Our knowledge and understanding behind mental health is continuously growing, which is why the many career fields within the scope of mental health are all uniquely important in a variety of ways. Social work is a major career path among the broad spectrum within the mental health field, and as our understanding and innovations grow in mental health, so does the need for more well-trained and devoted mental health social workers. Mental health social workers deal with a broad range of aspects associated with patient diagnosis and treatment for mental health disorders.

However, generally, social workers play a significant role in the support of not only the patient’s mental, emotional, psychological and behavioral well-being, but they help the patient’s families cope as well. As you are probably well aware, there are numerous types of social work as a whole, and as important as all of them are, mental health social work is one branch that is vital in many people’s lives. And, this specific line of social work is just as equally important for people going into, or who are already in social work, to consider pursuing, because you could be a valuable asset to the advancement in mental health. Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Educational prerequisites
Understanding mental health and handling different cases in an efficient, attentive and overall effective way is the initial aim in helping someone cope with, and potentially overcome their disorder. This is one major reason that makes careers in mental health so drastically important, and why there are many mental health social worker programs available. However, within the variety of mental health, social work programs, all of them will teach the same basic skill sets, techniques, and training that you need to effectively handle every situation with the right treatment and care. If you are interested in pursuing a career in the mental health social worker field, you will need:

• First, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, most likely in psychology or sociology. In some states, a bachelor’s degree is adequate to practice some social work jobs However, you will need a BSW to apply to a masters program.
• A masters in social work is usually required, or to the very least, highly encouraged.

2. Practical skills
While receiving your training in one of the mental health social worker programs, you will discover that being a successful social worker in mental health will take a lot more than determination and a strong understanding of psychology. To be successful in mental health social work, you need:

• Patience
• Solid communication
• Listening skills
• Observance
• Empathy
• Passionate about helping people struggling with mental health scenarios

So, if you think you have what it takes to pursue a career in mental health social work position, then register for one of the many programs today.