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21-1023.00 · Task explorer

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

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.

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This source lists 13 tasks, including 11 marked Core and 2 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 08/2021.

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13 tasks shown

Core · Task 273 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.

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Core · Task 275 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.

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Core · Task 276 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.

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Core · Task 18487 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.

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Core · Task 281 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.

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Core · Task 279 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.

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Core · Task 18489 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support.

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Core · Task 18488 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources.

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Core · Task 278 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Counsel or aid family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting the client or patient.

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Core · Task 18490 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, or attending seminars, training workshops, or classes.

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Core · Task 277 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

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.

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Supplemental · Task 280 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse, combat social problems, or improve health or counseling services in community.

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Supplemental · Task 282 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

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

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

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Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.