Related Career Categories

• Clergy
• Clinical Psychologist
• Clinical Social Worker
• Community Developer
• Family Social Worker
• Geriatric Social Worker
• Health Social Worker
• Human Service Manager
• Interpreter
• Mental Health Counselor
• School Social Worker
• Social Worker

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"The best part of this job is getting to intimately know families and individuals at a significant point in their lives. The strength, courage and honesty are often inspiring and heart warming. Knowing that I am bringing some comfort and support at a difficult time in someone's life is very rewarding. The hardest part of this job is not being able to resolve all issues got patients and accepting that patients will ultimately die."

"The best part of this job is helping the children, which is very important to me. When our team has recommended ideas to help the family reach their goals and communicate better, it is ultimately going to help the child. For young children in particular, the family unit is the most important environment, and it is essential that the family's needs are met in order for the child to get the most benefit. The worst part would be working some nights because you have to plan meetings according to the family's schedule."

"The best part of my career is that my organization is helping people everyday. We are giving them access to healthcare that they otherwise wouldn't have. Knowing that there are people on our plan being treated for cancer, or a child receiving life saving surgery, is really satisfying. Without a company like ours, we don't know that these patients would ever get the care they require. The worst part of my career is being "tied" to my desk by needing to be at my phone at all times. We don't get face-to-face interactions as all of our servicing is done via phone. Therefore, this job requires a lot of sitting."

"The best part of my career is that I am able to focus on being human and what that means for all different people regardless of race, culture, or educational level and assist others in remembering that we are, as a human race, peers on the emotional level. The worst part of my career is that I sometimes get drained from hearing all the grief and pain in people and need to recharge my personal batteries."

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"1. Volunteer in the hospice field to be sure you are comfortable working with terminal patients. 2. Learn to be comfortable with not being able to solve all problems. 3. You will need to obtain a graduate degree in Social Work in order to enter this field. Try and do an internship in a nursing facility or hospice setting. 4. Comfort in computer word processing skills is an asset."

"In pursuing a career in mental health, I would recommend starting with the age group you are most comfortable with and getting as much experience with it as possible. Also, read whatever you can about that age group so you really get a good understanding about how that group thinks. Of course each individual will be different, but it also helps to know what is common for that age, what challenges they are faced with, etc."

"This job requires some knowledge of the terminology used in the medical field. When a patient calls and says, "I have been losing my hair and I need to know what kind of doctor to see," you need to have enough knowledge to be able to ask probing questions such as, "Have you talked with your primary care doctor?" and "Has your doctor ordered any blood tests?" and "Have the blood tests indicated any hormonal or metabolic issues?" and "Do you believe the hair loss is from medication?" Asking questions like these can assist you in determining whether this patient may best be served by an endocrinologist, an allergist, or a dermatologist."

"Read Mary Ellen Copeland's WRAP literature. She writes from the heart. Follow up with mental health news and reading from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Association - a government agency that provides free literature to anyone who requests it) as well as staying on top of the state legislation concerning anything to do with how the state provides mental health services. LISTEN to what your peers around are feeling, needing, and saying."