What does a social services counselor do?
Social service counselors provide a wide range of counselling such as psychological assessment, diagnosis, and therapy. They must evaluate patient data, do psychological tests, and apply their observations. They may also review clinical issues and programs. Typically, they work in institutions or private practices.
Social services counselor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real social services counselor resumes:
- Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
- Serve as liaison/advocate between patients and/or families/caregivers and community agencies, other companies as deemed need.
- Develop and write the IRP with the client and Treatment/rehabilitation team.
- Administer first aid/ CPR as well as handled emergency situations when necessary in the aquatics area and the workout facility.
- Escort residents to appointments to train in community integration and other relate rehabilitation services.
- Provide individual, group and family therapy to patients and their families in an acute-care crisis stabilization psychiatric hospital.
- Confer with physicians, supervising psychologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals to develop and implement client rehabilitation programs.
- Counsele veterans and Medi-Cal clients individually to provide behavioral interventions in order to address their anxiety, depression and anger.
- Assist with summer youth program, specifically dealing with BRS clients.
- Determine eligibility for program, monitor and track program requirements, and review Medicaid eligibility.
Social services counselor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 38% of Social Services Counselors are proficient in Social Work, Patients, and Social Services. They’re also known for soft skills such as Emotional skills, Organizational skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Social Services Counselors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Social Work, 38%
Collaborate with clinic treatment team (including: LPC's, social workers, doctors, and nurse practitioners).
- Patients, 12%
Provided individual treatment and group therapy to patients experiencing Mental Health Illness, addiction problems, developmental disabilities or co-occurring disorders.
- Social Services, 6%
Coordinated delivery of social services to socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals with chronic mental and/or physical health issues.
- Financial Assistance, 6%
Determine refugee's eligibility for financial assistance.
- Scheduling Appointments, 4%
Managed caseloads by scheduling appointments, evaluating progress through counseling sessions and making recommendations to treatment team.
- Direct Services, 3%
Served from 9/2000 until 6/2003 Sabine Parish Schools Special Education Department: Provided direct services to children, youth and families.
Common skills that a social services counselor uses to do their job include "social work," "patients," and "social services." You can find details on the most important social services counselor responsibilities below.
Organizational skills. Another essential skill to perform social services counselor duties is organizational skills. Social services counselors responsibilities require that "social workers must help and manage multiple clients, often assisting with their paperwork or documenting their treatment." Social services counselors also use organizational skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "recognized for superior organizational, communication and interpersonal skills, and for consistent effectiveness with parents, staff and support services. "
Problem-solving skills. social services counselors are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to social services counselor responsibilities, because "social workers must analyze their clients’ complex situations and develop practical solutions." A social services counselor resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "completed crisis intake interviews, assessments, referrals, safety plans, and crisis resolutions. "
Communication skills. A big part of what social services counselors do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to social services counselor responsibilities because "clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical social services counselor tasks: "co-facilitated groups in anger management, self-esteem, communication, and life skills. "
Interpersonal skills. Another crucial skill for a social services counselor to carry out their responsibilities is "interpersonal skills." A big part of what social services counselors relies on this skill, since "social workers must be able to work with different groups of people." How this skill relates to social services counselor duties can be seen in an example from a social services counselor resume snippet: "facilitated anger management and interpersonal skills group therapy sessions for male and female children and adolescents. "
The three companies that hire the most social services counselors are:
- The University of New Mexico47 social services counselors jobs
- Louisiana State Police
11 social services counselors jobs
- Broward Health8 social services counselors jobs
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Compare different social services counselors
Social services counselor vs. Family worker
A family worker's role is to provide an intervention with parents, children, and young persons to help improve outcomes for families and children. The job they do includes working with parents to help strengthen family relationships and their ability to provide support and be community involved closely. They implement a program that helps parents recognize a child's needs, encouraging child self-esteem development, and positive behavior. Moreover, other duties include giving referrals to other community services as required and to assess family progress.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between social services counselors and family worker. For instance, social services counselor responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "social services," "scheduling appointments," and "psychosocial assessments." Whereas a family worker is skilled in "foster care," "child care," "child development," and "intake assessments." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Family workers tend to reach lower levels of education than social services counselors. In fact, family workers are 12.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Social services counselor vs. Mental health clinician
A Mental Health Clinician provides psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation services for patients with mental health problems. They manage the treatment of clients and help them to obtain stable physical health.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, social services counselor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "financial assistance," "scheduling appointments," "direct services," and "substance abuse." Meanwhile, a mental health clinician has duties that require skills in areas such as "clinical supervision," "compassion," "clinical services," and "clinical documentation." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, mental health clinicians earn a higher salary than social services counselors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, mental health clinicians earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $57,456. Whereas social services counselors have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $49,584.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Mental health clinicians tend to reach higher levels of education than social services counselors. In fact, they're 22.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for social services counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Virginia Schwindt
MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University
Social services counselor vs. Licensed social worker
Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require. They may assist these people in connecting to agencies that would cater to their needs. Licensed Social Workers also help people cope with their challenges. They are responsible for crafting treatment plans or well-being improvement plans for the individuals they help. They may also be called on during times of crisis to provide emotional support to the individuals involved.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a social services counselor is likely to be skilled in "social services," "financial assistance," "scheduling appointments," and "direct services," while a typical licensed social worker is skilled in "home health," "patient care," "msw," and "medicaid."
Licensed social workers earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $56,730. Social services counselors earn the highest pay from the education industry, with an average salary of $49,584.licensed social workers typically earn higher educational levels compared to social services counselors. Specifically, they're 12.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Social services counselor vs. Counselor internship
When it comes to Counselor Internship, among the primary responsibilities is to assist in dealing with various activities such as preparing and verifying necessary documentation, observing consultations and outreach programs, guide clients and help develop multiple helpful strategies, and provide assessments. Furthermore, one can conduct counseling and consultation only under supervision. It is also essential to track the information gathered and coordinate with assigned personnel to adhere to the company's regulations and policies.
Types of social services counselor
Updated January 8, 2025
