Mental Health Counselors

• Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
• Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
• Collect information about clients through interviews, observation, or tests.
• Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
• Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
• Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
• Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
• Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
• Perform crisis interventions with clients.
• Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
• Evaluate clients' physical or mental condition, based on review of client information.
• Modify treatment activities or approaches as needed to comply with changes in clients' status.
• Act as client advocates to coordinate required services or to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs on clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
• Meet with families, probation officers, police, or other interested parties to exchange necessary information during the treatment process.
• Discuss with individual patients their plans for life after leaving therapy.
• Collaborate with other staff members to perform clinical assessments or develop treatment plans.
• Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting clients or patients.
• Monitor clients' use of medications.
• Learn about new developments in counseling by reading professional literature, attending courses and seminars, or establishing and maintaining contact with other social service agencies.
• Plan, organize, or lead structured programs of counseling, work, study, recreation, or social activities for clients.
• Refer patients, clients, or family members to community resources or to specialists as necessary.
• Gather information about community mental health needs or resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Mental Health Counselors.

• 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.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Mental Health Counselors.