Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Community and Social Service
Meets with clients one-on-one or in groups to work through substance use, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or abuse. Interviews people, reviews records, and confers with counselors, physicians, or nurses to assess condition and coordinate treatment, then revises plans as status changes. Tracks progress against goals, helps clients keep appointments and arrange transportation, and may supervise others who deliver services. Also teaches clients and community members about illness, medication, and local resources. Suits people who listen carefully, make measured decisions about care, and stay organized while following a caseload over time.
Typical education: Master’s Degree
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$60'280
Median Wage Market Position
$60'280
What you might do
- Counsel clients on addiction, illness, or abuse
- Review records and interview to assess clients
- Plan treatment alongside doctors and counselors
- Book appointments and arrange rides to treatment
- Update treatment plans when a client's status changes
- Teach people about mental illness and local help
Skills that matter
- Sessions on addiction, illness, and abuse
- Treatment plans shaped with doctors and counselors
- Progress checked against treatment goals
- Plan changes when a client's status shifts
- Arranging appointments and rides to treatment
- Education on illness, medication, and resources
AI & the future of this role
Therapy, crisis intervention, and recovery coaching hinge on human connection and liability-backed clinical judgment. Screening aids and psychoeducation materials may expand what software can assist with, yet treatment relationships and safety decisions are still likely to matter most.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details