Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
In short: today's best AI models could do about 33% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about 38% by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 62% of the time, stays with people.
Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.
$59,350 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on0 h
- A person checks AI's work13 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet2 h
- Stays with people25 h
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 0 hours, 13 hours become checking its work, 2 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 25 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Keep client records (about 3 h, a person checks); Develop treatment plans (about 3 h, a person checks); Review client progress (about 2 h, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 33%
- 5%
- 22%
- 39%
- 0%
Anthropic's data does not cover this job.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 33% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 29%. Today's estimate: 33%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, 0.011% went to this job's tasks in May 2026, the 407th largest of the 447 jobs that showed up at all; 1 of its 23 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.11% to 0.058% (released February and March 2025); 0.14% to 0.096% (August 2025 to February 2026); 0.011% to 0.011% (April to May 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.11% | 161 of 708 | 8 of 23 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.058% | 243 of 703 | 7 of 23 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.14% | 124 of 655 | 4 of 23 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.1% | 151 of 672 | 6 of 23 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.096% | 168 of 677 | 5 of 23 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.011% | 392 of 434 | 1 of 23 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.011% | 407 of 447 | 1 of 23 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 3% of this job's working time as physical work. For 0% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere. 0.00 of 3.
- Not physical 97%
- No robot shown 3%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
61% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Counsel individuals and groups, the in-person work, 13%
- Assess clients for programs, the in-person work, 6%
- Attend case conferences, the conversation, 5%
- Teach program methods, the in-person work, 5%
- Run public prevention programs, the conversation, 5%
- Supervise service staff, the in-person work, 4%
What becomes checking the machine
37% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it.
- Keep client records, severe if wrong, 8%
- Develop treatment plans, a licensed person signs, 8%
- Run public prevention programs, costly if wrong, 7%
- Review client progress, a licensed person signs, 4%
- Assess clients for programs, a licensed person signs, 3%
- Plan aftercare, a licensed person signs, 2%
What to learn
- The conversations. About 62% of the time is conversation and in-person work, which this site leaves with people: listening, explaining, persuading, calming.
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- Signing off under your license. Some tasks need a licensed, certified or sworn person to do or sign them. The license, and the judgment it stands for, stays with the person.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check or sign: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
- Handling protected records. Much of the work touches protected personal records: knowing what may be shared with a model, and how, is part of the job.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 23 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.Counseling sessions in the room.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 13% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | In person 100% | Stays with people |
| Develop, implement, or evaluate public education, prevention, or health promotion programs, working in collaboration with organizations, institutions, or communities.The program designed on paper and coordinated with the partners.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 12% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | Documents 60%, conversation 40% | 19%Desk part half by Mar 2027 |
| Interview clients, review records, and confer with other professionals to evaluate individuals' mental and physical condition and to determine their suitability for participation in a specific program.The interview, the records read, and the case conferred.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 9% | 1.3 h38 min to 2.1 h | In person 50%, documents 30%, conversation 20% | 30%Desk part half by now |
| Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.Records in the system and reports written.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 8% | 33 min13 min to 50 min | Systems 60%, documents 40% | 100%Half by now |
| Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories.Writing the plan from the history and the research.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 8% | 1.7 h50 min to 2.5 h | Documents 100% | 100%Half by now |
| Instruct others in program methods, procedures, or functions.Training sessions in person.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.1 h | In person 80%, documents 20% | 20%Desk part half by now |
| Participate in case conferences or staff meetings.Meetings with colleagues.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h50 min to 1.7 h | Conversation 100% | Stays with people |
| Supervise or direct other workers providing services to clients or patients.Direction in person and by call, with the reviews.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | In person 60%, documents 20%, conversation 20% | 20%Desk part half by now |
| Train or supervise student interns or new staff members.Supervision in person, with the notes.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h50 min to 2.5 h | In person 70%, documents 30% | 30%Desk part half by now |
| Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans.Reading the record against the plan.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Documents 100% | 100%Half by now |
| Attend training sessions to increase knowledge and skills.Training only the counselor can do for themselves.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | In person 100% | Stays with people |
| Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs.The plan written and arranged by phone.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 3% | 1.3 h38 min to 2.1 h | Documents 60%, conversation 40% | 60%Desk part half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers27% now, 43% by 2028
- Mental Health Counselors43% now, 43% by 2028
- Marriage and Family Therapists32% now, 35% by 2028
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists34% now, 50% by 2028
- Rehabilitation Counselors64% now, 64% by 2028
- Healthcare Social Workers32% now, 50% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners106,780 people
- Outpatient Care Centers98,150 people
- Individual and Family Services80,530 people
- Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities47,510 people
- Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals28,270 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 33% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 38% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five (37% to 38% across the three paces the site shows). Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Keep client records (100% of the task's time now); Develop treatment plans (100% of the task's time now); and Review client progress (100% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Counsel individuals and groups; Attend case conferences; and Attend training. Together such tasks are about 35% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are the conversations; judgment where errors are severe; and signing off under your license. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 61% of the working time stays with people, 37% becomes checking a model's work and 0% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026 and tied to a work task, 0.011% went to this job's tasks, the 407th largest share of the 447 jobs that showed up; 1 of its 23 tasks appeared. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 3% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 0% of the working time. Its index is 0.00 of 3. A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 23 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
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