Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workersresume guide.
Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. A strong Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers resume shows social perceptiveness, active listening and speaking, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Microsoft SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Outlook.
See how a parser reads your resumeFree, no card→01Also called
O*NET02Skills employers expect
O*NETImportance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | Very high | Advanced |
| Active Listening | Very high | Advanced |
| Speaking | Very high | Advanced |
| Critical Thinking | Very high | Advanced |
| Monitoring | Very high | Advanced |
| Reading Comprehension | Very high | Advanced |
| Complex Problem Solving | High | Advanced |
| Coordination | High | Advanced |
| Service Orientation | High | Advanced |
| Learning Strategies | High | Intermediate |
03Knowledge areas
O*NET- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Public Safety and Security
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Philosophy and Theology
- Administration and Management
04Common responsibilities
O*NETOrdered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.
- 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.
- Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.
- Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support.
- Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources.
- Counsel or aid family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting the client or patient.
- Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, or attending seminars, training workshops, or classes.
05Software and tools
O*NET24 tools across 11 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.
- Medical procedure coding software
- Medical condition coding software
- Patient electronic medical record EMR software
- James Frazier Associates DataStart
- Social Work Software ClientTouch
- Client records software
- Web browser softwareIn demand
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Netscape Navigator
- Database software
- Social Solutions ETO
- Microsoft Publisher
- Adobe PageMaker
- Microsoft SharePointHotIn demand
- Adobe AcrobatHotIn demand
- Microsoft OutlookHotIn demand
- Email software
- Microsoft Office softwareHotIn demand
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Microsoft PowerPointHotIn demand
- Information presentation software
- Scheduling software
- Microsoft ExcelHotIn demand
- Microsoft WordHotIn demand
06Education and preparation
O*NET07Putting it on your resume
ResumeXRays guidanceLead with what you built. For a Job Zone 5 role, hiring managers and parsers both look for outcomes before credentials. Put two or three results at the top of each job entry, with the scale or effect stated plainly.
Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "Microsoft SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.
Show active listening and speaking, not just social perceptiveness. Active listening and speaking rank close to social perceptiveness for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.
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