Behavioral Health Career Roadmap

Carlos is a community health worker supervisor, earning $60,000 annually. Carlos works at a non-profit multi-service center in his neighborhood. His job includes conducting local outreach and building relationships with community members in order to connect them to health and mental health resources. He also supervises a group of community health workers and supports their professional growth. Carlos has 5 years of training and work experience in community health and mental health services.

Follow Carlos on his journey:   

• Carlos earns his GED while working as a cashier at a small business in his neighborhood. He earns $16/hr.  
• Carlos knows his community well and enjoys helping out his neighbors. He enrolls in a free 3-month Community Health Worker (CHW) training program to prepare for a job that will enable him to further contribute to the well-being of his community.   
• While completing the CHW training, Carlos continues working part-time as a cashier. The training program also includes an internship with a non-profit multi-service center, which provides a stipend of $650 per month.  
• After completing his CHW training, Carlos is hired by the multi-service center as a Community Health Worker, where he is able to act as a bridge between community members and the non-profit, connecting people to mental health and wellness services. Carlos earns $40,000 annually.  
• Carlos works as a CHW for 4 years, taking advantage of free professional development trainings offered by his employer in order to build his skills in leadership, project management, and technology. His salary increases as he gains experience. 
• Finally, Carlos is promoted to CHW supervisor, earning $60,000 annually.

Kerry is a program coordinator, earning $70,000 annually. They work at a non-profit with the supervised release program. Kerry supervises staff who work with court involved individuals to provide pretrial supervision and case management. Kerry ensures that their team can help participants navigate challenges and make relevant connections to services for drug treatment, mental health counseling, and other resources.  Kerry has 10 years of training and work experience in the criminal justice and behavioral health fields.
Follow Kerry on their journey: 

• Kerry becomes a parent while in high school and stops attending classes. After leaving school for a period of time, Kerry enrolls with a Young Adult Borough Center to take evening classes to earn a high school diploma. 
• Next, Kerry joins a hospitality training program to obtain culinary credentials and gain experience through internships. Staff support Kerry to find a back-of-house position at a restaurant upon completion of the program. Kerry earns $16/hr. 
• Although working part-time, Kerry still faces pressure to earn additional income and does so by other means. Kerry is arrested and sentenced to 2 years in prison. While incarcerated, Kerry participates in programming focused on conflict de-escalation, problem solving, communication, and leadership.  
• Kerry’s experience in prison and as a young parent inspires them to pursue a career helping others. Upon returning home, Kerry’s parole officer connects them to a reentry non-profit that helps Kerry rejoin the workforce and apply to college. Kerry works at a restaurant, earning $17/hr and takes classes to earn an associate's human services.
• Upon completing their associate’s degree, Kerry is hired as a residential aide at a transitional housing facility for formerly incarcerated people. Kerry earns $45,000 annually. 
• After two years as a residential aide, Kerry decides to return to school for further career advancement. Kerry takes online classes to earn a bachelor’s in criminal justice while continuing to work as a residential aide. 
• Upon completing the bachelor’s program, Kerry is hired by a different non-profit, working as an outreach specialist with people impacted by the criminal legal system. Kerry earns $55,000 annually. 
• Kerry takes part in employer-sponsored trainings in trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and other skills to support participants’ social-emotional growth and well-being. Kerry’s salary increases with time and experience. Kerry applies for and is hired as a supervised release case manager with the same non-profit. Kerry earns 60,000 annually. 
• After continuing to demonstrate strong leadership skills and supporting the progress of program participants, Kerry is promoted to a senior case manager, earning $65,000. 
• Finally, Kerry applies for and is hired as program coordinator for the supervised release program. In this role, Kerry earns $70,000.  

Nadia is a program manager, earning $75,000 annually. She works at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In this position, she is responsible for overseeing the agency’s youth mental health initiatives and youth peer advocate projects. She works closely with her colleagues in city government as well as with non-profit program providers to ensure the success of these programs. Nadia has 10 years of education and work experience in behavioral health and youth development.

Follow Nadia on her journey:     

• Nadia graduates high school and wants to use her personal experience to help others. Having grown up in foster care, she chooses to become a youth peer advocate in order to support other youth in the foster care system. 
• Nadia is hired by a non-profit that provides supportive services to youth in foster care. In the first 6 months of her employment, she completes a free training program to become a credentialed Youth Peer Advocate. She earns $40,000 annually. 
• After two years, Nadia returns to school to earn a BA in Human Development. Nadia has a work study job through her college, tutoring middle school students and earning $16/hr. 
• Upon graduation, Nadia is hired as a Senior Youth Peer Advocate with the child welfare department of a social service non-profit, earning $50,000 annually. She works in this position for 2 years and then decides to pursue a masters degree in social work. 
• Nadia is accepted into a One Year Residency program to earn her social work graduate degree while she continues working at her job. She completes her required field practicum with the same organization, interning with their school-based mental health department.  
• After graduating from her social work program, Nadia completes her social work licensing exam to become an LMSW.
• Finally, Nadia is hired by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as a program manager, earning $75,000 annually. 

