Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
Community and Social Service Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 21-1011.00
Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.28
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
- Data source: OpenAIPublished: 2023
0.289
0.000Range of values carried here0.844Scale, basis and source
Task-level exposure
Show 15 hidden tasks23 rated tasks · 7 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (30.4%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Instruct others in program methods, procedures, or functions.21-1011.00 | 0.060755.9 |
Provide clients or family members with information about addiction issues and about available services or programs, making appropriate referrals when necessary.21-1011.00 | 0.022320.5 |
Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans.21-1011.00 | 0.00908.3 |
Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in client status.21-1011.00 | 0.00524.8 |
Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.21-1011.00 | 0.00434.0 |
Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.21-1011.00 | 0.00272.5 |
Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs.21-1011.00 | 0.00252.3 |
Act as liaisons between clients and medical staff.21-1011.00 | 0.00201.8 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.O*NET Task ID 5584 | 1.0 |
Attend training sessions to increase knowledge and skills.O*NET Task ID 5592 | 1.0 |
Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories.O*NET Task ID 5585 | 0.5 |
Provide clients or family members with information about addiction issues and about available services or programs, making appropriate referrals when necessary.O*NET Task ID 5589 | 0.5 |
Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs.O*NET Task ID 5593 | 0.5 |
Follow progress of discharged patients to determine effectiveness of treatments.O*NET Task ID 5601 | 0.5 |
Develop, implement, or evaluate public education, prevention, or health promotion programs, working in collaboration with organizations, institutions, or communities.O*NET Task ID 5602 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (23)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes. | Core |
| Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information. | Core |
| Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories. | Core |
| Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans. | Core |
| Interview clients, review records, and confer with other professionals to evaluate individuals' mental and physical condition and to determine their suitability for participation in a specific program. | Core |
| Intervene as an advocate for clients or patients to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations. | Core |
| Provide clients or family members with information about addiction issues and about available services or programs, making appropriate referrals when necessary. | Core |
| Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in client status. | Core |
| Coordinate counseling efforts with mental health professionals or other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or social workers. | Core |
| Attend training sessions to increase knowledge and skills. | Core |
| Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs. | Core |
| Conduct chemical dependency program orientation sessions. | Core |
| Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting clients or patients. | Core |
| Participate in case conferences or staff meetings. | Core |
| Act as liaisons between clients and medical staff. | Core |
| Coordinate activities with courts, probation officers, community services, or other post-treatment agencies. | Core |
| Confer with family members or others close to clients to keep them informed of treatment planning and progress. | Core |
| Instruct others in program methods, procedures, or functions. | Core |
| Follow progress of discharged patients to determine effectiveness of treatments. | Core |
| Develop, implement, or evaluate public education, prevention, or health promotion programs, working in collaboration with organizations, institutions, or communities. | Core |
| Supervise or direct other workers providing services to clients or patients. | Core |
| Assess individuals' degree of drug dependency by collecting and analyzing urine samples. | Core |
| Train or supervise student interns or new staff members. | Core |
0.00/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Assess individuals' degree of drug dependency by collecting and analyzing urine samples. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
The BLS Employment Projections table has no row for SOC 21-1011.
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25330 | 상담 전문가 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 2635Social Work and Counselling Professionals
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Social work and counselling professionals provide advice and guidance to individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations in response to social and personal difficulties. They assist clients to develop skills and access resources and support services needed to respond to issues arising from unemployment, poverty, disability, addiction, criminal and delinquent behaviour, and marital and other problems.
Tasks
- (a) interviewing clients individually, in families, or in groups, to assess their situation and problems and determine the types of services required;
- (b) analysing the client's situation and presenting alternative approaches to resolving problems;
- (c) compiling case records or reports for courts and other legal proceedings;
- (d) providing counselling, therapy and mediation services and facilitating group sessions to assist clients to develop skills and insights needed to deal with and resolve their social and personal problems;
- (e) planning and implementing programmes of assistance for clients including crisis intervention and referral to agencies that provide financial assistance, legal aid, housing, medical treatment and other services;
- (f) investigating cases of abuse or neglect and taking action to protect children and other at risk persons;
- (g) working with offenders during and after sentence, to help them to integrate into the community and to change attitudes and behaviour in order to reduce further offending;
- (h) providing advice to prison governors and to probation and parole review boards that helps determine whether, and under what conditions, an offender should be incarcerated, released from prison or undergo alternative correctional measures;
- (i) acting as advocates for client groups in the community and lobbying for solutions to problems affecting them;
- (j) developing prevention and intervention programmes to meet community needs;
- (k) maintaining contact with other social service agencies, educational institutions and health care providers involved with clients to provide information and obtain feedback on clients' overall situation and progress.
Example occupations
Addictions counsellor · Bereavement counsellor · Child and youth counsellor · District social welfare officer · Family counsellor · Marriage counsellor · Parole officer · Probation officer · Sexual assault counsellor · Social worker · Women’s welfare organizer
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- drug and alcohol addiction counsellorESCO 2635.1.2Same scope
Drug and alcohol addiction counsellors provide assistance and counselling to individuals and families dealing with drug and alcohol addictions, monitoring their progress, advocating for them, performing crisis interventions and group therapy. They also assist the persons with the consequences of their addictions which can be unemployment, physical or mental disorders and poverty. Drug and alcohol addiction counsellors may also prepare educational programs for high-risk populations.
- clinical social workerESCO 2635.3.3This occupation is narrower
Clinical social workers provide therapy, counselling, and intervention services to clients. They treat clients with personal struggles, namely mental illness, addiction, and abuse, advocating for them and helping them gain access to the necessary resources. They also focus on the impact of medical and public health issues within social aspects.
- social counsellorESCO 2635.1This occupation is narrower
Social counsellors provide support and guidance to individuals in the social work area, to help them solve specific problems in their personal life. It involves addressing personal and relationship issues, dealing with inner conflicts, crisis moments such as depression and addiction, in an attempt to empower individuals to achieve change and improve their life quality.
- marriage counsellorESCO 2635.1.4Overlapping, not the same
Marriage counsellors support and guide couples and families that are going through crises such as depression, substance abuse and relationship problems. They help improving their communication by providing group or individual therapy.
- substance misuse workerESCO 2635.3.24Overlapping, not the same
Substance misuse workers provide assistance and counselling to people with substance abuse problems. They monitor their progress, advocate for them, and performe crisis interventions and group therapy. They also assist patients dealing with the consequences of tobacco, alcohol or recreational drugs abuse, which can be problematics as unemployment, physical or mental disorders and poverty.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| K1104 | Psychologue | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| K1112 | Addictologue | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| K1207 | Educateur spécialisé / Educatrice spécialisée | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 2824 | Profesionales del trabajo y la educación social | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 3713 | Profesionales de apoyo al trabajo y a la educación social | Related, not a match |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 83154 | Berufe in der Sozial-, Erziehungs- und Suchtberatung - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 81634 | Berufe in der nicht ärztlichen Psychotherapie - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 159 | 他に分類されない保健医療従事者 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 169 | その他の社会福祉専門職業従事者 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 243 | カウンセラー(医療・福祉施設を除く) | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources