Choosing a career path can be challenging, and not everyone knows what they want to do for a living upon graduating from secondary schooling. There are many career paths to choose from, and not all of them will suit your skills, talents, or aspirations.
However, if you’ve ever thought about helping people and making a genuine difference in their lives, mental health services might be worth your consideration. Here are a few of the many reasons why you might like to become a mental health counselor in Iowa.
You Can Help People From All Walks of Life
When you train to become a United Healthcare therapist or a counselor accepting many different types of insurance, you can help people from all walks of life. Rather than only supporting those who can afford to cover the full cost of mental health services, you can be available for those using copay, their health savings account, a flexible spending account, or covering the costs out of pocket. The more payment flexibility you can provide, the more people you can help. This can be a rewarding enough reason in itself to consider this career path.
Iowa’s Mental Health System Is Struggling
Despite Iowa sitting near the middle regarding happiness levels across all states in America, it sits near the bottom for its mental health services. In 2017, it ranked last of all states for its psychiatric bed availability and 47th for the number of psychiatrists licensed to provide care.
This is a troubling statistic, especially given that more than 40% of adults in Iowa have experienced anxiety and depression, and 25.4% say they haven’t gotten the treatment or therapy they need. You might contribute to turning those stats around by entering the mental health services field.
While it can take several years to train as a qualified therapist or mental health counselor, the effort can be worth it at the other end. Not only can you establish yourself in a rewarding career, but you can make a genuine difference in the lives of many hundreds of people.
You Want to Work With Children
Some people love the idea of working with children, but they aren’t sure if teaching is the right option for them. While teaching is typically the most obvious choice when you want a career involving children, mental health services can also provide that opportunity.
Once enrolled in your chosen tertiary education facility, you can pursue a career as a school counselor, family counselor, social services counselor, or even a juvenile detention center counselor. Juvenile crime rates in Iowa are above average, so there’s potential for you to make a great deal of difference in juvenile detention center facilities.
You Want a Career With Flexible Work Hours
While you might not have flexible work hours in a mental health role, to begin with, there’s potential for you to enjoy them as you become established in your field and as your career progresses.
Many freelance mental health service providers can work part-time and with non-traditional hours to suit their unique needs. However, those choosing to work in facilities may be required to work overtime and on-call hours as emergencies arise.
You’ve Had a Positive Experience
Many of the best mental health professionals are no strangers to the services themselves. Sometimes, it’s not until they’ve encountered a particularly challenging mental health problem and reached out for help that they realize how much the field interests them from a career perspective. Having overcome mental health challenges, you’re also in a desirable position to speak from experience and empathize with your clients.
You Want Job Security
Life-long careers in the same job or industry are seldom guaranteed. Many people have found themselves laid off from jobs amidst business budgetary cuts, sales downturns, and even the adoption of new technology.
However, there will likely always be a need for mental health services, especially with more than one in five US adults living with a mental illness, according to the CDC. As long as people require support and helpful tools to manage mental conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD, there will likely always be a need for therapists and counselors.
You Want to See People Lead Better Lives
Watching people struggle to reach their full potential can be frustrating. You might know that they’re capable of achieving great things, but they don’t know how to make the necessary changes to get there.
By training to become a mental health counselor, you’re in a strong position to guide people to success. This can be particularly true if you specialize in trigger identification, conflict resolution, and addiction recovery. With drug use a common problem in Iowa, there’s potential for you to make a significant impact in the field of addiction recovery.
Becoming a mental health counselor in Iowa is a big decision to make, particularly as it might lay the foundation for your entire working life. However, if you can relate to these reasons above, now might be the right time to consider whether this rewarding field is right for you.
