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Date: 12/21/2025

Mental Health Counselors

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

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

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    0
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    Knowledge

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • 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.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • 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.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • 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.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • 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.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • 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.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • 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.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • 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.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 56990/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 27.4/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 17,440
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1560

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Concern for Others
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self Control
    • Cooperation

    Tools

    • Blood pressure cuff kits
    • Desktop computers
    • Electronic medical thermometers
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Scanners

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Internet browser software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software
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