Explore career options in mental health
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles a qualification in mental health practice may lead to.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
The Griffith University Graduate Certificate and Master in Mental Health Practice offer specialised knowledge and understanding of how to work effectively with people with a mental illness, their carers, and family members. A unique element of these programs is the focus on mental health service consumer voices and experiences and recovery from mental illness.
The courses are designed to foster advanced practice for workers in various settings where mental health knowledge is essential. These include nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, social work, community support workers, peer support workers, consumer and carer consultants, rehabilitation workers, disability workers, housing officers, police liaison officers and people working in other mental health support roles.
For some practitioners the programs may be used towards accreditation as a mental health worker. Please check with your registration body for program eligibility. In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will develop a range of other skills such as group work, critical analysis and professional communication, Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. Students in the Master of Mental Health Practice also complete a 200 hour work practicum which offers vital work experience and an opportunity to put theory into practice. The Master of Mental Health Practice is also a pathway to PhD for those students who wish to pursue a career in research or university level teaching.
Career fields
- Hospitals – private and public
- Government health departments
- Health and medical research
- Public health
- Disability services and programs
- Juvenile justice
- Non-government organisations
- Consultancy roles
- Aged care services
- Government policy development
- Welfare and community services
- Rehabilitation services
- Children’s services
- Case management
- Universities
- Health promotion
- Family and child welfare
- Correctional services
- Mental health services
- Youth work
- Refugee detention centres
- Not for profit organisations
- Mental health roles
Employment roles
- Mental health practitioner
- Mental health nurse
- Consumer peer worker
- Support worker
- Residential care worker
- Disability support worker
- Youth worker
- Child protection case manager
- Child and family support worker
- Residential programs officer
- Senior social worker
- Team leader – counselling
- Intake practitioner
- Rehabilitation consultant
- Injury management advisor
- Social worker forensic mental health
- Dual diagnosis therapist
- Disability advisor
- Case worker
Occupation snapshot
Employed
18,200
Future demand
Strong
Weekly earnings
$1,579
Part-time share
37%
This data is based on the occupation profile for registered nurses specialising in mental health retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website and the YourCareer website August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Seek
- Workforce Australia
- Psychxchange
- Ethical Jobs
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Mental Health Australia
- Australian College of Mental Health Nurses
- Australian Psychological Society
- Australian Association of Social Workers
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
- Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law
- Australian Counselling Association
- Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to promoting decent work and economic growth, advancing the principles of responsible and sustainable consumption and production, and advocating for peace, justice, and resilient institutional frameworks.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.