Mental Health Support Worker

Support people experiencing mental health issues, and help them achieve their personal goals and live their best lives.

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Support people experiencing a mental health crisis

Working as a Mental Health Support Worker, you’ll have specialised skills in supporting people experiencing mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or psychosis. This rewarding career is human-centred, and your work will empower people with mental health issues to live more fulfilling lives. You will work with a range of community groups and services to help clients to achieve their goals and find their place in the community, and will work closely with them to build independence and stability in their lives.

Key stats

Mental Health Support Workers play an important role in supporting people with mental health issues, and report high rates of job satisfaction. Here are some key facts and figures about this career path:

$1,492
Average weekly salary
41 hrs
Average hours worked per week
43 yrs
Average age of people in this career
Multi-region
Jobs available in metro and rural areas
~84,600
People employed in this industry
63%
Of employees are full time
Average
Unemployment for this industry
25.2%
Future growth (next five years)

Stats as of April 2024. Source: LabourMarketInsights.gov.au

Core skills of a Mental Health Support Worker

Working as a Mental Health Support Worker, you’ll have specialised skills in assessing and supporting your clients’ needs. Some of the core skills of Mental Health Support Workers include:

Identifying client needs

Interview clients and determine what difficulties they are facing, and what support they might need.

Counselling

Providing counselling to individuals and groups, and helping your clients develop frameworks and skills that will allow them to live their best lives.

Connecting with community groups and social services

Developing strong relationships with local community and social services, and referring clients to relevant support networks to help them achieve their goals.

Maintaining client records and monitoring progress

Keeping records of your clients’ progress over time, and reporting to their wider medical team to plan and implement appropriate treatments and interventions.

Start here

Certificate IV in Mental Health

Blended learning

Employment as a Mental Health Support Worker

Once you’ve completed your Certificate IV

Diploma in Community Services

Blended learning or traineeship

Employment as a Community Services Supervisor

You may choose to continue your studies at university to become qualified in psychology, social work, or human services.

Why choose GOTAFE?

Community connections

We work closely with the local community and welfare support industry to make sure your training gives you all the skills you need to succeed in the workforce.

Australia’s 5th largest industry

Approximately 8% of Australia’s workforce are employed in healthcare, and the industry continues to grow.

Hands-on experience

Our courses give you the opportunity to apply theory to practice and develop your skills working on real community projects.

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