9 Mental Health Careers You Can Pursue with a BA

When people think of mental health careers, they often think of psychiatrists, psychologists, and other roles that require either a master’s degree or a doctorate. However, while these professionals play a critical role, communities across the country need more support than this relatively small group can offer.

According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, 122 million people live in areas without enough mental health professionals. In such places, even the most highly trained providers are stretched thin. Professionals with bachelor’s degrees in community mental health or a related field can be crucial to closing this gap.

For students who are passionate about making mental health services accessible to all, here are nine mental health careers for those without an advanced degree.

What Is a Bachelor of Arts in Community Mental Health (CMH)?

Students who want to enter the mental health workforce can start by earning bachelor’s degrees in psychology, human services, social work, and any number of other related fields. However, those interested in learning how to leverage community resources to serve large groups of people should consider a Bachelor of Arts in Community Mental Health (CMH).

Like other undergraduate mental health degree programs, CMH programs are typically four-year courses of study that cover foundational topics such as lifespan development, mental health disorders, and counseling. Additionally, CMH programs offer courses on:

• Social psychology
• Discrimination, prejudice, and other systemic issues that affect mental health on a large scale
• Navigating and managing social services systems
• Assessing the needs of individual clients and communities
• Social science research

With this knowledge, CMH program graduates can take on a number of roles at government social services agencies, private mental health facilities, and nonprofit organizations. Just as importantly, students can learn how to work with professionals in other sectors to meet the complex needs of their clients and build resiliency in their communities.

Mental Health Careers for Professionals with BAs

While each mental health career opportunity comes with its own set of responsibilities, many of those roles that are open to professionals with bachelor’s degrees in CMH programs involve supporting other professionals, collaborating with other agencies, and performing a mix of administrative and direct patient care duties. Gaining this type of experience can be a great way to prepare for careers in clinical counseling and mental health administration.

Behavioral Health Counselor

While it takes a master’s degree to become a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), mental health providers of all kinds hire behavioral health counselors with bachelor’s degrees as well. In community and residential treatment settings, these professionals are vital to ensuring that everyone receives the support they need.

Counselors at this level have duties such as:

• Contributing to treatment plans
• Performing crisis interventions
• Providing individual counseling in between patients’ appointments with clinical professionals
• Creating discharge plans
• Coordinating referrals between providers
• Leading therapeutic group sessions
• Working with and educating clients’ families

Though not always required, many employers prefer candidates to have some experience in human services or mental health. This experience can be gained through paid or volunteer work.

Salary and Job Outlook

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors made a median annual salary of $53,710 as of 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The highest-earning counselors made around $89,920, but these counselors were typically experienced professionals with clinical licensure.

Between 2023 and 2033, the BLS expects employment for counselors to increase by an astounding 19%. This increase translates to an average of 48,900 new job openings per year.

Peer Support Specialist

Peer support specialist is a unique career opportunity for people who have navigated their own battles with substance use disorders, trauma, and mental illness. Similar to counselors, these professionals offer invaluable support to clients and their families at recovery support centers, transitional housing agencies, and community-based organizations.

Peer support specialists can specialize in helping people through any number of mental health and behavioral issues, but typical responsibilities include:

• Providing one-on-one support to clients and patients
• Helping clients find clinical services, support groups, and similar resources
• Supporting and advocating for clients’ rights
• Offering their experience and insights in group meetings, school lectures, and other settings
• Advising social workers, counselors, and other clinical professionals as they create support plans

Becoming a peer support specialist typically requires certification through a state board or professional organization. While this role often only requires a high school diploma, peer support specialists with bachelor’s degrees are well positioned to advance their mental health careers and become licensed therapists or counselors.

Salary and Job Outlook

Payscale reports that the median salary for peer support specialists was about $37,850 as of November 2024. Those at the higher end of the scale make closer to $52,000. Specialists who pursue counselor or therapist licensure can greatly increase their salary potential, as can those who pursue peer support certification (even when it’s not required) or go beyond minimum education requirements.

While the BLS doesn’t track employment data for peer support specialists, the expected 19% increase in jobs for counselors between 2023 and 2033 indicates that the job market for these similar professionals will also likely be positive.

Homeless Outreach Specialist

In many communities, those experiencing homelessness are unaware of or unable to access mental health services. Homeless outreach specialists bridge this gap between providers and the people who need their support the most.

Working for government housing agencies, nonprofits, and mental healthcare providers, homeless outreach coordinators often provide the following services:

• Visiting homeless shelters and low-income areas to educate people about available resources
• Providing immediate short-term counseling or crisis intervention when necessary
• Connecting clients to food banks, medical professionals, and other resources
• Facilitating collaboration between agencies to meet community and individual needs

Because the homeless population often has complex needs, homeless outreach positions often require some experience working with this population or people with mental health needs.

Salary and Job Outlook

According to the BLS, social and human services assistants of all kinds earned a median salary of $41,410, with the highest-paid professionals making $61,800 and up. Because many types of human services assistants only need a high school diploma, homeless outreach specialists with bachelor’s degrees may have salaries above the median.

Between 2023 and 2033, the BLS expects employment for human services assistants to increase by 8%, an average of 48,400 new job opportunities per year. As wealth and mental healthcare access disparities widen, outreach specialists will likely be needed in more communities.

Health Education Specialist

Health education specialists empower their communities to become advocates for their own well-being, but not only by focusing on medical needs. They work to help communities learn and practice healthy behaviors, making a background in mental health and human behavior extremely helpful.

Common duties for health education specialists include:

• Assessing community needs
• Teaching classes on topics relevant to a community’s needs, such as coping mechanisms and parenting techniques
• Connecting individuals and communities to local resources and specialists
• Working with local leaders to establish local medical and mental healthcare resources
• Advocating for laws and policies that promote community well-being
• Maintaining a culturally aware approach to their duties and their communities’ needs

Health education specialists can work for a wide range of community-based organizations, including hospitals, local health departments, mental health and addiction recovery centers, senior living communities, and advocacy organizations.

Salary and Job Outlook

According to the BLS, health education specialists made a median salary of $62,860 as of May 2023. The top-earning professionals made more than $107,920. Between 2023 and 2033, the BLS expects this sector to grow by 7%, equivalent to an average of 6,700 job openings per year.

Case Manager

While community mental health professionals are focused on widespread issues, the people within their communities often need individual support. Case managers are responsible for making sure they get it. 

A case manager’s exact duties vary based on what type of agency they work for, but their responsibilities typically include:

• Screening and assessing new patients and clients
• Connecting clients to specialists inside and outside of their organizations as needed
• Monitoring client progress
• Sharing information and facilitating cooperation between members of their clients’ health and mental health teams
• Helping clients create short- and long-term goals
• Advocating for and educating clients about their rights

While these professionals often work for government social services agencies, they can also work for healthcare providers, counseling agencies, and just about any organization that serves clients with complex needs.

Salary and Job Outlook

As of January 2025, Payscale reports that the median salary for case managers is about $48,380 per year, with the highest earners making around $79,000. According to the BLS, employment for social and human services assistants (professionals who work closely with and have similar duties to case managers) is expected to grow by 8% between 2023 and 2033.

Family Services Specialist

Family services specialists are similar to case managers, except they work to help entire family groups access the support they need rather than focusing on individuals. They can work for many of the same organizations as case managers, but they also often find mental health career opportunities with child and family services agencies, domestic violence shelters, school districts, and marriage and family counseling centers.

Family services specialists’ responsibilities often include:

• Assessing family needs, including those of individual family members
• Conducting home visits
• Preparing evaluations for social workers, counselors, and other professionals
• Connecting families to resources, including financial assistance programs, food programs, parent education, and counseling
• Offering ongoing support and assistance to families as they navigate the social services system
• Acting as liaisons between families and social services agencies, family court systems, schools, and other involved organizations

Because family needs can be complex, family services specialists often need experience in other mental health or social services positions, such as a community health worker. In some cases, certification through a state social services agency or professional organization may be required.

Salary and Job Outlook

Family and social services specialists made a median annual salary of about $37,000 as of March 2025, with the most experienced professionals making $59,000 and up, according to Payscale. However, because these professionals can work in the public or private sector, salaries can vary widely. Those with bachelor’s degrees or higher can qualify for senior-level positions that often come with higher salary potential.

Like other community mental health professionals, family services specialists fall under the BLS’s human and social services assistant category. This sector is expected to grow by 8% by 2033, equivalent to an average of 48,400 yearly job openings.

Mental Health Worker

Before pursuing counseling positions and similar mental health careers, many professionals with bachelor’s degrees work as mental health workers. While not licensed to offer a full range of clinical or counseling services, mental health workers support their colleagues and clients in a number of important ways.

