Home Mental Health Worker Resume template
Mental Health Worker resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what mental health workers actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most mental health workers should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Mental health worker with a Certificate IV in Mental Health and experience supporting people living with mental illness in community and residential settings. Skilled in recovery-oriented practice, case notes and group facilitation, with a strong focus on client goals and community connection.
Key skills
- Counselling and support work
- Casework and client support
- Community engagement
- Care planning and coordination
- CIMS
- Client management systems
- Microsoft Office
- Telehealth platforms
- Empathy and interpersonal care
- Written communication
- Stakeholder management
Experience: example bullet points
- Supported up to 10 clients in a community mental health program, helping them develop daily routines, attend appointments and participate in social activities.
- Assisted with intake and case notes in CIMS, ensuring client records were accurate and up to date for the care team.
- Facilitated weekly group activities for a psychosocial support program, with a consistent core of eight participants.
- Liaised with clinicians, families and external services to coordinate care and make referrals, reducing gaps in support for clients.
- Monitored client wellbeing and reported changes to the team leader, contributing to timely reviews of support plans.
Education
Entry is most often through a Certificate IV in Mental Health (CHC43315) or a related community services qualification; some roles also accept a Diploma of Mental Health or a bachelor degree in a relevant field, and a Certificate III in Community Services can be a starting point.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Certificate IV in Mental Health
- CHC43315
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- Working with Children Check
- First Aid Certificate
- Mental Health First Aid
- recovery-oriented practice
- trauma-informed care
- psychosocial support
- case management
- CIMS
- client management systems
- telehealth
- de-escalation
- support plans
- risk assessment
- community mental health
- outreach
- group facilitation
- case notes
- referrals
- Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA)
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.