Counsel with emphasis on prevention. Work with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental health. May help individuals deal with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; suicide; stress management; problems with self-esteem; and issues associated with aging and mental and emotional health.

Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment. Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, and help them to develop insight into themselves and their relationships. Guide clients in the development of skills and strategies for dealing with their problems. Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports. Counsel clients and patients, individually and in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, and making changes. Collect information about clients through interviews, observation, and tests. Act as client advocates in order to coordinate required services or to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations. Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge. Collaborate with other staff members to perform clinical assessments and develop treatment plans. Evaluate clients' physical or mental condition based on review of client information. Meet with families, probation officers, police, and other interested parties in order to exchange necessary information during the treatment process. Refer patients, clients, or family members to community resources or to specialists as necessary. Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting clients or patients. Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives. Plan, organize and lead structured programs of counseling, work, study, recreation and social activities for clients. Modify treatment activities and approaches as needed in order to comply with changes in clients' status. Learn about new developments in their field by reading professional literature, attending courses and seminars, and establishing and maintaining contact with other social service agencies. Discuss with individual patients their plans for life after leaving therapy. Gather information about community mental health needs and resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy. Monitor clients' use of medications. Supervise other counselors, social service staff, and assistants. Plan and conduct programs to prevent substance abuse or improve community health and counseling services. Run workshops and courses about mental health issues.

Psychology -- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. Therapy and Counseling -- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance. English Language -- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. Education and Training -- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. Sociology and Anthropology -- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins. Customer and Personal Service -- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. Administration and Management -- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Active Listening -- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. Social Perceptiveness -- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. Critical Thinking -- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. Service Orientation -- Actively looking for ways to help people. Active Learning -- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. Learning Strategies -- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. Speaking -- Talking to others to convey information effectively. Time Management -- Managing one's own time and the time of others. Reading Comprehension -- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. Monitoring -- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Oral Expression -- The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. Oral Comprehension -- The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. Problem Sensitivity -- The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. Speech Clarity -- The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. Inductive Reasoning -- The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). Speech Recognition -- The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. Deductive Reasoning -- The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. Written Expression -- The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. Written Comprehension -- The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Near Vision -- The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates -- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. Assisting and Caring for Others -- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others -- Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships -- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. Documenting/Recording Information -- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events -- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. Getting Information -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others -- Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. Making Decisions and Solving Problems -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings -- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.