Mental health workers can work anywhere their fully licensed colleagues can. Their duties include:

• Facilitating support groups
• Informing patients and clients about services and treatments
• Supervising recreational activities and other programs at in-patient facilities
• Sharing observations about patients with clinical staff and informing care plans
• Ensuring that other staff members support patients as they adjust to new care plans
• Performing crisis intervention
• Maintaining case notes and compiling patient data

Mental health workers typically need to be certified through a state-based agency. Certified professionals can help counselors and clinical staff administer therapy, but they typically aren’t licensed to perform therapy alone or unsupervised. However, they’re available to help residents of in-patient facilities with day-to-day issues when clinical staff are unavailable.

Salary and Job Outlook

According to Payscale, mental health workers made a median salary of about $41,900 as of September 2024, with the highest-earning professionals making around $59,000. Many organizations categorize mental health workers at different levels. Those at the highest level often have the most education, experience, and responsibility, and they typically have higher salaries.

Between 2023 and 2033, the BLS reports that positions for psychiatric technicians and aides, who fill roles similar to those of mental health workers, are predicted to increase by about 13%, which is equivalent to 18,400 annual job openings per year.

Child Protective Services Worker

When state social services agencies suspect child abuse or neglect, child protective services (CPS) workers step in. However, while CPS workers must sometimes remove children from dangerous living conditions, that role is not their primary purpose. When possible, these professionals do what they can to strengthen and preserve family units.

CPS workers have a number of important responsibilities in the office and in the field, including:

• Interviewing children and other witnesses to abuse or neglect
• Facilitating in-home support services that promote child safety and safe parenting
• Developing safety plans for families to prevent dangerous situations
• Providing insights to courts, social workers, and other parties to develop a plan for further action
• Seeking alternative living arrangements when necessary

In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree, CPS workers must also often go through state-sponsored training after being hired. With more education and experience, CPS workers can pivot into roles like supervisors and field administrators.

Salary and Job Outlook

According to Payscale, child welfare specialists made a median annual income of about $54,370 as of January 2025. The most experienced and educated professionals made around $70,000. As government employees, CPS workers are typically awarded regular raises based on seniority and performance.

The BLS reports that job opportunities for social workers are expected to grow by 7% by 2033, the equivalent of 67,300 job openings each year. While CPS workers aren’t social workers, they work very closely with them and have a similar skill set. The growth in this sector indicates that more CPS workers are likely to be needed in the near future.

Victim Specialist

Also known as victim advocates, victim specialists help clients navigate the criminal justice system. While they often work for courts, attorneys’ offices, and law enforcement agencies, many work for domestic violence shelters and nonprofits.

A victim specialist can offer support at any time before, during, or after legal proceedings. Their typical duties include:

• Helping clients find lawyers, mental health professionals, and healthcare providers
• Acting as liaisons between clients and court officials
• Educating clients about their rights
• Ensuring all parties involved with legal proceedings respect their clients’ rights
• Securing emergency housing and other crisis resources
• Supporting clients emotionally
• Generally guiding clients as they navigate the legal system

Before pursuing this complex mental health career, many professionals gain experience in entry-level social services positions. With a bachelor’s degree, professionals can also take on higher-level administrative positions after gaining experience serving victims directly.

Salary and Job Outlook

The median salary for victim advocates and similar professionals was about $44,240 as of November 2024, according to Payscale. The highest-earning professionals made around $59,000.

The BLS doesn’t report job outlook data for victim specialists specifically, but it does project employment in the human services assistance sector to grow 8% between 2023 and 2033. Given the wide range of public and private sector employers that victim advocates can work for, their employment prospects are likely to be similarly optimistic.

Make Mental Health Services More Accessible in Your Community

Whether you are interested in a bachelor’s-level mental health position or preparing to become a licensed provider or high-level administrator, the faculty of New England College’s Bachelor of Arts in Community Mental Health program is committed to helping you turn your calling into a career.

With courses encompassing topics from counseling techniques to social services system theory, the New England College (NEC) program offers a curriculum focused on both delivering mental health services and making them more accessible. By partnering with the New England Department of Health and Human Services, NEC is proud to offer paid formative work experiences to all CMH program students. Students can also choose to earn their BA in Community Mental Health online.

To find out more about what our program offers and how you can have an impact before you graduate, reach out to the NEC admissions team today.

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