How Clinical Mental Health Counselors Promote Wellness in Their Communities

Clinical mental health counselors help promote community wellness by offering a wide range of services to clients and their families. Mental health counselors typically offer mental health services for short-term issues. For example, they may be part of a crisis plan when an unforeseen emergency happens.

Mental health counselors’ duties

Mental health counselors are tasked with many duties, including the following:

Identifying and addressing mental health issues

Diagnosing specific mental health issues is important to wellness. Sometimes it can be hard or impossible for a person to know what is making them feel the way they do. Without being able to define what the issue is, it can be very difficult to find good solutions.

A clinical mental health counselor can assist in diagnosing mental health issues and help patients get the support and assistance they need to address what they are facing. Through counseling, referrals to other mental health professionals, medication, and other methods, a lot of mental illness can be resolved in the long term. 

For those who have ongoing mental health issues, a clinical mental health counselor will often refer them to a psychologist or psychiatrist because they specialize in longer forms of therapy and treatment. Psychologists are allowed to use some treatments and prescribe medications that clinical mental health counselors are not. Clinical mental health counselors typically deal with short to moderate-length mental health care needs.

Encouraging healthy relationships

Who we spend our time with has a major influence on all aspects of our lives. It is important to surround oneself with positive people, to achieve better mental and physical health. Hanging out with the wrong crowd can reinforce and help enable bad behaviors. For example, if someone is receiving counseling and is struggling with drug addiction, they must distance themselves from other drug users for the highest chance of success.

Relationship issues between couples or family members are a common reason why patients seek the help of a clinical mental health counselor. Counseling sessions can help people learn how to talk to each other and work through issues. Sometimes clinical mental health counselors conduct sessions with more than one person to help families and couples through issues.

Empowering individuals to set goals

Sometimes any goal at all can feel out of reach when one is going through a major crisis or trauma. A clinical mental health counselor uses talk therapy and compassion to help patients define goals that are realistic for their situation. The counselor’s job is to empower the individual to brainstorm goals with them and guide them on a plan that involves small steps that lead to major rewards.

Setting small, realistic goals and achieving them does a lot for the morale of anyone facing mental health issues. It is far better to set small milestones and celebrate each one than to set too big a goal and fail. Having unrealistic standards leads to feelings of failure and the idea that it is not worth it to try.

Counselors also need to be supportive if a patient fails to meet one of their smaller goals. Rather than making the patient feel guilty, the counselor helps them explore why they were unable to meet a goal and how they can do better while acknowledging that sometimes things just do not happen the way we would like. Mistakes are made and sometimes there are things that happen that are simply beyond our control, no matter how hard we try, or how good our intentions are.

Helping learn healthy coping strategies

Some things can never be undone. Those suffering from mental health issues may be dealing with abuse or trauma that will always be a part of them. This does not mean they will always be extremely depressed or unhappy. However, it does mean that at times, and especially at the beginning of the time they seek help, they must use a coping strategy to make the best of their life and do what they must do for their families.

Coping strategies can vary greatly from person to person. For one person, just taking a few deep breaths or singing a song to themselves can do a lot of good, whereas others might get even more upset if they do these things.

Helping patients be more self-aware

Knowing one’s triggers and what makes symptoms worse is important. A mental health counselor can help a patient understand their condition themselves without making them feel inadequate or ‘crazy’. 

Being more self-aware can be a coping mechanism in itself. Learning how to be self-aware helps with learning to feel in control of oneself, rather than feeling like things will just happen no matter what.

Promoting self-compassion

There are people who will say they do not like themselves or feel that they are lacking in some way. A mental health counselor can help someone learn to like themselves while at the same time realizing that they have areas where they can improve, just like everyone else.

Blaming oneself or feeling guilty for things like addiction is common. Counselors can help patients put some things behind them and move on. Regardless of past actions, anyone can improve in some way if they truly want to.

Performing social worker duties

Sometimes someone may need extra help when they are dealing with mental health issues. Supporting a family or finding ways to meet daily needs is a good example of an area where someone might struggle. A clinical mental health counselor can help direct a patient towards agencies and nonprofits that can help them access resources that may be available to them.

