Expansion of and Training for Mental Health Counsellors Workforce
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Dr Charlene Chen’s inquiry regarding the adequacy of postgraduate training and five-year expansion plans for the mental health counsellor workforce, focusing on supervision and transition-to-practice pathways. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung responded that while the Ministry does not track specific counsellor data, Singapore Association for Counselling registrations increased significantly between 2022 and 2025. He noted that healthcare and social service agencies manage their own recruitment and provide supervision for entry-level counsellors working towards professional registration. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung highlighted the National Mental Health Competency Training Framework and the Skills Framework for Social Service as key guides for competency development and career progression. Finally, he identified various postgraduate training options at institutions like the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Nanyang Technological University to further enhance the workforce’s capabilities.
Transcript
36 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health for Tier 3 of the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy's Tiered Care Model (a) how does the Ministry assess the adequacy of current postgraduate training pathways for mental health counsellors; and (b) how does it work with Agency for Integrated Care, public healthcare institution and community partners to strengthen training capacity, supervision and structured transition-to-practice pathways into community mental health services.
37 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health in support of the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, what are Ministry plans, if any, for the mental health counsellor workforce over the next five years, including (i) plans to address projected needs across healthcare and community settings and (ii) how supervised practice placements, clinical supervision capacity and entry-level roles will be expanded to support newly trained counsellors.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Minister of Health (MOH) does not actively track manpower data on counsellors. Based on data from the Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC), the number of counselling practitioners who voluntarily registered with SAC increased from 969 in 2022 to 1,838 in 2025. The social service agencies and public health institutions continuously review their individual service needs and recruit additional counsellors to meet these demands.
Newly trained counsellors receive support, such as supervision, structured induction, professional development, peer networks and administrative guidance, though structures vary by organisation. Under the SAC's constitution, entry-level counsellors working towards registration must receive clinical supervision from a Registered Counsellor or Registered Clinical Supervisor. The SAC membership provides access to professional development opportunities, research publications, networking and updates on landscape developments through Government and regional collaborations.
In addition to the National Mental Health Competency Training Framework that guides mental health practitioners, including counsellors, in developing competencies aligned with the Tiered Care Model, counsellors can also refer to the Skills Framework for Social Service for the required core skills and competencies, as well as the counselling career trajectory map. Counsellors could also enhance their capabilities through postgraduate courses and specialised skills training, such as Master's degrees in counselling offered by the Singapore University of Social Sciences and the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University or postgraduate diplomas in counselling provided by the College of Allied Educators.