Via direct counselling, a social worker helps a client understand their situation and find necessary resources. The counsellor also informs people who use drugs of their rights and opportunities, and helps to seek out and apply for relevant social benefits, services and other forms of assistance. 

Within the context of social counselling, a social worker provides help in solving specific situations in order to promote further self-sufficiency, including the following: 

• help with acquiring necessary documents (the ID-card, residence permit card, applying for and extending the residence permit); 
• help with applying for social benefits; 
• help with applying for the disability pension; 
• help with registering for the services of the unemployment insurance fund; 
• assistance with communicating with state and local authorities; 
• redirection to further services for solving financial issues; 
• counselling for, and, if needed, assisting in finding a place of habitation (including applying for a place in a lodging house, a shelter, or a social housing unit); 
• help with finding opportunities to study and engage in recreational activities; 
• in case of need, advising the client to see an infectious diseases specialist (in order to prevent, test for, and treat HIV, HBV, HCV and other sexually transmitted infections) or a gynaecologist; 
• help with redirecting to the services provided by day centres.