Mental Health Social Worker
Healthcare
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.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
- 2Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.
- 3Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
- 4Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
- 5Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.
- 6Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.
- 7Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support.
- 8Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources.
- 9Counsel or aid family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting the client or patient.
- 10Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, or attending seminars, training workshops, or classes.
- 11Refer 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.
- 12Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse, combat social problems, or improve health or counseling services in community.
- 13Develop or advise on social policy or assist in community development.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- BHC
- BHCM
- LBHC
- LCSW
- LMHP
- QMHP
- Clinician
- Counselor
- Therapist
- Case Manager
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
Typical entry
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Therapy and Counseling97%
BiologySports Science
- Psychology93%
- English Language78%
English
- Customer and Personal Service76%
- Education and Training74%
- Sociology and Anthropology72%
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersVery high
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Noisy environmentAlmost never
- Time spent sittingMost of the time
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org