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The Role of Social Workers in Addiction Treatment

Social workers in addiction treatment offer important services, such as providing referrals and directly offering treatment to people who need it.1 Keep reading to learn more about the role of social workers in rehab and how to find effective treatment for addiction that suits your needs.

What Is Social Work?

Social work is a broad term that refers to both the profession and the field of study that aims to promote positive changes in society and the lives of people.2 It is based on principles of fairness, human rights, community building, and respect for people of different cultures and backgrounds, with the intent of helping people solve problems and improve their lives in a variety of areas.2

Social workers help people prevent and cope with many types of problems, such as medical or mental health concerns, family issues, and more.3 Clinical social workers are advanced-level social workers who are trained to diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional problems.3 

Some of their duties can include:3

  • Identification of people and communities who require assistance.
  • Assessment of a person’s or community’s needs, situations, strengths, and support networks to help them achieve specific goals.
  • Helping people cope with and adjust to life changes and challenges in their lives.
  • Providing referrals and advocacy services for people who require community resources, such as food stamps, childcare, and healthcare services.
  • Offering crisis intervention and management in a variety of situations, such as mental health emergencies or disasters.
  • Providing case management services for clients in need.
  • Offering psychotherapy, such as individual, couples, and family therapy (in the case of clinical social workers).

Social workers can specialize in different fields, such as addiction treatment, school social work, child and family social work, community social work, and clinical social work.3

The Role of Social Workers in Addiction Treatment

As mentioned above, social workers may choose to specialize in addiction treatment, where they provide a variety of services to those who seek help for substance use issues. Some of the duties of social workers in rehab can include:

  • Screening and psychosocial assessment, which involves taking a detailed history of a client’s situation and assessing their unique needs as it relates to their addiction treatment plan.1
  • Diagnosing substance use disorders (in the case of clinical social workers).3
  • Providing referrals to or otherwise helping clients locate appropriate treatment for their needs.3
  • Offering various behavioral treatments and interventions, including treatment for those with co-occurring disorders like depression or anxiety.3,5
  • Helping court-mandated clients recognize the need for treatment, developing a therapeutic relationship with these clients, and providing them with appropriate treatment services.6
  • Monitoring a client’s progress in treatment.3
  • Assisting with custody issues or other family concerns.3
  • Helping clients locate childcare, transportation to treatment, or other needed community resources and services.1
  • Conducting or offering referrals to support groups.3
  • Providing follow-up services to monitor a client’s progress after treatment has ended.1

As you can see, social workers can play a critical role in getting people from Point A to Point B in their journey towards recovery from substance use disorders. The many services they provide can ensure that patients are receiving multi-dimensional care and a strong foundation to build their lives on going forward.

Start the Recovery Journey

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, we are here to help. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is a leading provider of evidence-based treatment, with customized treatment plans geared towards the unique needs of each person and facilities located across the U.S. Our rehabs offer various levels of care, including:7 

  • Medical detox, which helps people safely and comfortably undergo withdrawal from various substances.
  • Inpatient drug and alcohol rehab, which involves living onsite at one of our rehab centers, where you or your loved one will receive 24/7 care and attention and participate in different therapies and treatments.
  • Outpatient addiction treatment programs, where you or your loved one can continue to live at home but will travel to one of our facilities to receive treatment.

When you’re ready to reach out, we’ll be here for you. Please call our free, confidential, 24/7 helpline at to connect with a caring admissions navigator and learn more about your rehab options, find out how to use health insurance coverage for addiction treatment, and quickly verify your insurance. No matter how things may seem right now, there is always hope, and we can help you or your loved one start the recovery process today.

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