What does a Mental Health Social Worker do in 2019?




Becoming a Mental Health Social Worker



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Salary

$43,190

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Job Growth

5/5

Competition

Average

school

Education

Bachelors

Overview: What does a Mental Health Social Worker do?

Mental health and substance abuse social workers assess and treat individuals with mental illness, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Such services include individual and group therapy, outreach, crisis intervention, social rehabilitation, and training in skills of everyday living. They may also help plan for supportive services to ease patients’ return to the community. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are likely to work in hospitals, substance abuse treatment centers, individual and family services agencies, or local governments.

Advancement Opportunities: 68% of Average This calculation shows your opportunity for increases in earnings over time. It shows the relative strength of different careers as compared to each other
Average Starting Median income: $43,190
Return on Educational Investment: 73% of Average Shows the relative return on investment of an education beyond high school. The calculation uses potential earning levels over time adjusted for the cost and the time of additional education.
Job Growth: 5/5
Benefits: Yes
All scores range from 1-100. Higher scores are better with the exception of stress.
Bragging rights: 35/100 Based on prestige and social approval, fame and public recognition, high income, highly educated, clean versus “dirty” industry, and level of people you deal with.
Interesting Job: 50/100 Based on exciting subject or environment, variety of activities, fun interaction with people, creating versus completing, and learning interesting things.
Personal Freedom: 35/100 Based on controlling your work, not closely managed, choosing your assignments, tolerable rules and regulations, creative freedom, and setting your own hours.
Stress: 53/100 Based on Intense responsibility (life/death), continuous rejection, dealing with people’s problems, lack of control, quota or sales pressure, and work volume/time pressure.

This is a hypothetical illustration of how long it takes to earn millions of dollars in each job. The calculation is complex, but uses earnings at various points in each career from entry level to mature performer. Individual performance will vary.

Years to make $1,000,000 - 24 Years
Years to make $2,000,000 - 39 Years
Years to make $3,000,000 - 45+ Years

Competency Fit: Counseling

#1: Empathy: showing compassion for others


#2: Human relations: ability to work with others


#3: Listening: hearing and interpreting another’s speech


#4: Problem identification: finding the true cause of a problem


#5: Problem solving: employing methods to solve a problem


Top Mental Health Social Worker Books for beginners:

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