Here are a few examples:

A patient is recovering from surgery and will have decreased mobility for a significant period of time. A clinical mental health counselor may help them with the feelings they are experiencing as a result of their condition, but also advise them on how to get a ramp installed at their home to make it more accessible so they can lead a more independent lifestyle during recovery.

A young man is addicted to fentanyl and has lost his job. He is exhibiting signs of depression and needs help kicking his habit and gaining employment. A clinical mental health counselor would diagnose the mental illness and then create a plan that involves helping him find substance abuse treatment and working with a nonprofit group that helps recovered people find jobs.

Improving the well-being of their communities

When behavioral issues are addressed and patients are empowered, it has an overall positive effect in the community. When parents and loved ones are cared for and healthy, they can provide better for their families in every way. 

Mental health issues can take a lot away from the lives of everyone. When these issues are addressed, communities thrive because people have more time to dedicate to other positive changes. 

Patients that experience issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and body image conditions, need to learn to appreciate and value themselves before they can exude that same love to the community around them. Communities with people that take pride in themselves have better graduation rates, physical health, and stronger economies.

Helping to spread behavioral health awareness

There is a lot of stigma around seeking counseling, especially in some groups of people or families. Clinical mental health counselors can help educate the public about the importance of taking care of their mental health and supporting family and friends when they are facing their own struggles.

Behavioral health budgets vary a lot by state which has an impact on how many people can be served. New York spends considerably more than average on behavioral health but is still struggling to help all those that need it. St. Bonaventure University online can show you how to become a licensed mental health counselor in NY. Their excellent online Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program allows students to pursue a new career. During their courses, students will take classes that include behavioral health and multicultural counseling. 

Helping bring mental health services to the underserved

Rural areas, inner-city neighborhoods, and more, are vastly underserved when it comes to behavioral health services. Even if someone has medical coverage, either privately or through an employer or government agency, it can be difficult to get appointments, especially if regular care is needed for ongoing mental health concerns or addiction.

Clinical mental health counselors can help a lot by treating short to moderate mental health issues, so psychiatrists and other mental health professionals have more time to treat more severe or chronic cases.

Many mental health concerns can be treated by clinical mental health counselors and since it takes less time to enter the profession, they are a true blessing in any community.

Assisting during emergencies

When an act of violence occurs that affects a community, clinical mental health counselors are often made available by agencies so that everyone has someone they can talk to for support or to get help with any dangerous thoughts or feelings.

Natural disasters that disrupt people’s lives are another common emergency that relies on good mental health services to get people through the crisis and on the road to recovery.

Mental health counseling is in demand

Due to a steep rise in mental health issues for many reasons, there is a major need for clinical mental health counsellors to meet a variety of mental health care needs. A good example is the ongoing addiction crisis. While this was a problem before COVID-19, during the pandemic, substance abuse started to skyrocket. Even if someone had no mental health issues before, if they started using drugs or alcohol to cope, their mental health declined further. The cycle of addiction is hard to break but with the right support network and counseling it is easier to do than alone and increases the odds of kicking bad habits for good.

Even when there is no substance abuse, mental health issues like depression and anxiety are more common than ever. With higher levels of these conditions and addiction as well, the rates for traumatic events like domestic violence climb. 

As you can see, we are in very challenging times when it comes to mental health. One of the best ways to combat this is to get people the help they need, but that is difficult without adequate numbers of qualified mental health specialists.

Where do clinical mental health professionals work?

Clinical mental health counselors may be found at any medical facility or clinic. They often work with social service agencies and departments. Crisis centers often use mental health counselors to help people who suddenly find themselves facing mental challenges and stress due to an accident, trauma, or crime committed against them or a loved one.

Even law enforcement agencies and the judicial system utilize mental health counselors to help victims of crimes. Counselors are sometimes advocates for those who need extra support and help them understand the resources that are available, so they have time to begin to cope and heal.

Conclusion

Mental health counselors help promote wellness within the communities in which they work. From diagnosing mental health issues to creating realistic plans, they help people learn to heal and cope with a variety of issues, including trauma and mental illness. 

There is a strong demand for clinical mental health counselors and social workers. Now is a great time to start a career as a mental health counselor and get a job that involves helping others each and every day.