Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Community and Social Service Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 21-1023.00
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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- 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
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 6 hidden tasks13 rated tasks · 7 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (53.8%)
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
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 |
|---|---|
Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.O*NET Task ID 276 | 0.5 |
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.O*NET Task ID 277 | 0.5 |
Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.O*NET Task ID 279 | 0.5 |
Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse, combat social problems, or improve health or counseling services in community.O*NET Task ID 280 | 0.5 |
Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.O*NET Task ID 18487 | 0.5 |
Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources.O*NET Task ID 18488 | 0.5 |
Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, or attending seminars, training workshops, or classes.O*NET Task ID 18490 | 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®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (13)
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 in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse. | Core |
| Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs. | Core |
| Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals. | Core |
| 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. | Core |
| Counsel or aid family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting the client or patient. | Core |
| Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status. | Core |
| Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients. | Core |
| Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients. | Core |
| Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources. | Core |
| Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support. | Core |
| Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, or attending seminars, training workshops, or classes. | Core |
| Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse, combat social problems, or improve health or counseling services in community. | Supplemental |
| Develop or advise on social policy or assist in community development. | Supplemental |
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
None of this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks is classified as a physical task.
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 139K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 153K
- Change (2025–35)
- +10.3%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $60,280
- Typical education needed for entry
- Master's degree
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25310 | 사회복지사 | 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 2635.1.2This occupation is broader
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.
- mental health social workerESCO 2635.3.17This occupation is broader
Mental health social workers assist and provide counselling to people with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems. They focus on providing personalised support to cases and monitor the recovery process of their clients by providing therapy, crisis intervention, client advocacy and education. Mental health social workers may contribute to mental health services improvement and mental health outcomes for citizens.
- mental health support workerESCO 3412.4.8This occupation is broader
Mental health support workers assist and provide treatment to people with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems. They focus on personalised cases and monitor the recovery process of their clients, providing also therapy, crisis intervention, client advocacy and education.
- sexual violence counsellorESCO 2635.1.5This occupation is broader
Sexual violence counsellors provide support services, crisis care services and counselling to women and adolescents who have been directly or indirectly exposed to sexual assault and/or rape. They inform victims of the relevant legal procedures and protective services maintaining client confidentiality. They also address problematic sexualized behaviours of children.
- social counsellorESCO 2635.1This occupation is broader
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.
- substance misuse workerESCO 2635.3.24This occupation is broader
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.
- clinical social workerESCO 2635.3.3Overlapping, not the same
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.
- crisis situation social workerESCO 2635.3.9Overlapping, not the same
Crisis situation social workers provide emergency support and assistance to persons with physical or mental disorders by addressing their distress, impairment, and instability. They assess the level of risk, mobilise client resources, and stabilise the crisis.
- 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| K1201 | Assistant social / Assistante sociale | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| K1104 | Psychologue | 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 narrower |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 83124 | Berufe in der Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 83154 | Berufe in der Sozial-, Erziehungs- und Suchtberatung - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
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 match |
| 161 | 福祉相談指導専門員 | Related, not a match |
| 169 | その他の社会福祉専門職業従事者 | Related, not a match |
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