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Behavioral HealthTop JobColorado Talent Pipeline Report-aligned occupation with strong annual openings, growth, and wage signals.

Behavioral Health Counselor

Counsel and advise individuals dealing with issues that affect their mental health and well-being, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.

Annual openings

1,676

Median wage

n/a

Typical education

Bachelor's degree

Growth 2024–2034

+26%

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Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

Bachelor's degree

Credential requirement

No certification is required for this job. However, many employers value moving beyond this role to become a Licensed Professional Counselor so you can operate independently without supervision.

Work experience

This does not require previous work experience; however, a person could work in a lower-level Behavioral Health role first.

Employer competency information

Feedback from employers identifies the following critical competencies and how they apply for this job

  • Customer Focus — Focusing on and understanding the client is the foundation for this job; for instance, planning group counseling sessions to address the different needs of each patient and adjusting treatments based on an individual’s needs.
  • Psychology, Therapy and Counseling — The knowledge and ability to understand a patient’s behavior, identify possible causes, and develop appropriate treatments and interventions.
  • Communication — The ability to quickly and concisely summarize and articulate the most pertinent patient-related information.
  • Interpersonal Skills and Teamwork — Examples are understanding a patient’s culture/background and how it impacts the treatment and the ability to an effectively run a group consisting of diverse backgrounds. In addition, treatment in a hospital setting is always a team effort.
  • Critical & Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving & Decision Making — The ability to look at multiple aspects of a patient objectively and subjectively and assessing, implementing and adjusting treatments.
  • Integrity — Ethical behavior to protect your patients and maintain appropriate boundaries are two key aspects of this job.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

A typical day

  1. Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
  2. Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
  3. Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
  4. Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
  5. Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
  6. Perform crisis interventions with clients.
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