Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

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Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.

Sample of reported job titles: Case Manager, Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Therapist, Clinician, Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Mental Health Therapist, Social Worker, Substance Abuse Counselor, Therapist

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Tasks

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Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.
Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.
Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.
Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support.
Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources.
Counsel or aid family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting the client or patient.
Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, or attending seminars, training workshops, or classes.
Refer patient, client, or family to community resources for housing or treatment to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness, following through to ensure service efficacy.
Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse, combat social problems, or improve health or counseling services in community.

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Technology Skills

All 12 displayed Show 3 tools used

Calendar and scheduling software — Scheduling software
Cloud-based data access and sharing software — Microsoft SharePoint
Data base user interface and query software — Database software
Desktop publishing software — Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker; Microsoft Publisher
Document management software — Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
Electronic mail software — Email software; Microsoft Outlook
Internet browser software — Microsoft Internet Explorer; Netscape Navigator; Web browser software
Medical software — Client records software; Medical condition coding software ; Medical procedure coding software; Patient electronic medical record EMR software (see all 7 examples)
Office suite software — Corel WordPerfect; Microsoft Office
Presentation software — Information presentation software; Microsoft PowerPoint
Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
Word processing software — Microsoft Word

Hot Technology — a technology requirement frequently included in employer job postings.

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Knowledge

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Therapy and Counseling — Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Sociology and Anthropology — Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Medicine and Dentistry — Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Philosophy and Theology — Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

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Skills

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Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities

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Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Work Activities

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Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Detailed Work Activities

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Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
Maintain client records.
Monitor clients to evaluate treatment progress.
Collect information about clients.
Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.
Supervise workers providing client or patient services.
Modify treatment plans to accommodate client needs.
Assist clients in handling details of daily life.
Counsel family members of clients or patients.
Lead classes or community events.
Conduct research on social issues.
Maintain professional social services knowledge.
Refer clients to community or social service programs.
Plan programs to address community health issues.
Advise others on social or educational issues.

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Work Context

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Face-to-Face Discussions — 97% responded “Every day.”
Electronic Mail — 89% responded “Every day.”
Contact With Others — 84% responded “Constant contact with others.”
Telephone — 80% responded “Every day.”
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 81% responded “Every day.”
Work With Work Group or Team — 57% responded “Extremely important.”
Time Pressure — 57% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
Freedom to Make Decisions — 46% responded “A lot of freedom.”
Structured versus Unstructured Work — 42% responded “A lot of freedom.”
Spend Time Sitting — 51% responded “More than half the time.”
Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — 44% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
Deal With External Customers — 40% responded “Extremely important.”
Coordinate or Lead Others — 32% responded “Extremely important.”
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 50% responded “Very important.”
Frequency of Decision Making — 39% responded “Every day.”
Duration of Typical Work Week — 72% responded “40 hours.”
Frequency of Conflict Situations — 36% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 36% responded “Important results.”
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 31% responded “Important.”
Physical Proximity — 39% responded “Moderately close (at arm’s length).”
Letters and Memos — 34% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
Deal With Physically Aggressive People — 41% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education	Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master’s degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related Experience	Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training	Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
SVP Range	(8.0 and above)

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
77	Master’s degree
19	Bachelor’s degree
4	Post-master’s certificate

Credentials

Interests

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Interest code: SIA Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic — Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Work Styles

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Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others’ needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Independence — Job requires developing one’s own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Work Values

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Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Related Occupations

All 10 displayed

19-3033.00	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
21-1011.00	Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
21-1012.00	Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
21-1013.00	Marriage and Family Therapists
21-1014.00	Mental Health Counselors
21-1015.00	Rehabilitation Counselors
21-1021.00	Child, Family, and School Social Workers
21-1022.00	Healthcare Social Workers Bright Outlook
21-1092.00	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
25-1066.00	Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2020)	$23.42 hourly, $48,720 annual
State wages
Local wages	ZIP Code:

Employment (2020)	124,000 employees
Projected growth (2020-2030)	Faster than average (10% to 15%)
Projected job openings (2020-2030)	14,000
State trends

Top industries (2020)	Health Care and Social Assistance Government

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 wage data external site and 2020-2030 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2020-2030). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

Sources of Additional Information

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Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
American Counseling Association
American Group Psychotherapy Association
American Psychological Association
Association for Addiction Professionals
Association for Community Organization and Social Administration
Association for Play Therapy
Association of Social Work Boards
Council on Social Work Education
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Association of Social Workers
National Board for Certified Counselors
National Head Start Association
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social workers

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.