Advise on mental health

Advise persons of all ages and groups in terms of the health-promoting aspects of individual behaviour and institutions with regard to the personal, social and structural factors on physical and mental health.

advise on aspects of mental health
provide counselling on mental health
offer counselling on mental health
advise on health-promoting aspects
counsel on mental health
advise on psychic health

skill/competence

sector-specific

Advise on mental health is an essential skill of the following occupations:

Acupuncturist: Acupuncturists make use of thin needles and insert them into acupuncture points in the body in order to restore the imbalances of the human body and overall good health. Acupuncturists focus on energy meridians to treat various conditions.
Herbal therapist: Herbal therapists use herbal medicine to relief pain and treat illnesses such as allergies, chronic physical conditions or stress-related conditions. They study the properties and benefits of plants and create a personalised treatment plan for the patients.
Clinical social worker: Clinical social workers provide therapy, counselling, and intervention services to clients. They treat clients with personal struggles, namely mental illness, addiction, and abuse, advocating for them and helping them gain access to the necessary resources. They also focus on the impact of medical and public health issues within social aspects.
Aromatherapist: Aromatherapists use essential oils extracted from herbal products at the level of the interface skin and mucous membranes to improve the clients` well-being. They treat a variety of illnesses and physical or psychological conditions, under supervision and on a doctor’s order.
Health psychologist: Health psychologists deal with the various aspects of health related behaviour of individuals and groups, by helping individuals or groups prevent illness and promote healthy behaviours by also providing counseling services. They perform tasks for the development of health promotion activities and projects on the basis of psychological science, research findings, theories, methods and techniques. They also engage in research about health related issues to influence public policy on health care issues.
Military welfare worker: Military welfare workers assist families in coping with the deployment in the military of a family member by supporting them through the adjustment process of leaving and returning of the family member. They help teenagers go through the fear of loosing their parents to the military or not recognising their parents at their return. Military and veterans social workers help veterans to re-adapt to civilian life and help them manage sufferings, trauma disorders or griefs.
Mental health social worker: Mental health social workers assist and provide counselling to people with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems. They focus on providing personalised support to cases and monitor the recovery process of their clients by providing therapy, crisis intervention, client advocacy and education. Mental health social workers may contribute to mental health services improvement and mental health outcomes for citizens.

Advise on mental health is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this skill may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Gerontology social worker: Gerontology social workers provide assistance to elderly individuals and their families helping them to cope with their biopsychosocial needs. They help connecting the elderly with community resources by gathering information about the array of services available to them. Gerontology social workers assess their clients’ needs, functional capacity and health problems and liaise with medical professionals when necessary.
Social worker: Social workers are practice-based professionals who promote social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. They interact with individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities in order to provide various forms of therapy and counselling, group work, and community work. Social workers guide people to use services to claim benefits, access community resources, find jobs and training, obtain legal advice or deal with other local authority departments.
Social counsellor: Social counsellors provide support and guidance to individuals in the social work area, to help them solve specific problems in their personal life. It involves addressing personal and relationship issues, dealing with inner conflicts, crisis moments such as depression and addiction, in an attempt to empower individuals to achieve change and improve their life quality.
Crisis helpline operator: Crisis helpline operators provide advice and support to distraught callers via the telephone. They have to deal with a diverse range of issues such as abuse, depression and financial problems. Helpline operators maintain records of the phone calls according to regulations and privacy policies.
Marriage counsellor: Marriage counsellors support and guide couples and families that are going through crises such as depression, substance abuse and relationship problems. They help improving their communication by providing group or individual therapy.
Shiatsu practitioner: Shiatsu practitioners provide health maintenance, health education, whole health evaluation and recommendations for wellbeing, and treatment of certain illness through energetic evaluation of the body’s life energy system (Ki) and regulation of the life energy system through various energetic and manual techniques.
Complementary therapist: Complementary therapists use a range of complementary and alternative therapies to work simultaneously with the clients` body, mind, and spirit in a holistic approach. They offer practices and services for holistic wellbeing, health maintenance, health education, health promotion and prevention of illness, along with the sustainable treatment of certain illnesses, especially chronic illnesses. Their practices include but are not limited to acupuncture, aromatherapy, banotherapy, homeopathy, and herbal medicine.
Community health worker: Community health workers provide advice and information about various health subjects to the community. They can assist with pre- and post-natal care, give nutritional advice and help individuals stop smoking. Community health workers develop health and prevention programmes.
Sophrologist: Sophrologists aim to reduce their clients` stress and produce optimal health and well-being by applying a dynamic relaxation method which consists of a specific set of physical and mental exercises on a doctor’s order.

References

1. Advise on mental health – ESCO