A family specialist is a mental health provider who aids families in a number of different ways. They act as a family therapist, a mental health educator, a welfare advocate, a crisis intervention specialist, and other vital roles. There are certain skills needed to be a family specialist. These include several hard and soft skills that can take several years of education and real-world experience to develop.
Behavioral Health Jobs helps job seekers who want a career as a family specialist, healthcare technician, psychiatrist, or other healthcare career. Our database of verified jobs is searchable through a job title or keywords, like family specialist, childcare advocate, and other industry terms. You can also search by experience level, job category, distance from home, and other search options.
You can find a new job as a family specialist or other healthcare provider by going to the Behavioral Health Jobs website today to start a new career search.
Family Specialist Job Requirements
When you read a job description, you will see a list of duties, responsibilities, and job requirements that detail what you will be doing. Employers want to see that you have the necessary skills and education to manage their responsibilities with minimal hardship.
Here are the general job requirements for a family specialist:
Education
The basic requirements for family specialists include a High School diploma or GED and a bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields:
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Counseling
- Family Studies
- Human Services
You can further your education by getting a master’s degree in psychology, marriage and family therapy, counseling, or relatable fields.
After obtaining a post-graduate degree, you can earn a certification in a specialized area. The most common types of certifications and licenses for family specialists are:
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Child Development Associate (CDA)
- Certified Case Manager (ACM)
Relatable Experience
You will also need several years of relatable work experience. If this is your first time applying for a family specialist role, you can include jobs where you used those required skills. This experience can come from volunteer work, internships, and past work in a care facility. You will also include jobs where you have more specialized skills in child welfare, domestic violence, substance abuse, and other mental health services.
Each job will have a unique set of family specialist job requirements, so be sure to read the job description carefully.
Behavioral Health Jobs is your first stop in finding an exciting career as a family specialist. Our job board is updated daily with new jobs at mental health treatment facilities, community centers, schools, and other organizations.
Skills Needed to Be a Family Specialist
To succeed as a specialist in any role, you need to have a broad mix of hard and soft skills that you have developed through the years. These skills come from your college courses, internships, and work experience, as well as your experiences with friends, family, and peers growing up.
As a family specialist, you will need experience with these skill sets:
Hard Skills
Hard skills are those essential skills that you learn through education and on-the-job training. They include knowledge of the family systems theory, clinical assessment and evaluations, therapeutic intervention techniques, case management skills, and much more. These skills allow specialists to care for families while adhering to all HIPAA rules and regulations.
Soft Skills
Your soft skills include emotional intelligence, the ability to think clearly during crises, and interpersonal skills that help you work with all types of people. Additional family specialist skills you will need include:
- Conflict resolution
- Patience and tolerance
- Problem-solving
- Active communication skills
- Stress management
- Adaptability and flexibility
The skills needed to be a family specialist will depend on the type of facility and the care they provide. Be sure to read each job description thoroughly so you can tailor your resume to match the skills requested.
Find Family Specialist Jobs Near You at Behavioral Health Jobs
Behavioral Health Jobs delivers a comprehensive list of jobs in the behavioral health industry along with beneficial resources to aid job seekers in finding a new job. You will find helpful tips on which family specialist skills recruiters look for the most, interviewing do’s and don’ts, and other valuable information.
If you are ready to find a new family specialist job, browse through all of the available jobs on the Behavioral Health Jobs website today.
