Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Community and Social Service · SOC 21-1023
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 21-1023 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 58/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $60,280
- H-1B offered wage $60,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 15,500
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +9.7%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 138
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 27,781 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~27.1% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Case Manager, Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Therapist, Clinician, Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Representative Tasks
- •Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
- •Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.
- •Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
- •Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
- •Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
- •Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
- •Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
- •Maintain client records.
- •Monitor clients to evaluate treatment progress.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 4.1% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 75% Bright |
| Median Salary | $60,280 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |