What they do
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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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| Also called: |
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Behavior Analyst, Behavior Support Specialist (BSS), Case Manager, Clinician, Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Mental Health Counselor, Mental Health Program Specialist, Mental Health Specialist, Mental Health Therapist
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Wages
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| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors* |
| Vermont - 2021 |
| Percentile1 | Hourly | Yearly |
| 10% |
$ 18.44 |
$38,360 |
| 25% |
$ 18.67 |
$38,830 |
| Median |
$ 22.75 |
$47,320 |
| 75% |
$ 28.55 |
$59,380 |
| 90% |
$ 30.45 |
$63,340 |
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| Average |
$ 23.51 |
$48,890 |
| * You're seeing information for "Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors" because it includes "Mental Health Counselors" for which wage information is not available. |
| 1 What are Percentile Wages? |
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| More at CareerOneStop |
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Industries of Employment
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors* |
| United States - 2020 |
| Industry | Percent of total |
- Ambulatory healthcare services
| 33% |
| 17% |
- Nursing and residential care facilities
| 13% |
- Hospitals; state, local, and private
| 10% |
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals
| 7% |
| * You're seeing information for "Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors" because it includes "Mental Health Counselors" for which industries of employment information is not available. |
| More at BLS |
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Knowledge
| People in this career often know a lot about: |
- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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- 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.
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| More at O*NET |
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Skills
| People in this career often have these skills: |
- Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
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- Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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- Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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- Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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- Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
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Interests
| People in this career often prefer these work environments: |
- Social
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
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- Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
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- Artistic
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
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| What are your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler |
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Work Styles
| People in this career will do well at jobs that need: |
- Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
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- Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
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- Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
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- Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
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- Social Orientation
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
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| More at O*NET |
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Other Resources
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- CareerOneStop
resource for job seekers, students, businessess and career professionals
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- O*NET Online
nation's primary source of occupational information
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| Related Occupations
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| Career Video
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Projected Employment
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| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors* |
| Vermont |
| 2020 employment |
1,841 |
| 2030 employment |
2,239 |
Annual percent change
(compounded) |
2.0% |
Annual projected job openings
(due to change and separations) |
227 |
| * You're seeing information for "Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors" because it includes "Mental Health Counselors" for which projected employment information is not available. |
| More at Occupational Projections |
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Education and Experience:
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors* |
- Typical education needed for entry
Bachelor's degree
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- Work experience in a related occupation
None
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- Typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency
None
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| * You're seeing information for "Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors" because it includes "Mental Health Counselors" for which education and experience information is not available. |
| Based on BLS Education and Training Classifications |
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Job Zone
| Extensive Preparation Needed |
- Specific Vocational Preparation Range
(8.0 and above) - A typical worker will require
over 4 years up to and including 10 years or more
of training to achieve average performance in this occupation.
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| Based on O*Net Job Zones and SVP |
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Education Level
| How much education do most people in this career have? |
| Education level |  | Percent of
U.S. Workers |
Doctoral or professional degree
or post-MA certificate | | 3% |
Master's degree or
post-BA certificate | | 64% |
| Bachelor's degree | | 25% |
| Associate's degree | | 2% |
Certificate or some college,
no degree | | 0% |
High school diploma
or equivalent | | 6% |
| Less than high school diploma | | 0% |
| More at O*NET |
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Licensing
| Vermont may require an occupational license: |
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| Select a license for details |
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Abilities
| People in this career often have talent in: |
- Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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- Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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- Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
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- Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
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- Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
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| More at O*NET |
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Work Activities
| In general, what you might do: |
- Assisting and Caring for Others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
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- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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- Getting Information
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
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- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
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| More at O*NET |
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Detailed Work Activities
| What you might do in a day: |
- Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
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- Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.
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- Write reports or evaluations.
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- Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
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- Teach life skills or strategies to clients or their families.
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| More at O*NET |
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Tasks
| On the job, you would: |
- Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
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- Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
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- Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
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- Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
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- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
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| More at O*NET |
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