Mental health awareness campaigns like RUOK? Day and World Mental Health Day are helping drive positive change in the mental wellbeing space and as such, creating a multitude of careers paths in this growing field.
Now more than ever, we need better support for those who have mental health issues. According to data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in every five Australians experience mental illness with a need for mental health support.
Understanding the landscape of this industry will help you navigate your mental health career successfully. In this article, we’ll explore the pathways offered at TAFE Gippsland that can help you break into this rewarding and fulfilling career path, that boasts many opportunities.
What does a mental health worker do?
Working in mental health can include developing and employing many different strategies depending on the mental illness in question. There are many ways mental illness can display itself with common conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and many more. Because of this, it’s essential that we have mental health workers to accurately respond to different issues, with the training to identify the best approach possible. Due to the many pathways offered within mental health, a mental health worker could be responsible for any combination of the following:
- Counselling and therapy sessions
- Administrative tasks for client records
- Regular check-ins on clients to monitor and assess their progress
- Participation in community groups and social services
- Helping direct clients to helpful resources
- Developing treatment plans and approaches.
Essentially, mental illness can affect any of us for any number of reasons. It’s because of this that good mental health support is as important as good physical health support. Mental health workers can help treat mental illness actively and pre-emptively by establishing strategies and support networks.
A mental health worker will generally cooperate with psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors and nurses to help maintain a client’s mental health plan. Completing a qualification in mental health through TAFE Gippsland can see you working in various roles, including:
- Community Rehabilitation Worker
- Community Rehabilitation & Support Worker
- Outreach Officer
- Mental Health Outreach Worker
- Assistant Community Services Worker
- Mental Health Support Worker
- Mental Health Recovery Coach
- Psychosocial Recovery Coach
- Psychosocial Disability Support Worker
- Support Coordinator
- Consumer Peer Support Worker
- Mental Health and Disability Support Worker
- Behaviour Support Worker
- Behaviour Therapists Assistant
- Adventure Therapy Worker
- Residential Youth Worker
- Mental Health Engagement Worker
Mental health qualifications can also improve your skillset if you already work in health, arming you with a more comprehensive understanding of client needs and opening more opportunities within the Australian job market.
What skills do I need to become a mental health worker?
Becoming a mental health worker at minimum requires a formal qualification. Still, it also requires a large amount of passion and valuable soft skills to perform well, such as:
Social Perception: Being able to assess and understand client needs, difficulties and reactions through empathetic observation and communication.
Active Listening: Practicing active engagement and attentiveness when listening to a client. This soft skill involves clarifying the information at natural intervals and engaging through questions and responsiveness.
Communication: Patience, compassion and confident communication skills are essential when working with others.
Strong Literacy: Strong reading and writing is vital for understanding and relaying information.
Problem Solving: Applying critical thinking to assess complex situations with various solutions suited to individual client needs.
With these soft skills, the only thing between you and a budding career in mental health is the appropriate qualification. This qualification should be, at minimum, the Certificate IV in Mental Health, which will prepare you to for an extensive range of career pathways within the mental health sector.
Mental health courses at TAFE Gippsland
TAFE Gippsland offers various pathways into health and community services, but we’ll look at the best courses for direct progression into mental health work for this article. TAFE Gippsland offers two pathways into the mental health sector:
Certificate IV of Mental Health: If you want to jumpstart your career in the mental health sector and get into the workforce quicker, this certificate offered by TAFE Gippsland might be for you. The Certificate IV is delivered face to face over 18 months In the Certificate IV, you’ll get to learn a range of skills taught through workshops and expert teaching resources such as:
- Crisis response
- Ethical work practices
- Working in the context of alcohol and other drugs
- Promoting cultural safety
Additionally, the Certificate IV of Mental Health is offered under the Free TAFE program. Applicants must complete a Pre-Training review, interview, and a Language, Literacy and Numeracy test to be eligible for this course. Applicants must also be 18 years or over with a driver’s license and clear a Police and Working with Children check. An 80-hour practical placement is required.
Diploma of Mental Health: For a more extensive qualification allowing access to more significant career opportunities, TAFE Gippsland’s Diploma of Mental Health will prepare you for a successful mental health career. This course is also offered under the Free TAFE program and is delivered over two years through an online delivery method. In the Diploma of Mental Health, you’ll learn various skills through online learning and a 160-hour practical placement such as:
- Counselling facilitation
- Early intervention
- Recovery-oriented mental health services
- Providing systems advocacy services
The Diploma of Mental Health requires a Language, Literacy and Numeracy test, Pre-Training Review and interview process. Applicants must also have a Year 11 pass or be of mature age with a clear Police and Working with Children Check.
By completing your qualification with TAFE Gippsland, you’ll be taking the first step towards a career in the mental health sector.
Jobs in mental health
Following successful completion of a mental health qualification through TAFE Gippsland, you’ll not only access further study opportunities such as the Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs, but you’ll also be qualified to enter the workforce.
According to seek.com, the mental health sector offers stable work opportunities for those interested, with a 15.2% projected growth for mental health support workers in the next five years. Amongst possible career outcomes you might consider:
- Youth Mental Health Work
- Family Support Work
- Community Services Work
- Disability Support Work
- Welfare Support Work
These career paths offer specialised and targeted support to Australians of various demographics and enable mental health workers to provide refined support and strategies specific to their area of employment.
With competitive wages and a positive job outlook, mental health work is both financially and personally rewarding.
Tips for success in your mental health career
Australia needs mental health workers. By navigating your mental health career strategically, with ongoing professional development and self-care, you can guarantee that you’ll be doing meaningful work.
Here are five tips for helping you achieve career satisfaction, vastly improve your performance and growth as a professional, and there’s nothing more satisfying than giving back to the community and helping others in need:
- Identify your interests and pursue your passions. Ask yourself what aspects of mental health resonate with you the most and why. Are you interested in working with children, people with trauma or addiction? Identifying your interests will help guide you along a career path that pursues your passions.
- Learn, learn and then learn some more. Continuous learning is a great way to ensure you remain competitive in your field. Don’t stop at a formal qualification. There are plenty of ways to upskill while you work – webinars, workshops, conferences, short courses – all will help you stay up to date with the latest research and treatment approaches in mental health.
- Cultivate industry connections. Networking and building relationships with fellow professionals can lead to career growth in the sector – job opportunities, mentorship and valuable insights into the industry.
- Stay in the know. As is the case with most industries these days, trends are constantly changing and evolving to meet current demands. Stay updated on the latest research, treatments and best practice scenarios to enhance your credibility and ensure you’re providing the best care to your clients.
- Practice self-care. Maintaining your own mental health and wellbeing is paramount if you want to work in this field. Preserve a healthy work-life balance, seek out therapy or supervision and practicing mindfulness or meditation.
By pursuing vocational education and training through TAFE Gippsland, you can begin your journey into a career in mental health, developing the skills and knowledge to hit the ground running.