation and testing techniques, interviewing skills, professional standards and ethics, and applicable laws and regulations.
- Genetic Counseling/Counselor
- Prepares you to counsel patients and families concerning inherited genetic disorders and diseases; assess risk factors and planning options associated with potential and actual inherited conditions; and serve as patient advocates and provide referral services in relation to private and public support services. Covers clinical/medical genetics, methods of genetic testing, interviewing and counseling skills, genetic and support services delivery, principles of public health, medical ethics, law and regulations, patient advocacy, and professional standards.
- Infant/Toddler Mental Health Services
- Prepares you to provide mental health services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and their families. Covers developmental psychology, cognitive and biological development, social and emotional development, research methods, and ethics.
Also called Community Health Education
Where it can lead
Careers this field can lead to
Explore related careers, starting with the closest connections and the occupations hiring the most people.
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- 12.7%
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Explore this careerAll work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it. The figures beside each career are the pay of that work, across everyone doing it. Graduates of this field earn $34,038 one year after completing the program, which is the start of a career rather than the shape of one.
Working style
How and where the work happens
Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.
16%of related openings involve substantial in-person or active work
Few of the careers connected to this field are measured as substantially in-person or active work. Compare the specific occupations to see how much time each one involves with people, equipment, and movement.
College options
Where to study it
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