Careers Mental and Social Health

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Careers Mental and Social Health

• Information Provided By
• Georgia Statewide Area Health Education Center
  (AHEC)
• http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index
• PowerPoint Presentation By
• Juliane Monko Dr. Frank Flanders
• CTAE Resource Network, June 2009
• Based On PowerPoint Ideas From
• Penny Howard, RN, Healthcare Science Instructor

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AHEC

• There are six centers in the Georgia AHEC
  Network, and each serves a multi-county region. 
• The AHEC mission is to meet the health needs of
  Georgia by improving the supply, distribution and
  quality of healthcare providers.
• AHECs offer enrichment programs, camps, learning
  tools, student counseling, volunteer and
  mentoring activity coordination, and access to
  other educational resources.
• Contact your regional AHEC for more information. 

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Objectives

• Students will be able to describe health careers
  in the field of Mental and Social Health.
• Students will be able to plan a healthcare career
  path in Mental and Social Health.

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Careers in Mental and Social Health

• Counselor
• Genetic Counselor
• Human Services Worker
• Psychologist
• Social Worker

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Counselor
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Counselor

• Counselors work with people to help them solve
  their personal and social problems.
• They may help physically, emotionally, mentally,
  or socially impaired people become more
  self-sufficient.  

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Counselor

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Churches
• Community mental health centers
• Drug rehabilitation centers
• Halfway houses
• Hospice programs
• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Prisons
• Schools, colleges, and universities
• Social agencies

• Average Starting Salary 30,930
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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CounselorAcademic Requirements

• Counselors earn bachelor's degrees, usually in
  education, social work, sociology, psychology,
  criminal justice, or health sciences before
  entering a graduate program. 
• Programs usually grant a master's degree in
  psychology, counseling, or related area.  These
  are typically two-year programs including
  supervised clinical work.  Some areas of
  counseling require either a Ph.D. or both
  counseling and teaching certificates.

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Genetic Counselor
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Genetic Counselor

• Genetic counselors work as a member of a team
  dedicated to counseling families with birth
  defects and genetically-inherited health
  problems, or who are at risk for developing such
  diseases or conditions themselves.
• Genetic counselors analyze familial patterns of
  inheritance and risks of recurrence and review
  the options available to family members that may
  be affected by an inherited gene mutation.

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Genetic Counselor

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Commercial diagnostic laboratories
• Health maintenance organizations
• Hospitals
• Physicians' offices
• Private practices
• University medical  centers

• Average Starting Salary 40,000
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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Genetic CounselorAcademic Requirements

• A college preparatory diploma is recommended.  A
  bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required
  to enter a graduate program in genetic
  counseling.  Programs last two years, including
  clinical experience, and lead to a master's
  degree.

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Human Services Worker
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Human Services Worker

• Human services workers work with people who can
  not always take care of themselves, i.e.
  recovering addicts or adults with mental illness.
• The goal of the human services worker is to
  enable their clients to function as effectively
  and independently as possible.

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Human Services Worker

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Adult care facilities
• Community mental health centers
• Day treatment facilities
• Group homes
• Hospitals
• Military
• Prisons
• Public health departments
• Public welfare agencies
• Schools
• Substance abuse treatment centers

• Average Starting Salary 24,009
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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Human Services Worker Academic Requirements

• Two-year associate degree programs and four-year
  bachelor's degree programs are available.

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Psychologist
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Psychologist

• Psychologists are mental health professionals who
  specialize in human behavior. 
• They assist their clients with issues such as
  stress management, depression, anxiety,
  self-esteem, eating disorders, aggressive/violent
  behavior, marital and family conflict, alcoholism
  and substance abuse. 

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Psychologist

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Colleges and universities
• Consulting firms
• Corporations
• Federal and state agencies
• Hospitals
• Market research firms
• Mental health clinics
• Military
• Prisons
• Private practice
• Rehabilitation centers
• Schools

• Average Starting Salary 54,400
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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PsychologistAcademic Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field is
  required to enter master's and doctoral programs
  in psychology. 
• A master's degree in school psychology is the
  only master's level program that qualifies one to
  work as a psychologist.  Earning a master's
  degree in school psychology typically requires
  two to three years of study. 

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PsychologistAcademic Requirements

• Specialists and doctoral degrees are also
  available in school psychology.
• Most doctoral degrees involve 5 to 6 years of
  study, including a one-year internship. 
• Many psychologists then choose to do additional
  formal post-doctoral training in a specialty
  area.  

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Social Worker
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Social Worker

• Social workers are specially trained in locating
  community resources to solve problems such as
  child abuse, homelessness, drug abuse, and
  poverty.
• Social workers assist with placing people back
  into society after hospitalization or
  rehabilitation.
• They may also organize support groups for
  families of patients suffering from cancer, AIDS,
  Alzheimer's disease, or other illnesses.  

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Social Worker

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Community advocacy groups
• Government agencies
• HIV/AIDS clinics
• Home health agencies
• Hospice
• Hospitals
• Mental health/substance abuse centers
• Nursing homes
• Prisons
• Schools
• Social services agencies
• Universities

• Average Starting Salary 34,283 (bachelors
  level)
• 38,254 (masters level)
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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Social WorkerAcademic Requirements

• Programs are offered at both the bachelor's and
  master's levels. 
• The Master of Social Work is usually pursued
  after gaining some work experience and is often
  necessary to work in hospitals. 
• Doctoral programs are also available in social
  work, but a master's is considered the terminal
  degree for practice.

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Summary

• There are a variety of careers available in
  Mental and Social Health. Educational
  requirements vary by career and career level.
  Students interested in these careers should use
  the information provided here as a basis for a
  career plan. The student should also research the
  career further to complete a career plan.
• Career available in Mental and Social Health
  include
• Counselor
• Genetic Counselor
• Human Services Worker
• Psychologist
• Social Worker