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Substance Abuse Social Worker

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What You Need to Know About Substance Abuse Social Worker

Substance Abuse Social Worker Example 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.

Life As a Substance Abuse Social Worker

  • Develop or advise on social policy or assist in community development.
  • Counsel or aid family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting the client or patient.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Substance Abuse Social Worker Needed Skills

These are the skills Substance Abuse Social Workers say are the most useful in their careers:

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.

  • Crisis Intervention Counselor
  • Drug Abuse Worker
  • Alcoholism Worker
  • Clinical Social Worker
  • Behavioral Health Case Manager

Substance Abuse Social Worker Employment Estimates

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 123,900 jobs in the United States for Substance Abuse Social Worker. 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 15,900 job openings in this field each year.

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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.

Substance Abuse Social Worker Salary

The typical yearly salary for Substance Abuse Social Workers is somewhere between $28,310 and $78,910.

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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

What Tools do Substance Abuse Social Workers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Substance Abuse Social Workers:

  • 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

Are there Substance Abuse Social Workers education requirements?

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What work experience do I need to become a Substance Abuse Social Worker?

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Where Substance Abuse Social Workers Work

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Below are examples of industries where Substance Abuse Social Workers work:

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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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