Military Medical Opportunities: Mental Health Specialist

Duties and responsibilities

The mental health specialist is primarily responsible for assisting with the management and treatment of inpatient and outpatient mental health activities. Collect and record psychosocial and physical data. Assist with care and treatment of psychiatric, drug and alcohol patients’ .Counsel clients/patients with personal, behavioral or psychological problems

Salary

As an Army Mental health specialist, your salary will be determined by your rank as well as your experience. For example, Army mental health specialists that had reached the rank of sergeant with three to four years of experience made $2,375.40 per month in 2012. Salaries increase with higher ranks and more experience. In the Army, qualified students can earn full-tuition, merit-based scholarships, allowances for books and fees, plus an annual stipend for living expenses.

Education

 Training for a mental health specialist requires 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and 20 weeks of Advanced Individual Training, including practice in-patient care. Training length varies depending on specialty. Some of the skills you’ll learn are: Patient-care techniques Emergency medical techniques. The majority of Army mental health specialists start with a bachelor’s degree in a field such as psychology, counseling, or social work. Some may even earn master’s degrees as well.

Reflection

Yes I would like to become a Mental Health Specialists not only because of its high salary but also because I would like to help those people that are having mental issues. Meaning they risk their life for our country and I would like to compensate them by helping them feel better and not suffer any mental issues.