Career Interest: Social Service & Mental Health

Career Exploration Websites

Use this section to research career paths, typical job titles, and how to start building skills to get prepared for this industry.

• ONET Examples and Descriptions of careers in social services
• Bureau of Labor Statistics overview of careers in community and social services 
• APA Guide to Preparing to Use Your Bachelors Degree in Psychology. Understand how your skills, degree, experiences and brand prepare you to land a job that is the right fit for you.

Specific Job & Internship Search Websites

Use this section to search specific job and internship boards for this industry.

• Volunteer and Intern
  • Youth Villages, a national social service organization headquartered in Tennessee, has two formal internship programs to consider.
  • Volunteer Knoxville
    Search their extensive database of both short term and long term volunteer opportunities in East Tennessee.
• Job Search
  • Social Service.com
    Find jobs in counseling, therapy, case management, mental health, child welfare and other areas of social service.
  • Use the list of Social Service organizations to identify potential employers:
    • East Tennessee Social Service organizations
    • Middle Tennessee Social Service organizations
    • West Tennessee Social Service organizations

Student Organizations- How to get InVOLved

Use this section to learn about student organizations you can join at UT to learn more about your desired industry, network with professionals and peers with similar interests, and build transferable skills.

• UTK Department of Psychology’s Facebook page. A great place to find out about events, people and things going on in the Department of Psychology.
• Enroll in a service learning course such as the Grief Outreach Initiative (Counselor Education 404) or Recess Vols (Psychology) 
• Join a student organization like BSWO, Best Buddies, Psi Chi, or the Council of Family Relations
• Check out all the opportunities the Center for Leadership and Service has to offer
• Research
  If you are considering a PhD, gaining research experience is critical for graduate school admissions. Explore the following resources for ideas on how and where to get started.
  • UT’s Office of Undergraduate Research
  • UT’s Psychology Department Research
  • External resources on summer research opportunities

Graduate School & Licensure Resources

Use this section to learn about furthering your education within this field.

• Mental Health Careers Explained. Videos by UTK’s Department of Psychology on bachelor/doctoral degree program comparison, licensure process, and other resources.
• Guide to Psychology Graduate School
  Use the America Psychological Association’s (APA) guide to learn about applying to PhD programs in psychology.
• Directory of CACREP Accredited Counseling Programs
  Find accredited programs in mental health, school, and other specialized forms of counseling.
• Directory of CSWE Accredited Social Work Programs
  Use the directory to find accredited graduate social work programs. You can search by specific concentrations and certification programs offer by each school.