Each year the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or BLS projects the need for people in specific occupations. On the most recent list is substance abuse and mental health counselors. According to the BLS in 2019 there were nearly 320,000 counselors in the U.S out of a workforce of 163 million people. That number is expected to grow by 79,000 counselors or 25% by 2029. Clearly, we need more mental health counselors.
What It Takes to Be a Counselor
Substance abuse and mental health counselors generally have a master’s or doctoral degree in one of the human service professions that deal with mental health. A few examples are:
- Clinical Psychology. Clinical psychologists study psychological disorders and psychopathology from a scientific perspective. Most are trained in both the science and practice of their field, especially those who earn a PhD. The degree provides a lot of flexibility in the type of job and job setting ranging from private practice to a research position in an institute or university.
- Counseling Psychology. Counseling psychology is another subspecialization that overlaps with clinical psychology but focuses more on counseling clients with problems of living as opposed to serious mental health disorders. Programs are more practice oriented than clinical psychology programs, and less concerned with psychological assessment.
- Mental Health Counseling. Mental health counseling is typically a master’s level profession with degrees awarded by a variety of academic departments in universities. The training focuses on the practice of counseling with limited coursework on research methodology.
- Rehabilitation Counseling: As the name implies, rehabilitation counseling is concerned with helping people deal with disabilities and become productive members of society. Often, they work in the vocational rehabilitation area, helping people adjust to becoming disabled, often through a workplace accident, by finding a new career. They also work in mental health settings dealing with substance abuse and other issues.
- Social Work: Social workers provide social services to individuals and families in dealing with a variety of challenges. Often, they work for social service agencies that provide services to people unable to afford private assistance. Most social workers have master’s degrees or MSWs.
Most MA programs in these fields take 2 years to complete full-time; doctoral programs take an additional 3 or 4 years. There is strong demand for admission into many such programs at major universities, especially at the doctoral level. Admission into clinical psychology PhD programs is quite competitive, particularly with highly ranked programs.
Master’s programs are designed to train substance abuse and mental health practitioners. PhD programs are generally research focused, although many if not most PhDs become practitioners. There are other types of doctoral degrees, such as a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) that is primarily a practitioner degree.
We Need More Mental Health Counselors
The BLS projections do not specify the type of counselors that are needed, but recent trends suggest two important areas among others. First, the opioid epidemic of the past few years with skyrocketing fatal overdoses underscores the need for additional counseling for those with substance abuse issues. The historical approach of considering substance abuse as a criminal justice problem has been ineffective in controlling the use of illicit drugs. A focus more on harm reduction than punishment and making counseling and education more readily available is a better approach that can help control substance abuse disorders and associated health issues.
Second, the debate about increasing rates of violence in the U.S. often focuses on gun control, but that does not deal with the underlying causes of violence. More accessible mental health treatment is needed to help those struggling with a variety of problems cope better. Identifying people with anger control and other issues that contribute to violence is an important step in reducing it.
The BLS projections recognize disruptions in the labor market and how some occupations are expanding whiles others are seeing a reduction. One area with considerable opportunity is in the mental health field where the need for service is high, and the supply of qualified individuals is lagging. This means there are opportunities for those interested in helping others to find a rewarding career in mental health.
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