Research from the National Alliance on Mental Illness found that 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. As more people seek treatment for their mental illnesses, behavioral disorders and emotional hardships, the need for qualified mental health professionals is booming, and the social worker’s role in actively supporting the mental health of individuals has become a vital part of the modern mental health care tableaux.
Social Work’s Traditional Role
Mental health social workers engage mostly with clients struggling to overcome addictive behaviors such as drug or alcohol abuse and eating disorders, or clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PDSD). Although the exact daily duties of mental health social workers can vary, common responsibilities may include:
- Establishing rapport and building relationships with clients
- Assessing clients’ mental health needs
- Researching mental health resources for clients, such as substance abuse rehabilitation programs and suicide prevention resources
- Providing clients with information about resources based on their specific needs.
Mental health social workers at this level require a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, public health, or some other related field and a state license common to social workers resident in each state.
The Evolution of Clinical Social Workers
In addition to support and information, clinical social workers are trained and licensed further to assess, diagnose, and treat mental illness. Unlike standard practices in psychology, however, clinical social work considers the environmental and societal factors that impact a client’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This holistic approach seeks to resolve the underlying hardships that contribute to an individual’s overall mental health problems, rather than treating such issues in a vacuum.
Clinical social workers require a MSW degree to be qualified to solve complex problems in diverse environments, treat mental illnesses and consider the underlying social and environmental influences that contribute to mental health challenges. They also must perform supervised work for a set number of hours before they’re able to take the licensed clinical social worker exam, which is needed to fill most clinical mental health social worker positions.
School Social Workers
School social work is a specialized practice area that focuses on the development and mental health of students in the U.S. education system. These social workers are considered trained mental health professionals and provide hands-on assistance to children and young adults who present with mental illnesses, persistent behavioral problems, and learning disabilities. Working alongside teachers, faculty and parents, school social workers offer positive behavioral and academic support to help students meet their full potential. They also conduct individual and group counseling to understand students’ home environments and identify possible signs of abuse or neglect.
Substance Abuse Social Workers
Substance abuse social workers specialize in diagnosing and treating cases of addiction and dependency. They work with patients to reduce drug and alcohol consumption, identify the root causes of addiction, and create detailed treatment plans. Substance abuse social workers are often employed at hospitals, detoxification centers, and other mental health clinics where recovering addicts may be staying. Professionals in these roles are well-versed in cognitive behavioral therapy, crisis intervention, motivational interviewing, and trauma work, making them a core component of any drug rehabilitation program or facility.
Behavioral Health
Throughout the twentieth century mental health was considered strictly the purview of medical doctors specializing in psychiatry. More recently, however, the medical profession has come to view mental health from a wider spectrum of behavioral disorders that can be treated by disciplines beyond medical practice. Psychotherapists and mental health social workers are qualified to address such behavioral disorders as drug and alcohol abuse, PTSD, and environmental trauma like child abuse and other forms of domestic violence. This more nuanced view of mental health has enlisted the help of appropriately trained and licensed social workers in the ongoing mission to minimize behavioral disorders.
