Mental Health & Substance Abuse Social Workers

client patient information social interests treatment counsel physical illness interview client community resource treatment plan

Case Manager, Mental Health Therapist, Social Worker, Therapist

What they do:
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.
On the job, you would:
  • 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.

Knowledge

Health

  • therapy and counseling
  • medicine and dentistry

Math and Science

  • psychology
  • sociology and anthropology

Arts and Humanities

  • English language
  • philosophy and religion

Business

  • customer service

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social

  • understanding people's reactions
  • changing what is done based on other people's actions

Abilities

Verbal

  • listen and understand what people say
  • communicate by speaking

Ideas and Logic

  • notice when problems happen
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Concern for Others
  • Integrity
  • Self Control
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Dependability

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Electronic mail software

  • Email software
  • Microsoft Outlook Hot Technology

Presentation software

  • Information presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Medical software

  • Client records software
  • Medical procedure coding software

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
master's degree or
bachelor's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about mental health and substance abuse social workers.