Sam is an occupational therapist and adjunct professor, earning $100,000 annually. Sam works in a shelter for people with mental health and substance use challenges and teaches at a university. Sam supports shelter clients to find purpose through developing skills for social participation, leisure, school, work, health management, and more. As an adjunct, Sam provides educational instruction to college students in occupational therapy classes. Sam has 10 years of education and work experience in human services and mental health. 

Follow Sam on their journey:   

• Sam earns a GED and chooses to pursue a career in occupational therapy (OT). Sam’s brother has been diagnosed with a mental illness and has difficulty caring for himself. Sam decides to enter OT to work in a field in which they can help people like their brother focus on the everyday activities that are important to them. 
• Sam enrolls in a community college Occupational Therapy Assistant program to earn an associate’s degree. 
• Upon graduating, Sam takes the NBCOT exam to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and starts working in a group home earning $50,000 a year. Helping people live full lives through engagement in meaningful activity is very gratifying for Sam. They decide to pursue additional education to further advance their OT career. 
• Next, Sam attends a dual degree program at a university to obtain both a bachelor's degree in health sciences and a master’s degree in occupational therapy. While in school, Sam continues to work part-time in the group home, earning $30/hour. 
• After graduating, Sam passes the NBCOT exam to become an Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR).  
• Sam is hired by a nonprofit that operates shelters and transitional housing for unhoused people. Sam earns $80,000 annually.  
• As an OTR, Sam develops therapeutic programming to support clients in developing life skills and social-emotional skills. Sam also supervises other OTRs and OTAs, as well as student interns.
• While continuing their full-time job, Sam also becomes an adjunct professor at the local university. Through this part-time position, Sam teaches two courses on occupational therapy in mental health each semester, earning $22,000 annually. Sam’s combined income is just over $100,000.

Jamie is a deputy executive director, earning $110,000 annually. Jamie works at a settlement house, which is a non-profit providing multiple services to the local community. Jamie's job includes making decisions about the programs and services that the organization provides, representing the organization at public gatherings, supervising staff, and managing departmental budgets. Jamie has 15+ years of education and work experience in non-profit and social services. 

Follow Jamie on their journey:    

• First, Jamie graduates high school and begins college.  
• During summers, Jamie works as a College Aide with the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and later with the Human Resources Administration (HRA). These positions pay $16/hour. 
• Jamie earns a BA in Sociology and works as a community organizer with a local organization in their neighborhood. Jamie’s annual salary is $55,000. 
• Then, Jamie returns to college to earn a MA in Public Policy and Administration, while continuing to work part-time as a community organizer, earning $25/hr.  
• After graduation, Jamie is hired as a program manager for a non-profit. Jamie’s salary is $65,000. 
• Next, Jamie begins working as a policy advisor with the settlement house, which is a larger non-profit. Jamie’s salary is $75,000. 
• Jamie works in this position for a number of years and is then promoted to department director, earning $95,000.  
• After gaining experience as a department director, Jamie applies to and is hired as the deputy executive director with the same non-profit, earning $110,000 annually.

Alex is a Clinical Director, earning $140,000 working at a public hospital. Alex's job includes diagnosing mental health disorders, providing therapy, and making psychiatric referrals when needed. Alex also participates in decision making for the behavioral health department of the hospital alongside other senior leaders, supervises mental health clinicians and interns, and provides ongoing trainings to staff.
Alex has 15+ years of education and work experience in behavioral health. 

Follow Alex on their journey:  

• Alex graduates high school and works as a summer camp counselor and then an afterschool group leader, earning $18/hour. 
• While working with youth, Alex becomes more interested in supporting their mental health and decides to return to school to study psychology. 
• Alex enrolls in a 2-year associate’s degree program. While in school, decides to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist. Upon completing the associates degree, Alex transfers to a 4-year school to complete a bachelor's degree in psychology. 
• While in the bachelor's program, Alex has a work-study job in a research lab, earning $16/hour. Alex also obtains a summer job as a crisis call worker, earning $20/hour. 
• Upon graduation, Alex is hired fulltime as a crisis call worker and residential aide, where they work for a year, earning $55,000 annually.   
• Having gained the clinical and research experience needed to apply to graduate school, Alex applies to and is accepted into a PhD Clinical Psychology graduate school program.   
• While in graduate school Alex must fulfill four main requirements: 1) coursework, 2) supervised clinical hours 3) completion of a dissertation, and 4) completion of an accredited clinical psychology internship. Alex fulfills these requirements and receives their doctoral degree diploma.  
• Next, Alex prepares for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) exam to become a licensed clinical psychologist by studying and accumulating additional required clinical hours to fulfill the criteria for exam eligibility. Alex is accepted into a clinical psychology fellowship to specialize in community mental health and these supervised clinical hours help fulfill criteria for licensure.  Alex earns $50,000 annually. 
• After completing fellowship, Alex takes the final step toward meeting licensure requirements by passing the EPPP exam.
• Alex applies for and is hired to work as a staff clinician at a public hospital, earning $90,000 annually.
• After gaining additional work experience and completing ongoing training, Alex is promoted to Clinical Director and earns $140,000 annually.