Mental Health Counselors

• Provide basic health care services.
• Refer clients to community or social service programs.
• Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.
• Develop working relationships with others to facilitate program activities.
• Maintain client records.
• Write reports or evaluations.
• Maintain professional social services knowledge.
• Collect information about clients.
• Collect information about community health needs.
• Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.

• The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
• Frequent contact with others.
• Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
• Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
• Sitting.
• Meeting strict deadlines.
• Working with a group or team.

• Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
• Mental Health Counseling/Counselor
• Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
• Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor

• Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
• Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions

Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges, technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota, and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.

If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:

• Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
• Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
• Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
• Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.

Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.

• Visit Transferology to see if your courses will transfer.
• Search Articulation Agreements to find formal transfer agreements between schools.

• Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• 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.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Persuading Others—Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
• Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Philosophy and Theology—Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

• Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Investigative—Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

• Child, Family, and School Social Workers
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists
• Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors
• Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
• College Psychology Teachers

• Social Assistance
• Ambulatory Health Care Services
• Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
• Hospitals

• Child, Family, and School Social Workers
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists
• Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors
• Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
• College Psychology Teachers