Mental Health / Substance Abuse Social Worker

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.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Case Manager; Clinical Social Worker; Clinical Therapist; Clinician; Counselor; Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW); Mental Health Therapist; Social Worker; Therapist

Tasks

• 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.

Knowledge

• Therapy and Counseling
• Psychology
• English Language
• Customer and Personal Service
• Education and Training
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Public Safety and Security
• Medicine and Dentistry
• Philosophy and Theology

Skills

• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Writing
• Learning Strategies
• Active Learning

Abilities

• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Written Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Speech Clarity
• Fluency of Ideas
• Speech Recognition
• Originality
• Information Ordering
• Category Flexibility
• Flexibility of Closure
• Near Vision
• Selective Attention