CAREERS EDITION 2014
By Helen Silvis
Of The Skanner News
services and start that journey. It’s
a rewarding career.
J
TS: What kinds of qualifications
do you need to work in mental
health?
JA: Typically clinicians have
a bachelor’s or master’s degree in
social work or a psychological
field. Some carry licenses and cer-
tifications in specialized areas,
including Licensed Clinical Social
ay Auslander is director of
emergency
services
at
Cascadia
Behavioral
Healthcare and has worked for the
mental health nonprofit for close
to 12 years. Auslander talked to
The Skanner News about careers
in mental health crisis interven-
tion.
‘The people I work with are some of
the brightest, most compassionate,
most caring people with good hearts’
The Skanner News: How did
you start out in mental health?
Jay Auslander: I was working
on a crisis line in college and have
been involved in this field since
1994.
TS: What attracted you to work-
ing with people dealing with men-
tal health problems and people in
crisis?
JA: The opportunity to help
people –especially at times when
they really need the help. If you
are able to help someone at the
right time, they can embrace
recovery and begin to heal. It’s
hard work, but you feel good when
you can help someone get into
Workers, Licensed Professional
Counselors, and Licensed Medical
Providers. Clinicians generally
have significant experience work-
ing with a wide range of individu-
als
with
varying
needs.
They understand and attend to the
impacts of trauma, and are profi-
cient in providing crisis interven-
tion. People who are successful in
crisis work tend to have a genuine
compassion for others.
TS: Does your undergraduate
degree matter?
JA: Graduates with a bachelor’s
in social work, psychology or pub-
lic health can work in various
positions. Getting a master’s
PHOTO BY HELEN SILVIS
Compassion a Must-Have for Mental Health Workers
The Portland Police Bureau Crisis Team is comprised of sworn officers as well as mental health
professionals.
degree or a doctoral degree
(MA/MSc./Ph.D/Psy.D/MD) can
lead the way to increasing one’s
responsibilities and scope. The
system is moving towards inte-
grating
more
nurses
and
other medical professionals, to
bring in their medical expertise
and to help in healing the whole
person.
We also are integrating certified
peer wellness specialists into our
treatment teams. Those are people
whose experience includes having
participated in mental health serv-
ices.
Peers are more likely to bring
and share their own experiences,
which is less of an expectation for
other team members. Peer well-
ness specialists know what it’s like
to take those steps toward healing,
and they can help people walk that
walk of recovery.
TS: What kind of personal qual-
ities does a mental health crisis
counselor need?
JA: The people I work with are
some of the brightest, most com-
passionate, most caring people
with good hearts. They are people
who work very hard. And they
work as a team.
TS: Is there a downside?
JA: Well I wouldn’t call it a
downside, but to do this requires
self-care. You really need to take
care and have insight into your-
self, including attending to your
own mental and physical health.
See CRISIS on page 11
May 21, 2014 The Skanner News Careers Edition Page 5