Jobs / Education and social services / 21-1023.00
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.
- US jobs
- 132,810
- Median wage
- $60,280 a year
- Job family
- Education and social services
Can agents do the work of mental health and substance abuse social workers?
We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Education and social services:
- Task levelUnexploredNo task-level benchmark in our collection tests teaching, counseling, or casework.
- Project levelPartialThin, adjacent evidence only. GDPval, which spans 44 occupations, is the one benchmark in our collection mapped here. OpenAI reports that GPT-5.5's deliverables won or tied against professionals' work in 84.9% of comparisons across all GDPval occupations. No benchmark tests work with students or clients.
Benchmarks for the job family
These cover work in education and social services, not always this occupation's tasks.
Typical tasks
From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.
- 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.
- Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse, combat social problems, or improve health or counseling services in community.
Other job titles for this occupation (55)
Case Manager · Clinical Social Worker · Clinical Therapist · Clinician · Counselor · Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) · Mental Health Therapist · Social Worker · Therapist · Addictions Counselor · Alcoholism Worker · Assessment Specialist · Behavior Specialist · Behavioral Case Manager · Behavioral Clinician · Behavioral Health Care Manager (BHCM) · Behavioral Health Case Manager · Behavioral Health Social Worker · Behavioral Health Utilization Management Representative (Behavioral Health Utilization Management Rep) · Behavioral Health Worker · Behavioral Technician · BHC (Behavioral Health Consultant) · Case Therapist · Chemical Dependency Counselor · Community Mental Health Social Worker · Community Mental Health Worker · Community Support Worker · Crisis Intervention Counselor · Crisis Intervention Specialist · Crisis Worker · Direct Care Counselor · Direct Service Provider · Drug Abuse Social Worker · Drug Abuse Worker · Group Home Counselor · LBHC (Licensed Behavioral Health Clinician) · Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP) · Licensed Social Worker · LTSS Service Coordinator (Long Term Services and Supports Service Coordinator) · LTTS Service Clinician (Long Term Services and Supports Service Clinician) · Mental Health Case Manager · Mental Health Clinician · Mental Health Practitioner · Mental Health Professional · Mental Health Social Worker · Mental Health Worker · Outpatient Clinician · Outpatient Therapist · Psychiatric Social Worker · Psychotherapist Social Worker · Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) · Residential Case Manager · Substance Abuse Clinician · Substance Abuse Specialist · Treatment Coordinator