Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• 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.
• Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.
• Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
• Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
• Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
• Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse, combat social problems, or improve health or counseling services in community.
• Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, or attending seminars, training workshops, or classes.
• Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support.
• Develop or advise on social policy or assist in community development.
• Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
• Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.
• 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.
• Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, or attending seminars, training workshops, or classes.
• Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
• Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
• Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
• Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.

Skills

• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

Abilities

• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.

Knowledge

• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Education

Education

Master's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Internship/residency

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Clover Park Technical College
  4500 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood WA 98499-4004
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-589-5800
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.cptc.edu/
  Program Name
  Clinical/Medical Social Work
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

  ---

• Eastern Washington University
  526 5th Street, Cheney WA 99004-2496
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 509-359-6200
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.ewu.edu/
  Program Name
  Social Work
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Social Work, Other
  Length
  Less than one year
  Award Level
  Postbaccalaureate certificate, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

• Heritage University
  3240 Fort Rd, Toppenish WA 98948
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  Under 1,000

  Financial Aid 888-272-6190
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.heritage.edu/
  Program Name
  Social Work
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Olympic College
  1600 Chester Ave, Bremerton WA 98337-1699
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 360-792-6050
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.olympic.edu/
  Program Name
  Clinical/Medical Social Work
  Length
  Certificates of less than 12 weeks
  Award Level
  Certificates of less than 12 weeks, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

• Pacific Lutheran University
  12180 Park Ave South, Tacoma WA 98447-0003
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-535-7411
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.plu.edu/
  Program Name
  Social Work
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Saint Martin's University
  5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey WA 98503-7500
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-491-4700
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.stmartin.edu/
  Program Name
  Social Work
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle Central College
  1701 Broadway Avenue, Seattle WA 98122
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-934-3800
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://seattlecentral.edu/
  Program Name
  Clinical/Medical Social Work
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Associate's degree, Certificates of less than 12 weeks
  Save

  ---

• Seattle University
  900 Broadway, Seattle WA 98122-4340
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-296-6000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.seattleu.edu/
  Program Name
  Social Work
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle WA 98195-4550
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 206-543-2100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.washington.edu/
  Program Name
  Social Work
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Social Work, Other
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Clinical/Medical Social Work
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
  1900 Commerce St, Tacoma WA 98402-3100
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-692-4400
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/
  Program Name
  Social Work
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Walla Walla University
  204 S College Ave, College Place WA 99324-1198
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-2615
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.wallawalla.edu/
  Program Name
  Social Work
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Bachelor's degree, Doctor's degree - professional practice
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

69060/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

33.2/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

3,290

Yearly Projected Openings

300

Personality

Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:

• Concern for Others
• Integrity
• Self Control
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Stress Tolerance
• Dependability

Tools

• Desktop computers
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers

Technology

• Calendar and scheduling software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Desktop publishing software
• Document management software
• Electronic mail software
• Internet browser software
• Medical software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software