Understanding Careers in Mental Health and Psychology

Are you interested in a career in mental health andof jobs available to psychologists as well. There are
psychology? If so, then it is important that you do yourjobs available in clinical psychology, with specialties in
research into the career before you fully make upneuropsychology, health psychology, and
your mind. This field is one that many people enjoy;geropsychology.
however, it may not be the right choice for everyone.School psychologists can find great jobs working in
So, before you get ready to make this importantelementary schools as well as high schools and they
career decision, there are a few things that you needdeal with psychological and behavior problems in
to consider. You'll no doubt want to be informed aboutstudents. You can also find available jobs in
the educational requirements, the various job positionsdevelopmental psychology as well, which deals with
available in the field, the salary you can expect, andsocial, cognitive, and physiological develop that occurs
perhaps a few companies that offer great jobs in thein people throughout their life. Of course there are
field. Once you sort out this information, you'll be betterteaching jobs and research jobs available in the mental
prepared to decide if this career is really for you orhealth field as well.
not.Pay - What to Expect
Preparing with EducationOf course the pay that you expect will highly depend
If you plan on having a career in mental health andon which job you pick within the mental health field.
psychology, you are definitely going to need a goodNurses will only make between $30,000 and $50,000 in
education. However, the education that you will needthis field, depending on their experience and education.
will be based on what specific job you want within thePsychologists that work in schools usually make
field. If you want to be a mental health counselor, thenaround $58,000 a year, those in family services usually
you will need a different education than a mentalmake about $42,000 yearly, and those who work with
health nurse. Nurses who want to specialize in mentalother health care practitioners make around $65,000 a
health nursing must take their regular nurse training,year. Some psychologists make as low as $40,000 a
which usually takes 4 years for a Bachelor's degree.year, while on the top end, others make as much as
During that time you can choose to specialize in mental$100,000 a year.
health nursing.Great Companies that Offer Jobs
If you plan on being a psychologist then you will needIf you do decide to get involved in a mental health or
to have a doctoral degree. If a Ph.D. in psychology ispsychology career, no doubt you are going to be
your goal, you are going to spend about 5-7 years ininterested in finding companies that offer excellent
graduate school, which comes after you have ajobs, with great pay and benefits. Whether you live in
Bachelor's degree. So basically you will have spentthe United States or Canada, there are some great
about 9-11 years in higher education. Some degreescompanies out there that hire people in mental health
also include internships as well. If you want to becomecareers. A few great companies to consider in the
a school psychologist, dealing with students, you willUnited States include Georgia Correctional Healthcare,
need a special Ed.S. degree that focuses on bothRange Mental Health Center in Minnesota, Bayview
education and psychology. There are also some jobsCenter for Mental Health, Inc., in Miami, Florida, and
available that only require that you have a Master'sAnne Arundel Health Systems in Maryland. There are
degree in psychology.also some great companies to consider in Canada as
Positions Available in the Fieldwell, including Provincial Health Services Authority in
There are a variety of excellent positions available onBritish Columbia, Prairie North Regional Health Authority
the field of mental health, depending on what you arein Saskatchewan, and River Valley Health, in New
most interested in. There are counseling jobs available,Brunswick. All of these companies offer competitive
jobs for nurses and nurses' aides who want to work insalaries as well as good benefits.
mental health care, and of course there are a variety