Welcome to careers
We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.
Frank Tibolt
A career in mental health and addiction services is one that makes a difference... the mental health and addiction sector is dynamic, full of dedicated, empathetic and innovative people. What makes it so dynamic is that its roles and opportunities are practically limitless, depending on your interests and skills. The sector is using a variety of ways to help people find their way to satisfying and quality careers within it.
The most commonly known jobs in mental health and addictions are clinical roles: psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers and mental health nurses.
But alongside these are many other job opportunities involving social support services, such as housing, day support and employment. For example, mental health organisations offer supported and independent housing, and community support to service users. There are employment and social enterprise business programmes. Day support projects include day hospitals, rehabilitation centres and drop-in centres. Some offer highly structured activities while others provide informal settings.
The roles involved in this kind of work include: mental health support workers, occupational therapists, social workers, peer support workers, counsellors...
There are also researchers, workforce development coordinators, managers, team leaders, administrators, clinical educators, cultural advisors, quality and risk coordinators... and more!
In addition to the different types of roles within the sector there are also a number of diverse environments in which you can work, including inpatient (hospital based services), community mental health teams, crisis teams, non-government organisations (NGOs), kaupapa Maori organisations, Pasifika organisations, consumer or family support organisations, criminal justice department (court liaison and prisons), vocational and employment services to name a few, with new settings for services emerging all the time.
