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Substance Abuse Social Worker

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What Does it Take to Be a Substance Abuse Social Worker?

Occupation Description 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.

Substance Abuse Social Worker Responsibilities

  • Develop or advise on social policy or assist in community development.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Substance Abuse Social Worker Required Skills

When polled, Substance Abuse Social Workers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

  • Community Support Worker
  • Chemical Dependency Counselor
  • Alcoholism Worker
  • Substance Abuse Clinician
  • Psychotherapist Social Worker

Job Outlook for Substance Abuse Social Workers

In the United States, there were 123,900 jobs for Substance Abuse Social Worker in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 19.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 24,000 new jobs for Substance Abuse Social Worker by 2026. The BLS estimates 15,900 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Substance Abuse Social Worker are Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Rhode Island, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Substance Abuse Social Worker Make?

The salary for Substance Abuse Social Workers ranges between about $28,310 and $78,910 a year.

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Substance Abuse Social Workers who work in New Jersey, District of Columbia, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Substance Abuse Social Workers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $36,700
Alaska $46,420
Arizona $39,390
Arkansas $40,560
California $61,640
Colorado $46,980
Connecticut $63,290
Delaware $50,700
District of Columbia $69,690
Florida $44,100
Georgia $39,600
Hawaii $67,930
Idaho $47,720
Illinois $46,540
Indiana $43,040
Iowa $47,580
Kansas $40,900
Kentucky $35,600
Louisiana $40,960
Maine $56,000
Maryland $53,780
Massachusetts $43,270
Michigan $50,060
Minnesota $55,460
Mississippi $41,470
Missouri $38,880
Montana $37,950
Nebraska $41,320
Nevada $60,540
New Hampshire $57,110
New Jersey $79,130
New Mexico $45,260
New York $62,130
North Carolina $50,270
North Dakota $53,760
Ohio $44,840
Oklahoma $37,380
Oregon $49,380
Pennsylvania $38,440
Rhode Island $52,730
South Carolina $35,330
South Dakota $40,330
Tennessee $38,180
Texas $40,470
Utah $45,830
Vermont $42,620
Virginia $51,660
Washington $53,780
West Virginia $33,880
Wisconsin $46,730
Wyoming $49,660

Tools & Technologies Used by Substance Abuse Social Workers

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Substance Abuse Social Workers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Email software
  • Word processing software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Database software
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Scheduling software
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Medical procedure coding software
  • Medical condition coding software
  • Corel WordPerfect
  • Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker
  • Patient electronic medical record EMR software

Becoming a Substance Abuse Social Worker

What kind of Substance Abuse Social Worker requirements are there?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where Substance Abuse Social Workers Are Employed

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Similar Careers

Those interested in being a Substance Abuse Social Worker may also be interested in:

References:

Image Credit: Army Medicine via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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