mental-health-support-worker/references/skills.md

# Competences — mental health support worker

Source: ESCO v1.2.1 occupation-skill relations (http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/5a9acd29-666c-4ca1-b10e-e086584a526b).

## Essential

- **accept own accountability** (skill/competence)
- **adhere to organisational guidelines** (skill/competence)
- **adolescent psychological development** (knowledge)
- **advocate for social service users** (skill/competence)
- **apply decision making within social work** (skill/competence)
- **apply holistic approach within social services** (skill/competence)
- **apply organisational techniques** (skill/competence)
- **apply person-centred care** (skill/competence)
- **apply problem solving in social service** (skill/competence)
- **apply quality standards in social services** (skill/competence)
- **apply socially just working principles** (skill/competence)
- **assess social service users' situation** (skill/competence)
- **assess the development of youth** (skill/competence)
- **assist individuals with disabilities in community activities** (skill/competence)
- **assist social service users in formulating complaints** (skill/competence)
- **assist social service users with physical disabilities** (skill/competence)
- **build helping relationship with social service users** (skill/competence)
- **communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields** (skill/competence)
- **communicate with social service users** (skill/competence)
- **company policies** (knowledge)
- **comply with legislation in social services** (skill/competence)
- **conduct interview in social service** (skill/competence)
- **contribute to protecting individuals from harm** (skill/competence)
- **customer service** (knowledge)
- **deliver social services in diverse cultural communities** (skill/competence)
- **demonstrate leadership in social service cases** (skill/competence)
- **diagnose psychiatric symptoms** (skill/competence)
- **encourage social service users to preserve their independence in their daily activities** (skill/competence)
- **follow health and safety precautions in social care practices** (skill/competence)
- **involve service users and carers in care planning** (skill/competence)
- **legal requirements in the social sector** (knowledge)
- **listen actively** (skill/competence)
- **maintain privacy of service users** (skill/competence)
- **maintain records of work with service users** (skill/competence)
- **maintain the trust of service users** (skill/competence)
- **manage social crisis** (skill/competence)
- **manage stress in the work place** (skill/competence)
- **meet standards of practice in social services** (skill/competence)
- **monitor service users' health** (skill/competence)
- **prepare youths for adulthood** (skill/competence)
- **prevent social problems** (skill/competence)
- **promote inclusion** (skill/competence)
- **promote service users' rights** (skill/competence)
- **promote social change** (skill/competence)
- **promote the safeguarding of young people** (skill/competence)
- **protect vulnerable social service users** (skill/competence)
- **provide social counselling** (skill/competence)
- **refer service users to community resources** (skill/competence)
- **relate empathetically** (skill/competence)
- **report on social development** (skill/competence)
- **review social service plan** (skill/competence)
- **social justice** (knowledge)
- **social sciences** (knowledge)
- **support harmed social service users** (skill/competence)
- **support service users in developing skills** (skill/competence)
- **support service users to use technological aids** (skill/competence)
- **support social service users in skills management** (skill/competence)
- **support social service users' positiveness** (skill/competence)
- **support social service users with specific communication needs** (skill/competence)
- **support the positiveness of youths** (skill/competence)
- **tolerate stress** (skill/competence)
- **undertake continuous professional development in social work** (skill/competence)
- **undertake risk assessment of social service users** (skill/competence)
- **work in a multicultural environment in health care** (skill/competence)
- **work within communities** (skill/competence)

## Optional

- carry out psychiatric assessment of child (skill/competence)
- clinical social work (knowledge)
- conduct forensic evaluations (skill/competence)

<!-- market-evidence -->

## Market evidence (job-ad analysis, 8 ads, as of 2026-07-17)

Share of analyzed job ads mentioning the item (threshold ≥ 20 %). Source: JSearch/Adzuna APIs.

### Hard skills

- case management — **38 %**
- counseling — **25 %**
- crisis intervention — **25 %**
- crisis management — **12 %**
- diagnosis — **12 %**
- diagnostic screening — **12 %**
- documentation — **12 %**
- emotional support — **12 %**
- group facilitation — **12 %**
- group leadership — **12 %**
- community partnership building — **12 %**
- clinical documentation — **12 %**
- clinical intervention implementation — **12 %**
- clinical supervision — **12 %**
- coaching — **12 %**
- activity facilitation — **12 %**
- advocacy — **12 %**
- assessment-based treatment planning — **12 %**
- behavioral health care coordination — **12 %**
- behavioral health education — **12 %**
- behavioral health interventions — **12 %**
- behavioral observation — **12 %**
- interviewing — **12 %**
- mental health assessment — **12 %**
- mental health support — **12 %**
- milestone tracking — **12 %**
- milieu management — **12 %**
- outreach — **12 %**
- patient care — **12 %**
- patient engagement — **12 %**
- psychosocial support — **12 %**
- psychotherapy — **12 %**
- referral assistance — **12 %**
- rehabilitation services — **12 %**
- resource support — **12 %**
- safety monitoring — **12 %**
- social needs assessment — **12 %**
- social work — **12 %**
- systems navigation — **12 %**
- therapeutic intervention — **12 %**

### Methods

- strengths-based approach — **25 %**
- trauma-focused perspective — **12 %**
- team-based patient care — **12 %**
- behavioral health approach — **12 %**
- solution-focused therapy — **12 %**
- quality improvement meetings — **12 %**
- patient triage — **12 %**
- peer support — **12 %**
- person-centered approach — **12 %**
- integrated behavioral health care — **12 %**
- interdisciplinary treatment team approach — **12 %**
- motivational interviewing — **12 %**
- cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — **12 %**
- collaborative care — **12 %**
- iep/504 development — **12 %**
- expressive therapies — **12 %**
- dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) — **12 %**

### Responsibilities

- documentation completion — **12 %**
- data maintenance — **12 %**
- departmental report creation — **12 %**
- crisis intervention — **12 %**
- facilitating activity groups — **12 %**
- family peer support delivery — **12 %**
- family services — **12 %**
- group counseling — **12 %**
- implementing treatment goals — **12 %**
- information communication — **12 %**
- information dissemination — **12 %**
- inquiry response — **12 %**
- conducting counseling — **12 %**
- case management — **12 %**
- client education — **12 %**
- care collaboration — **12 %**
- care plan implementation — **12 %**
- assisting daily living activities — **12 %**
- maintaining clinical records — **12 %**
- maintaining unit safety — **12 %**
- managing cases — **12 %**
- intervention implementation — **12 %**
- patient care facilitation — **12 %**
- plan of care implementation — **12 %**
- providing individualized mental health services — **12 %**
- providing psychotherapy — **12 %**
- recording patient documentation — **12 %**
- rehabilitation services — **12 %**
- resident assessment — **12 %**
- resource directory development — **12 %**
- resource identification — **12 %**
- securing personal belongings — **12 %**
- service promotion — **12 %**
- responding to facility codes — **12 %**
- safety maintenance — **12 %**
- therapeutic environment assurance — **12 %**
- visit note documentation — **12 %**
- workshop facilitation — **12 %**
- supporting children/adolescents and families — **12 %**
- systems navigation assistance — **12 %**

<!-- market-evidence -->