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.
What it pays
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn a median of $28.98/hr — about $60,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.11/hr; the top 10% earn $50.08/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn a median of $28.98/hr — about $60,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.11/hr; the top 10% earn $50.08/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Master's degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 4.8% of mental health and substance abuse social workers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, analytical and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a mental health and substance abuse social worker make?
- The median pay is $28.98 per hour — roughly $60,500 a year, with the real range running from about $19.11/hr (10th percentile) to $50.08/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a mental health and substance abuse social worker?
- The typical entry-level education is: Master's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
- What does a mental health and substance abuse social worker actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.