Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

SOC Code: 21-1023

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workerss counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse. This career typically requires extensive preparation (4+ years). With an AI-proof score of 87.9/100, this role has high resilience to automation. Key skills include Social Perceptiveness, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation.

AI-Proof Score: 87.9Very High
💰

Median Salary

$60,060

📈

Job Growth

9.7%

⏱️

Training Time

Extensive preparation (4+ years)

🎓

Job Zone

Zone 5 / 5

💵

Training Cost

~$80,000

Key Skills

  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Service Orientation
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing

Common 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.

Why AI-Proof?

  • Requires hands-on physical presence and dexterity
  • Demands human empathy, judgment, and trust
  • Operates in unpredictable, variable environments
  • Social and regulatory barriers to full automation