How to hire mental health and substance abuse social workers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support. • Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs. • Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse. • Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources. • Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients. • Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status. • Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals. • Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Master's degree] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension and learning strategies skills • Working knowledge of therapy and counseling, psychology, English Language and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $28.98 an hour ($60,280 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for mental health and substance abuse social workers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What mental health and substance abuse social workers do
- Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support.
- Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.
- Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
- Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources.
- Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
- Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.
- Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
- Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for mental health and substance abuse social workers
- Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Internship/residency (BLS)
- Job outlook: +10.3% over ten years, much faster than average · about 12,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay mental health and substance abuse social workers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| New York | $79,380 |
| California | $79,000 |
| Connecticut | $78,640 |
| Minnesota | $75,020 |
| Maryland | $73,580 |
| Kentucky | $42,570 |
| Alabama | $41,500 |
| South Carolina | $39,930 |
See mental health and substance abuse social workers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Rehabilitation Counselors
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
- Counselors, All Other
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Social Workers, All Other
- Health Education Specialists
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.