The link between the welfare of one’s mind and body is a vital connection that is often overlooked.
Behavioural health is a broad term for the variety of operational fields that are included in an individual’s observable habits and tendencies, both the good and the bad. The constant fluctuation of these traits can pose a great challenge to those who must study, work with, and offer solutions for the changes. That being said, these challenges yield deep reward in more ways than one.
Understanding practitioner roles within the behavioural health industry, including job descriptions, job titles, will grant you with a plethora of opportunities in the specific field.
What’s a career in behavioural health looks like?
The behavioural health field provides an array of multi-functional job types such as psychiatrists, behavioural nurse practitioners and physician assistants. These individuals provide practical and resolute studies and answers for a diverse population of patients suffering from a multitude of mental disorders and developmental barriers.
Roles focused on mental health are in high demand, and these opportunities require compassionate and empathetic attributes, along with a tremendous amount of patience and dedication. While degrees and credentials are needed, there still must be an innate or instilled sentiment in each professional for caring for their patient’s improvement and betterment.
Those in the behavioural health field prove to be organised and plan oriented, as a majority of their work surrounds intentional treatment methods. They also are in constant discussion involving counselling sessions and facilitating meetings focused on finding solutions for the problem at hand.
Essentially, practitioners within behavioural health are often considerate problem solvers with a heart for those needing guidance and answers. Does this sound like you?
Just a few of the many careers for someone trained in behavioural health are behavioural therapists, mental health counsellors, and behavioural health technicians. These jobs involve heavy communication with a patient’s primary doctor and nurses in regard to working collaboratively to better the individual being treated. This often involves brainstorming result-oriented treatment plans and accepting trial and error until definitive development is visible.
There is also an emphasis on walking alongside these struggling patients to aid hands-on with the coping process until the targeted behavioural tendencies are no longer present. This type of assistance requires deep commitment to one’s patient as well as a greater purpose when dealing with the day-to-day treatment. An estimated 1 in 4 adults amongst the population suffer from a mental illness, so there is a constant growing demand for professionals that can aid in giving care to these patients that require treatment.
With a better grasp of the specific career paths that one can take given the vast opportunity with the behavioural health job field, finding the availability is simple.
How do you start with a career in behavioural health?
Due to the high demand, there is a wide array of various paths across the behavioural health industry. In consideration of different levels of education, higher degrees of education prove to be holders of the best paying behavioural health jobs, although there is plenty of work regardless.
In order to make yourself a candidate for one of these many spots, involving oneself in behavioural health centred organisations such as:
- National Council for Mental Wellbeing
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Council for Behavioral Health
- American Mental Health Counselors Association
On top of connections within the possible groups open to members in your prospective area, achieving specific certifications that pertain to the potential job opportunities available is an excellent way to better one’s chances at securing a behavioural health career.
A great resource and provider of staffing solutions in the behavioural health field is SouthlandMD – they’re an industry leader in the field, and operate many specialty care facilities throughout the Southeast, with an increasing array of behavioural health jobs in Georgia.
Being that our world is just now getting back into the swing of things following the pandemic, there is a mass amount of online opportunities to earn these types of certifications. A few of these attainable credentials are:
- Integrated Behavioral Health Certificate
- Mental Health Certificate
- National Certified Counselor credential
- Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor
The entirety of the behavioural health industry is constructive, compassionate, and wildly in demand. The jobs are not only compelling in a sensible, monetary fashion, but are satisfying in the way that they provide the professionals with fulfilling improvement and conclusive answers. So, if you want to explore a career change, take some time to learn more about this rewarding career path within the behavioural health industry.
Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. She has an ongoing interest in mental health and well-being.
