Adolescent psychologyis a subspecialty of general psychology that can open new vistas of career opportunities for students who have a natural interest in children and youth. Such a specialty can also be helpful for those who desire to work primarily with adults, because many of the adults who seek the services of a child psychologist will have problems with their own children or are seekingpsychotherapyfor childhood traumas. Because families are the basic building blocks of society, expertise in child and adolescent psychology becomes a constructive asset when looking for jobs in many sectors of the workplace.
Career prospects for those who elect to study child and adolescent psychology are wide ranging and encompass individual, team and group environments at different levels of administration. The public tends to typecast child and adolescent psychologists as counselors, but counseling careers are only the visible tip of the opportunity iceberg.
Professional psychologists often work in managed care or government settings at both residential and outpatient facilities. Hospitals and schools employ child psychologists for consultation services. Individuals who have a background in child psychology, but may not yet have board certification, are still valued as support staff. Juvenile court settings, rehabilitation centers and group homes associated with court-directed youth services also hire people trained in child and adolescent psychology.
A different avenue for job prospects lies in the field of scientific research. The accumulation of knowledge is ongoing and new treatments for mental illnesses must be tested. Research may involve conducting clinical trials, or it may involve searching existing literature. Such jobs are most common in a university environment. When the results of a study are published in professional journals, the articles need editing by someone trained psychological termonology.
In the political and public sectors, a background in child and adolescent psychology can lead to jobs as advocates and lobbyists for child mental health policies, regulations and laws. Community activists often work toward the prevention and treatment of negative issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, peer victimization, abortion, teen pregnancy and poverty.
The employment prospect for someone who is skilled in child and adolescent psychology is fairly optimistic. According theUS Department of Health and Human Services, the United States has experienced severe workforce shortages in the mental health professions. The shortages are especially acute in rural areas. Recent studies indicate that the need for these skills will continue to grow.
The working environments forchild psychologistsare just as varied as the job opportunities, ranging from individual work to collaborative team efforts, from field assignments with travel to cloistered office cubicles, from rural to urban, from public to private, and from high to low pay. As of January, 2010, the average salary for a mental health counselor in the US was $31,000; a Behavioral Specialist Consultant, $56,000; and a Director of Clinical Services averaged $99,000. Child and adolescent psychology students have a virtual kaleidoscope of choices and opportunities available in the field of child and adolescent psychology.