Pursuing a Career in Mental Health: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Professionals

Ann F. Garland

Oxford University Press, 2022 - Mental health services - 256 pages

Many people are interested in pursuing a career in mental health but may be uncertain about career options. Between the numerous disciplines and the economic implications of different educational decisions, the world of professional mental health can seem difficult to navigate.

Pursuing a Career in Mental Health helps demystify the world of mental health by identifying the best educational path for people interested in this career and by giving them the resources to prepare for success. Designed to prepare students to excel in training and in careers in practice, the book
offers an introduction to the topics addressed in graduate study across disciplines, exploring important issues relating to current and future mental health practice. Throughout, mental health professionals share inspirational wisdom to build realistic expectations and highlight key decision points.
This book provides comprehensive information about the disciplines of counseling, marital/couples and family therapy, psychology, psychiatry, psychiatric nursing, and social work, along with an expansive array of job possibilities. It also offers practical guidance about masters versus doctoral
degrees, graduate admissions requirements, educational costs, and salary projections. Readers learn about how diversity and inclusion issues, as well as laws and ethics, impact mental health, and how to prevent career burnout. Thought-provoking chapters promote balanced respect for both the healing
art and the science of mental health, and forecast innovations that will shape the field into the future.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• 1 Why Should You Become a Mental Health Professional?: 9
• 2 Is This Career a Good Fit for You?: 18
• 3 Steps to Becoming a Mental Health Professional: 31
• 4 Choosing a Discipline and Degree to Pursue: 46
• Populations Settings and Types of Work: 67
• 6 The Business of Mental Healthcare: 83
• 7 Ethical and Legal Issues in Mental Healthcare: 96
• 8 Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Mental Health: 108
• 9 Preparing for Success in Graduate School: 121
• 10 Occupational Hazards and How to Manage Them: 138
• 11 Inspiring Hope and Change: 150
• 12 Embracing the Science of Mental Healthcare: 162
• 13 The Future of Mental Healthcare: 174
• 14 Shared Wisdom and Suggested Inspiration: 190
• Notes: 207
• Index: 223

About the author

Ann F. Garland is Professor and former Chair of the Department of Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy at University of San Diego, as well as Professor Emerita in the Department of Psychiatry at U.C. San Diego. Her research is designed to improve mental health care for children and families by
translating science into community practice. Over the past two decades, her projects have addressed: access to mental health care among at-risk populations, racial and ethnic disparities in care, methods to measure the delivery and outcomes of care, and identifying common elements of evidence-based
practice. She has developed strong collaborative partnerships with community stakeholders and she is very active in training researchers and clinicians from multiple disciplines.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Pursuing a Career in Mental Health: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Professionals
• Author: Ann F. Garland
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2022
• ISBN: 0197544711, 9780197544716
• Length: 256 pages