5 careers to help with suicide prevention
Suicide Prevention counselor
A suicide prevention counselor is someone who is well educated in the field of psychology and personal counseling. You will most likely need to earn at least a master’s degree in psychology, with a strong emphasis on crisis counseling for both young people and adults. Teen suicide has become more common in recent years, so you will need a lot of training in how to work with teens with low self-esteem. You may work in a general hospital, psychiatric hospital or a mental health clinic.
Psychologist
Psychologist or counselor studies the cognitive, emotional and social processes and human behavior, particularly. related in this case to people who may be at risk of taking their own lives. A psychologist in this field will attempt to understand and explain the thoughts, feelings and emotions that may be leading to a person’s self-destructive tendencies. So, becoming a psychologist in the specialized field of suicide prevention may provide you with the opportunity to make a real difference and also earn a good living.
Social worker
Social workers help people to cope with the problems in their lives. As a social worker, you will help a person with suicidal thoughts or past behaviors to better cope positively with challenges in their lives. A social worker may work with a child, teenager, adult or senior citizen who is at risk to take his or her own life. You can start in this field with a bachelor’s degree, but you will likely need to earn at least a master’s degree to advance in the field.
Child and family
This type of social worker professional will provide vulnerable families and children help in preventing suicide. They may help the parents to find services that they need to deal with suicide-related issues.
Clinical
This social services professional specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of many mental and behavioral problems that may ultimately lead to suicide if left untreated. Most often, a clinical social worker will work closely with a patient who suffers from severe depression and/or anxiety.
Social and community service officer
A social and community service manager coordinates and supervises social service and community programs that may work specifically in the areas of depression and suicide. These types of managers often work for a variety of non profit, social and government service organizations. They may focus on a particular area of social services, including suicide prevention.