Social Services
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.
Median salary
$60,060
Typical range
$40k – $104k
Job outlook
+10% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Education
Typical entry: Master's degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Entry / Junior
$39,620
~2 yrs to advance
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Established
$60,060
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Senior
$82,095
Key skills
A typical 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.
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Social Services
Explore all- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
- Columbia University4% admit · $103,000 grad pay
- University of Wisconsin–Madison49% admit · $72,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.