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Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
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.
Other titles employers use
Case Manager · Clinical Social Worker · Clinical Therapist · Clinician · Counselor · Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) · Mental Health Therapist · Social Worker
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and organizing work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.3 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.2 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 5.0 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.5 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a master's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A master's degree 77%
- A four-year degree 19%
- A doctorate or professional degree 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Document management software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Spreadsheet software
- Word processing software
- Medical software
- Internet browser software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 20,500
- Job openings each year
- 1,620
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 18.5%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 20,500 | 1,620 | 18.5% |
| New York | 17,050 | 360 | 27.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 8,160 | 600 | 7.9% |
| Ohio | 6,470 | 480 | 8.0% |
| Florida | 6,280 | 490 | 17.2% |
| Virginia | 5,120 | 390 | 13.0% |
| Texas | 4,420 | 340 | 15.4% |
| Michigan | 4,230 | 310 | 7.4% |
| Arizona | 3,870 | 330 | 31.2% |
| Minnesota | 3,580 | 260 | 6.5% |
| Washington | 3,290 | 300 | 14.6% |
| Missouri | 3,190 | 240 | 10.0% |
| Maryland | 2,450 | 190 | 14.0% |
| Oregon | 2,440 | 190 | 16.2% |
| Wisconsin | 2,230 | 160 | 6.2% |
| Colorado | 2,140 | 170 | 18.9% |
| Massachusetts | 2,060 | 150 | 9.6% |
| Tennessee | 2,010 | 160 | 20.4% |
| Illinois | 1,920 | 150 | 11.0% |
| Indiana | 1,860 | 140 | 14.1% |
| New Jersey | 1,860 | 140 | 14.1% |
| North Carolina | 1,680 | 130 | 15.1% |
| Alabama | 1,650 | 120 | 7.8% |
| Georgia | 1,590 | 130 | 16.9% |
| Utah | 1,590 | 140 | 38.3% |
| Connecticut | 1,520 | 110 | 9.4% |
| Maine | 1,460 | 100 | — |
| Mississippi | 1,410 | 100 | 7.6% |
| Kentucky | 1,330 | 100 | 11.8% |
| Iowa | 1,310 | 110 | 21.3% |
| Nebraska | 1,240 | 100 | 12.7% |
| Arkansas | 1,130 | 90 | 11.9% |
| Idaho | 1,060 | 90 | 26.2% |
| Louisiana | 1,050 | 80 | 12.9% |
| Kansas | 1,040 | 80 | 13.0% |
| Oklahoma | 1,040 | 80 | 8.3% |
| Nevada | 980 | 80 | 14.0% |
| Montana | 840 | 70 | 20.0% |
| South Carolina | 780 | 60 | 16.4% |
| Vermont | 770 | 60 | 10.0% |
| Delaware | 580 | 40 | 7.4% |
| New Mexico | 570 | 40 | 14.0% |
| Rhode Island | 530 | 40 | 12.8% |
| Alaska | 490 | 40 | 11.4% |
| West Virginia | 470 | 40 | 14.6% |
| District of Columbia | 460 | 40 | 12.2% |
| New Hampshire | 420 | 30 | 13.5% |
| Wyoming | 290 | 20 | 16.0% |
| South Dakota | 280 | 20 | 7.7% |
| Puerto Rico | 270 | 20 | 17.4% |
| North Dakota | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| Virgin Islands | 30 | 0 | −25.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
California State University-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 279
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000
James Madison University
- Degrees each year
- 459
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 231
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
California State University-Sacramento
- Degrees each year
- 186
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 183
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
The University of Texas at Arlington
- Degrees each year
- 182
- Admit rate
- 81%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Aurora University
- Degrees each year
- 175
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Degrees each year
- 186
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000