MightyRecruiterHiring managers tasked with putting together a mental health and substance abuse social worker job description should think about job requirements. Social workers work with people who have mental illnesses or substance abuse problems. They offer counseling services and supports for their clients dealing with these issues.
Social workers must have an undergraduate degree in social work to be considered for a professional post. Some organizations require the candidate to have earned a master’s degree in social work to be hired. It is also a requirement for social workers to be state licensed.
In this job, it’s important for the employee to have a strong amount of compassion for clients. Interpersonal skills and communication abilities are additional areas that are stressed in successful social work. Read more about the job requirements in the mental health and substance abuse social worker job description template below.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker Job Summary
If you are ready to help make a difference in the lives of our community members, then we have the perfect opportunity for you. Our organization is recruiting for a mental health and substance abuse social worker who can assist individuals struggling with mental illness and addiction. In this position, you would work with community resources to develop an appropriate treatment and counseling plan for your clients. You would partner with clients in their recovery and be their biggest cheerleader throughout each challenge they overcome. If you want to make an impact on someone who most needs it, this is the place for you.
Job Responsibilities
- Discuss issues related to mental illness, substance abuse, trauma, poverty or other challenges with clients in individual or group therapeutic settings each week
- Assess each client’s individual progress by reviewing treatment goals and marking benchmarks as they are achieved each month
- Partner with medical personnel, such as nurses, doctors and psychiatrists, when designing an appropriate plan of treatment for clients
- Provide resources to the client and the family for additional services to help assist recovery from mental illness, addiction or physical conditions
- Design community education programs and deliver workshops and class instruction to people in the area to help inform the public about the facts of mental illness or substance abuse issues
- Support patients with following through on treatment plans by being flexible in appointment scheduling, arranging for rides to the office and holding clients accountable for their treatment
- Offer counseling services to family members of the patient to help them develop a greater understanding of the challenges facing their relative
- Develop more knowledge and expertise in the field by regularly attending workshops, conferences and meetings in the industry
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor’s degree in social work
- State-licensed clinical social worker
- One or more years of experience in social work
- Demonstrated knowledge of case management
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in social work
- Background treating and supporting those with mental illness or addiction
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker Job Responsibilities
The mental health and substance abuse social worker job description is your best tool for attracting and enticing the most talented and caring social work professionals. Focus on making the responsibilities section substantial to best communicate the expectations for daily tasks. It should be your goal for readers to easily imagine themselves in the position, fulfilling these tasks.
Additionally, the way you format the mental health and substance abuse social worker job responsibilities section impacts its effectiveness. Including more than five but fewer than nine bullet points keeps the section well-balanced to avoid intimidating readers or providing too little information. We recommend every bullet point begin with a strong action verb to help readers understand what they will do every day if hired. Review the following example entries to get started on your own mental health and substance abuse social worker job description
- Interact with clients to gain information about their needs, taking careful notes and creating detailed reports
- Create aide programs to provide healthcare and other kinds of social help to clients who suffer from mental health disorder or substance abuse
- Contact physicians to schedule appointments and discuss the best treatment plans
- Research and refer community resources to best aid those who need assistance
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker Job Specifications
The job qualifications and skills section affects whether readers consider themselves qualified to apply. This means it controls how many applications you receive, as well as what kinds of candidates. Your mental health and substance abuse social worker job description prevents too many unqualified candidates or too few talented candidates from applying. To accomplish this, we recommend you separate the mental health and substance abuse social worker job specifications into mandatory and preferred categories. This offers the benefit of filtering out those who are not qualified without risking turning away the more talented candidates who might not meet the more lenient expectations.
Remember, the qualifications and skills section is most effective when it is either the shortest or nearly the shortest part of the mental health and substance abuse social worker job description. This, however, does not mean it is unimportant. Focus on polishing this section just as much as you would any other.
Bachelor’s degree in mental health, social work or closely related field required Master’s degree in relevant field preferred Strong interpersonal and written communication abilities Must be fully and currently certified to serve as a social worker Previous experience working in a position of leadership strongly preferred
