
Mental Health & Substance Abuse Social Workers
Also called: Case Manager, Clinical Social Worker, Mental Health Therapist, Social Worker
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.
- 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.
Knowledge
Math and Science
- psychology
- sociology and anthropology
Health
- therapy and counseling
Business
- customer service
- administrative services
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Skills
Basic Skills
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
- talking to others
Social
- understanding people's reactions
- changing what is done based on other people's actions
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
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
Visual Understanding
- see hidden patterns
- quickly know what you are looking at
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
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
- Self Control
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Medical software
Internet browser software
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Netscape Navigator
Electronic mail software
Education
Job Outlook
Explore More
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
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- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
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