Mental Health Counselors
Tasks
Core Tasks Include:
- Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
- Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
- Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
- Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Collect information about clients through interviews, observation, or tests.
- Act as client advocates to coordinate required services or to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
- Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
- Evaluate clients' physical or mental condition, based on review of client information.
- Meet with families, probation officers, police, or other interested parties to exchange necessary information during the treatment process.
- Refer patients, clients, or family members to community resources or to specialists as necessary.
- Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting clients or patients.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs on clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
- Plan, organize, or lead structured programs of counseling, work, study, recreation, or social activities for clients.
- Modify treatment activities or approaches as needed to comply with changes in clients' status.
- Learn about new developments in counseling by reading professional literature, attending courses and seminars, or establishing and maintaining contact with other social service agencies.
- Discuss with individual patients their plans for life after leaving therapy.
- Gather information about community mental health needs or resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy.
- Monitor clients' use of medications.
- Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
- Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
- Perform crisis interventions with clients.
- Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
- Collaborate with mental health professionals and other staff members to perform clinical assessments or develop treatment plans.
Supplemental Tasks Include:
- Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse or improve community health or counseling services.
- Supervise other counselors, social service staff, assistants, or graduate students.
- Coordinate or direct employee workshops, courses, or training about mental health issues.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet291)
