Description
Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Apply therapeutic activities, including the prescription of medication, per state regulations, and the administration of psychotherapy.
- • Teach classes in mental health topics, such as stress reduction.
- • Participate in activities aimed at professional growth and development, including conferences or continuing education activities.
- • Direct or provide home health services.
- • Monitor the use and status of medical and pharmaceutical supplies.
- • Develop practice protocols for mental health problems, based on review and evaluation of published research.
- • Develop, implement, or evaluate programs such as outreach activities, community mental health programs, and crisis situation response activities.
- • Treat patients for routine physical health problems.
- • Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
- • Refer patients requiring more specialized or complex treatment to psychiatrists, primary care physicians, or other medical specialists.
- • Provide routine physical health screenings to detect or monitor problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
- • Participate in treatment team conferences regarding diagnosis or treatment of difficult cases.
- • Interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs) and renal functioning tests.
- • Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
- • Develop and implement treatment plans.
- • Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
- • Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
- • Distinguish between physiologically- and psychologically-based disorders, and diagnose appropriately.
- • Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
- • Consult with psychiatrists or other professionals when unusual or complex cases are encountered.
- • Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
- • Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, including psychiatrists, psychologists, or nursing staff, to develop, implement, or evaluate treatment plans.
- • Administer medications, including those administered by injection.
- • Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
- • Conduct individual, group, or family psychotherapy for those with chronic or acute mental disorders.
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Healthcare & Human Services
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
