Careers in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
What Are My Employment Options With This Degree?
The U. S. Department of Labor 2022-2032 forecasts that Substance Abuse, Behavior Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors are growing nationally much faster than average at a 18% growth rate. There are many positions that are available to Clinical Mental Health (CMH) Counselors, both in Pennsylvania, in other states, and internationally.Career opportunities include providing individual, group, family, and/or couples counseling services to a wide range of people (aged 3 to 100+) with a variety of presenting concerns. Presenting concerns that CMH work with include behavioral, addictive, mood, anxiety, relationship, eating, cognitive, psychotic, and personality concerns. CMH counseling is the broadest counseling specialty, and typically CMH counselors choose one or more foci for their clinical work, though they can also choose to be generalist that provide services for a wider range of client goals. CMH counselors work in many different settings, including:
- Inpatient hospitals
- Inpatient substance/addictive treatment facilities
- Private practices
- Community agencies
- School-based mental health or behavioral health settings
- Family-based programs
- College campuses
- Veteran Affairs
- Employment Assistance Programs (EAPs)
- Prevention or educational settings
- Clinical supervisor
- Counseling administrator
How Can I Get a Good Job With My Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree?
Many students are offered positions as they are finishing up their internship. The 51做厙’s CMH Counseling program is well-known in the area, and our reputation and alumni working in the field make it easier for our graduates to be selected for counseling positions.
Additionally, the University offers career counseling services to its students through the Roche Family Center for Career Development and through its faculty.
Where Can I Learn More?
There are many professional counseling organizations that provide membership and support or credentials for CMH counselors. These organizations include the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).- is the flagship counseling organization, and it provides information about counselors in different settings.
- is a professional counseling organization that focuses on the needs of CMH counselors, and it provided information about phases of CMH counselors’ careers.
- provides national certification for counselors, including the common CMH counselor credential of the National Certified Counselor (NCC), which is the board certification for counselors in the United States. Information about the NCC credential and others can be found.
- has several divisions that focus on more specific populations and types of counseling. The divisions and information about it can be found.
- provides information on salary, job openings, types of settings, and more.