How to Become a Mental Health Support Worker in Australia

Mental health is a critical aspect of our overall well-being. Unfortunately, many people struggle with mental health conditions that impact their quality of life.

Mental health support workers play a critical role in supporting people with mental health issues. These professionals are empathetic and emotionally intelligent individuals who provide assistance and support to those in need.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll discuss how to become a mental health support worker and cover various aspects such as job responsibilities, courses available, and salary information.

Mental health support workers are crucial, helping people with mental health issues and improving their lives. They work in places like hospitals, clinics, and community groups.

Their role involves offering emotional support, crisis help, and aid with everyday tasks. To make a positive impact, mental health support workers require excellent communication skills, patience, and empathy.

A mental health support worker carries out a range of tasks including:

• Helping people with mental health issues like depression and anxiety feel better by giving them emotional support.
• Helping clients with everyday tasks, like cooking, cleaning, and personal care.
• Working with doctors and social workers to create and follow care plans for each person.
• Helping to calm clients down in emergencies using special techniques.
• Leading fun activities that make people feel better, like group talks, art, or relaxation exercises.
• Encouraging clients to join social events and groups to make friends and build a support network.
• Keeping an eye on how clients are doing and telling health professionals if there are any big changes or worries.
• Maintaining client records and keeping confidential information private.

The demand for mental health support workers hasn’t decreased. Instead, Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing strategy report explains that the workforce needs to grow to keep up with the current community demand for mental health services.

The ABS National Health Survey showed that more Australians were experiencing mental health problems by 2019. By mid-2021, these problems got worse because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 1 in 5 Australians feeling a lot of psychological stress. Young people, women, and people with disabilities were the most affected.

The number of people needing mental health support in Australia has gone up. Because of this, there were 6.5% more jobs in mental health in 2021. Jobs that were needed included:

• Psychologists
• Youth workers
• Social workers
• Counsellors
• Mental health nurses

The worker shortage in the mental health industry offers wider career opportunities for those interested in this field.

Like many professions, the salary of mental health support workers in Australia varies depending on factors such as experience, location, and organisation. The average salary for mental health support workers in Australia ranges from AUD 60,000 to AUD 75,000 per year.

However, with experience and progression, this can increase to AUD 90,000 or more. Additionally, mental health support workers in Australia receive various benefits such as superannuation schemes, annual leave, and sick leave.