Introduction
Mental health is a part of an individual’s capacity to be psychologically fit. Being psychologically fit would mean that an individual is able to be in the right state of mind and having a rational judgment and perspective on the things around them that they encounter on their day to day life. An individual whose mental health is uninterrupted is able to create balance and adapt to all the adversaries and contentment in life.
It is a part of the government’s responsibilities to make sure that their citizens are able to maintain their mental health. This is why they make sure that they also do their part and work hard to make the lives of their citizens much easier. If a government fails to do so, there would be a negative effect on the state or country’s economy. Take the US for example. Even though they belong to one of the most powerful country in the world, they are still economically affected with a lot of problems including the mental health of their citizens. One factor that leads to the disruption of mental health of their citizens is depression and it has become one of the leading causes of mental disability in the US affecting individuals of ages 15 to 44. That would be the range of majority of their working class so if a large percentage of the age range is affected, it would mean that such percentage has the inability to work.
Mental health worker
A mental health worker’s job is to be involved in the treatment or support of people with mental illnesses. There are a number of mental health worker jobs in this field. They range from nursing in psychiatric institutions to providing support through government agencies to people with mental illnesses who are applying for government benefits.
When it comes to qualifications needed for mental health worker jobs, there is no particular universality because the requirements vary depending on the position. This can be seen in the cases where people may need medical and psychological training, while in other cases they can learn on the job.
The job
However, a key element in mental health worker jobs is that it involves a lot of interaction with people who have mental illnesses, mostly when they are in crisis or are experiencing problems with managing their conditions. On one end of the table, mental health worker jobs may entail evaluating people with suspected mental illness to screen them and determine if they have a medical issue. This would then lead them to referring them to people who can help. And on the other end of the table, other mental health worker jobs entail working directly with the mentally challenged individuals and caring for the ones living with the diagnosis.
Needless to say, the employment opportunities in the mental health industry are expected to grow fast in the coming years. People involved in these jobs have a strong desire to help people and improve their lives.
The salary
It is estimated that 9 percent of mental health workers work part time while 3 percent are self employed. As far as the salary is concerned, educated individuals who have had years of experience estimate to earn about $100,000 USD annually. Annual salaries for counselors who report to a high-level therapist or psychologist earn between $23,500 USD to $38,000 USD. For substance abuse counselors, they earn about $38,500 USD to $49,000 USD. Mental health technicians on the other hand earn about $24,600 USD to $32,100 USD. Lastly, for Psychologists who provide therapy have salaries between $66,800 USD and $87,500 USD annually.
