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.

Counsel clients in individual and group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental and physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse. Interview clients, review records, and confer with other professionals to evaluate mental or physical condition of client or patient. Collaborate with counselors, physicians, and nurses to plan and coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs. Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals. 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. Counsel and aid family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient. Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status. Plan and conduct programs to prevent substance abuse, to combat social problems, or to improve health and counseling services in community. Supervise and direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients. Develop or advise on social policy and assist in community development. Conduct social research to advance knowledge in the social work field.

Psychology -- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. Therapy and Counseling -- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance. Customer and Personal Service -- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Active Listening -- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. Social Perceptiveness -- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. Critical Thinking -- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. Speaking -- Talking to others to convey information effectively. Writing -- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. Reading Comprehension -- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. Active Learning -- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. Coordination -- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. Service Orientation -- Actively looking for ways to help people. Judgment and Decision Making -- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Oral Expression -- The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. Oral Comprehension -- The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. Speech Clarity -- The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. Inductive Reasoning -- The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). Problem Sensitivity -- The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. Speech Recognition -- The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. Written Comprehension -- The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Selective Attention -- The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted. Deductive Reasoning -- The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. Written Expression -- The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships -- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. Getting Information -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. Assisting and Caring for Others -- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. Performing for or Working Directly with the Public -- Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates -- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. Documenting/Recording Information -- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People -- Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. Making Decisions and Solving Problems -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. Communicating with Persons Outside Organization -- Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events -- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.