What Is a Substance Abuse Counselor? A Key Career Path

If you attend workshops or annual conventions for substance abuse professionals, you also might find opportunities to help you earn some continuing education units, but there are many online courses available. There are many interesting courses available to help you fulfill these units, and all are meant to help you grow as a counselor and learn the latest research and treatment approaches. Once you’ve earned your CADC certification, there are also many specialized credentials to consider earning.

1. The counselor’s role goes far beyond simply listening, teaching and offering advice.
2. As a counselor, referring patients to programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous can add another level of outside support.
3. If that means examining the decisions they made along the way—and continue to make during their recovery—this must be done respectfully and without judgment.
4. The number of supervised training hours that counselors need to complete varies by state.
5. Our online program can be completed in just six months, and our self-paced program can be completed in just three months, although students can take up to 18 months to complete the self-paced program.

Tragically, hundreds of thousands of people also lose their lives each year due to drug and alcohol abuse. One study found that people employed as supervisors were more likely to be certified or licensed and hold a masters-level degree. Those with a higher educational status had greater familiarity and acceptance of evidence-based therapies. Counselors working in residential settings tended to have fewer years of experience.

Substance Abuse Education

While many people working in addiction specialist careers enjoy helping those who are facing addiction, you also can work on the preventative side. A Prevention Specialist is a person that works with schools, hospitals, churches, community groups, police officers and others to help prevent addiction and other types of risky behaviors. You may find that your patients, in addition to medical conditions and psychiatric conditions, also suffer from other types of addiction. For instance, you might see patients with sex addiction or perhaps gambling addictions, so it’s wise to learn all you can about these addiction issues, as well. Perhaps you have a patient addicted to methamphetamines, but they began using drugs as a way to self-medicate due to issues related to anxiety and bi-polar disorder. You can work on the addiction all you want, but if you don’t also try to find resources and options to address the anxiety and bi-polar disorder, you really aren’t treating the whole patient.

For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). You might be leading a group therapy session and then making phone calls to speak with doctors that can help a patient with an eating disorder or chronic pain. Then you might spend some time dealing with paperwork, as this will be an integral part of your work ketamine cardiac arrest routine. Depending on the state you live in and the type of licensure you plan to pursue, you might also need to complete supervised professional practice. David Sack, M.D., is board certified in addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine and serves as CMO of Elements Behavioral Health and Promises Treatment Centers. Whether you’re two years, 10 years, or 30 years into recovery, take joy in nurturing and preserving it.

Job Outlook and Salary for Substance Abuse Counselors

Although change is ultimately in the hands of the patient, counselors can adapt their style to help enhance their clients’ motivation throughout each stage of recovery. The counselor’s role goes far beyond simply listening, teaching and offering advice. When working with a patient, counselors start with an evaluation to determine whether their condition is classified as substance abuse or addiction. They then use the following techniques to create a positive and supportive environment that helps patients achieve success and makes them more resilient in the face of setbacks.

What are the job requirements and responsibilities for addiction counselors?

Substance abuse counselors work in various environments, including government and private sector agencies, community clinics, inpatient care facilities, and private practice. Some work with clients one-on-one, while others work with clients https://rehabliving.net/ in a group setting. Yet regardless of the setting, the skills counselors need to successfully treat patients are uniform. For example, some addiction counseling clients may need to avoid social situations where other people might be using.

Fast Facts provides 10 of the most important scientifically-grounded facts about recovery. Recovery from a substance use disorder is defined as a process of improved physical, psychological, and social well-being and health after having suffered from a substance-related condition. For example, they may not want to admit that they have a problem or that it is affecting them and their family. They might also have an untreated mental illness that complicates treatment and makes them less likely to change their behavior on their own.

Addiction Specialist Careers: 7 Facts You Should Know

The counselor may need to try different methods of communication in order to cut through the walls that a person with the addiction has built around themselves. The counselor should be able to communicate with people of different backgrounds and from different walks of life. Professionals wanting to find out more about what a substance abuse counselor is may be interested to learn that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment of substance abuse counselors to grow by 22% from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than the average projected growth for all other occupations. The BLS further reports that the median annual wage for substance abuse counselors was $44,630 in 2018, although earners in the top 10th percentile reported annual earnings of more than $72,990. In January 2020, there were more than 14,000 specialized substance abuse treatment facilities in the United States providing counseling, behavioral therapy, medication, case management and other types of care.