How to Become a Mental Health Social Worker

• What is a Mental Health Social Worker?
• How to Become a Mental Health Social Worker
• What Does a Mental Health Social Worker Do?
• Where Do Mental Health Social Workers Work?
• What Skills Do Mental Health Social Workers Possess?
• Mental Health Social Worker Salary

If you’re interested in helping others to overcome their problems and improve their emotional health, continue reading to learn about the typical job duties of a mental health social worker, how to become one, the salary outlook and more.

What is a Mental Health Social Worker?

Living with a mental illness can present challenges for many individuals, families, and communities. For some people, mental illnesses can make day to day life difficult. Mental health social workers play a critical role in improving overall wellbeing and mental health in our society. They spend their time assessing, diagnosing, treating and preventing mental, behavioral and emotional issues. Some mental illnesses that they address include depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder.

In addition to working with clients directly, they also provide therapy in individual, group and family settings, depending on the circumstances. If you have a passion for helping those who are challenged with living with mental illness, a mental health social work profession may be right for you.

How to Become a Mental Health Social Worker

Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field like psychology.
Step 2: Complete a Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree in social work may be able to complete their master’s in less than one year, with an advanced standing MSW program.
Step 3: Complete a social work internship or practicum during which you work with clients experiencing mental health issues. Not all states require this step for licensure as a mental health social worker. However, to obtain licensure as a clinical social worker, graduates of MSW programs must complete, on average, two years of post-MSW clinical experience hours.
Step 4: Obtain licensure in the state in which you want to practice. Social work licensure requirements vary by state.

What Does a Mental Health Social Worker Do?

Roles & Responsibilities

The work of a mental health social worker will depend on their work environment (private practice vs. working for a non-profit, for example) and how they provide treatment (individual vs. group, for example). They may gain clients based on referrals in the setting they work in or clients may seek them out through therapist services and recommendations. They perform work that is similar to counselors and they make up one of the largest groups of mental health service providers. They work with at-risk and vulnerable populations as well.

Typically, healthcare social workers:

• Intake clients’ needs based on their unique history and current situation
• Provide clients with mental health strategies to cope with challenges
• Provide and refer resources to clients
• Follow up with clients and track progress
• Offer psychotherapy services
• Improve client’s physical issues caused by mental health challenges, such as poor sleep, abnormal diet and nutrition, pain, low energy levels, drug abuse and self-harm
• Help clients cope with life stress and mitigate issues like hopelessness, apathy, anger, sadness and fighting
• Work productively with clients to help achieve their goals and make meaningful contributions
• Increase client’s will to live impactful lives

They may also facilitate support groups, such as addiction support groups. They also work with other healthcare professionals, like doctors in a hospital setting or with school administrators if they’re treating student clients.

Where Do Mental Health Social Workers Work?

Mental health social workers work in a variety of settings, including private practice, hospitals, mental health clinics, community health organizations, primary care facilities and rehabilitation treatment centers. According to the BLS, the largest employers of social workers in 2024 were:

• Individual and family services: 17%
• Local government, excluding education and hospitals: 14%
• State government, excluding education and hospitals: 12%
• Educational services; state, local, and private: 9%
• Community food and housing, emergency and other relief services, and vocational rehabilitation services: 3%

Most social workers work in office settings, but they may also spend significant time visiting clients. According to the National Association of Social Workers, telehealth is widely used in mental health care, and psychotherapy services are among the most common telehealth procedures, enabling remote counseling via technology.

What Skills Do Mental Health Social Workers Possess?

Due to the nature of social work, excellent communication skills are crucial. Practitioners in this field need to build rapport with their clients, ensuring each client develops enough trust to share what they’re going through and to follow the social worker’s recommendations.

People in this field must also have exceptional emotional and interpersonal skills. Social workers need to exhibit empathy and compassion, as their clients are often undergoing stressful situations.

Mental health professionals must have a passion for problem-solving. They devise and recommend solutions for their clients’ unique needs. They must also be organized since their work requires filling out paperwork, documenting the treatment and managing client appointments.

Mental Health Social Worker Salary

The BLS reports that the median annual wage for mental health social workers in May 2024 was $60,060. The highest 10% of social workers earned more than $99,500.

The median annual wage reported by the BLS includes wages for those in social work with only a bachelor’s degree, who aren’t licensed.

Mental health social workers may be employed in a variety of settings. According to the BLS, the 2024 median annual wages for various environments for all social workers were as follows:

• Educational services; state, local, and private: $67,620
• Local government, excluding education and hospitals: $65,920
• State government, excluding education and hospitals: $59,630
• Individual and family services: $51,430
• Community food and housing, emergency and other relief services, and vocational rehabilitation services: $49,980

Typically, higher education and licensure in social work increase earning potential. The BLS reports the 2024 median usual weekly earnings for those with a master’s degree were $1,840, compared to $1,543 for those with a bachelor’s degree.

There are healthcare social worker roles in all types of environments like these. Some social workers also seek out positions in leadership roles, such as administration in nonprofits or in hospital administration.

Interested in Becoming a Mental Health Social Worker? Earn Your Online MSW Degree

Learn more about social work degrees:

• Social Work Degrees
• Online LCSW Programs
• Doctorate of Social Work Programs

Studying to become a mental health social worker can be possible no matter where you live, thanks to online MSW programs. Online MSW programs are taught by accredited universities and teach the skills needed for fulfilling careers. Students can take classes at their own pace, in the pleasure of their home, which is convenient because they don’t have to relocate to learn. Earn your degree while continuing to work and prepare for the future of your dreams.