Data & Research
 
* ELMI Occupation Profile - Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers *
 
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
(O*NET 21-1023.00, SOC 21-1023)
What they do
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.
 
Also called:
Case Manager, Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Therapist, Clinician, Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Mental Health Therapist, Social Worker, Substance Abuse Counselor, Therapist
 
 
Wages
Vermont - 2021
Percentile1HourlyYearly
10% $ 17.68   $36,780  
25% $ 18.75   $39,000  
Median $ 22.96   $47,750  
75% $ 28.74   $59,780  
90% $ 38.22   $79,490  
 
Average $ 24.90   $51,800  
1 What are Percentile Wages?
More at CareerOneStop
 
Industries of Employment
United States - 2020
IndustryPercent of total
  • Ambulatory healthcare services
32%
  • Social assistance
16%
  • Hospitals; state, local, and private
14%
  • Nursing and residential care facilities
12%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals
12%
More at BLS
 
Knowledge
People in this career often know a lot about:
  • 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.
  • 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, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • 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.
More at O*NET
 
Skills
People in this career often have these skills:
  • Social Perceptiveness
    Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Active Listening
    Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking
    Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking
    Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Monitoring
    Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
More at O*NET
 
Interests
People in this career often prefer these work environments:
  • Social
    Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
  • Investigative
    Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
  • Artistic
    Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
What are your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler
 
Work Styles
People in this career will do well at jobs that need:
  • Concern for Others
    Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Integrity
    Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Self-Control
    Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Stress Tolerance
    Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
    Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
More at O*NET
 
Other Resources
  • CareerOneStop
    resource for job seekers, students, businessess and career professionals
  • O*NET Online
    nation's primary source of occupational information
 
Related Occupations
More at O*NET
 
 
Career Video
Watch at CareerOneStop with transcript or at YouTube.
 
Projected Employment
 Vermont
2020 employment 645
2030 employment 738
Annual percent change
(compounded)
1.4%
Annual projected job openings
(due to change and separations)
72
More at Occupational Projections
 
Education and Experience:
  • Typical education needed for entry
    Master's degree
  • Work experience in a related occupation
    None
  • Typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency
    Internship/residency
Based on BLS Education and Training Classifications
 
Job Zone
Extensive Preparation Needed
  • Specific Vocational Preparation Range
    (8.0 and above) - A typical worker will require over 4 years up to and including 10 years or more of training to achieve average performance in this occupation.
Based on O*Net Job Zones and SVP
 
Education Level
How much education do most people in this career have?
Education level Percent of
U.S. Workers
Doctoral or professional degree
or post-MA certificate
  4%
Master's degree or
post-BA certificate
  77%
Bachelor's degree   19%
Associate's degree   0%
Certificate or some college,
no degree
  0%
High school diploma
or equivalent
  0%
Less than high school diploma   0%
More at O*NET
 
Licensing
Vermont may require an occupational license:
Select a license for details
 
Abilities
People in this career often have talent in:
  • Oral Comprehension
    The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression
    The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity
    The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Written Comprehension
    The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression
    The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
More at O*NET
 
Work Activities
In general, what you might do:
  • Assisting and Caring for Others
    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Documenting/Recording Information
    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
More at O*NET
 
Detailed Work Activities
What you might do in a day:
  • Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
  • Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
  • Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
  • Maintain client records.
  • Monitor clients to evaluate treatment progress.
More at O*NET
 
Tasks
On the job, you would:
  • 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.
More at O*NET
 
O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

BLS

This page includes information produced in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics and State Occupational Projecions programs.

 
 
 
 
Vermont.gov State of Vermont Department of Labor