Job Description Substance Abuse Counselor: Fill & Download for Free

Substance Abuse Counselor: Career GuideSubstance abuse counselors work with individuals in various stages of the recovery process who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. They play an integral role in their clients' lives, working to teach them coping mechanisms and new, healthier behaviors that can take the place of drug or alcohol use. Substance abuse counselors often work in mental health and substance abuse centers or hospitals. This guide provides information about what substance abuse counselors do, requirements for the position, and the career outlook for substance abuse counselors. Because there are many specialty agencies/entities that employ substance abuse counselors and every environment is different, prospective substance abuse counselors usually focus on a particular aspect of substance abuse when seeking employment (e.g. school counseling, prison counseling, hospitals, etc.). The majority of substance abuse counselors work in inpatient or outpatient mental health or substance abuse centers but they may also work in state, local, and private hospitals or for individual and family services.Career Descriptions, Duties, and Common TasksSubstance abuse counselors evaluate each client to determine the background and severity of the addiction and where that individual falls in his/her personal recovery. Many clients are court referrals following charges of impaired driving or possession of a controlled substance, but others are voluntary. All need help with their recovery. Counselors complete a thorough evaluation which may include written tests, drug screens, and talk therapy. Once the evaluation is complete, they make recommendations for the course of treatment required to assist the individual in learning to cope with his or her addiction. They also work with the individual to set goals and make plans that will aid in their recovery. Some individuals may only require an educational program while others may require intense intervention which may include detox, inpatient, or outpatient treatment. Substance abuse counselors follow the individual's progress while he/she is in the recommended program. Treatment provided may include education, one-on-one counseling, group counseling, and referrals for further intervention.Steps for Becoming a Substance Abuse CounselorThe minimum educational requirement to become a substance abuse counselor is a high school diploma. Most states require that substance abuse counselors possess a minimum of a bachelor's degree and supervised experience, under a licensed counselor, working with individuals who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. Many states require a minimum of a master's degree and licensure to work as a substance abuse counselor. Check with your state for full requirements. If you are interested in becoming a licensed substance abuse counselor, you can expect to follow a process similar to the following:Acquire a degree and complete the minimum number of hours of counseling work experience required for your target job.*Take and pass your state counseling exam.**Become a certified counselor.***Find and apply for a substance abuse counseling job.Be drug tested.Submit to a background check.Be interviewed.Get hired as a substance abuse counselor.Receive training on the job.Renew your license every few years.*****Note that some entry-level substance abuse counseling jobs may not require a graduate degree and experience, but if your goal is to become licensed, then you must meet these requirements. Check with your state's licensing board for more details.**Required for licensure.***Optional for some jobs. Check with the job requirements for more details.****Check with your state for more details. Certification with the National Board for Certified Counselors requires recertification every five years.Other Skills and Helpful ExperiencePeople who are interested in being substance abuse counselors should be naturally compassionate. They must be able to empathize with clients who may come from very different backgrounds and who may have experienced extreme stress or traumatic life experiences. Substance abuse counselors should be excellent listeners, but also be intuitive, being able to distinguish lies from truth in order to best help their clients. Excellent communication skills are also essential, allowing counselors to express themselves clearly and effectively to best assist their clients in the recovery process.Possible Job Titles for This CareerAddictions CounselorBehavioral Disorder CounselorCase ManagerChemical Dependency CounselorClinical CounselorDrug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist (DATS)Substance Abuse CounselorSubstance Use CounselorFor more information check my profile .

One day, several months back, nearly all my credentials had been flagged as “unhelpful”. The one about being owned by two cats and a dog was still allowed, and I think they were good with the one about the (at one point) upcoming adoption of my daughter. Since that had already happened, this particular credential really wasn't very helpful, but it was one of the only ones I was still allowed to use.My default credential has always been sort of boring. It’s just a list of some of the major roles I've played in life, like job titles, wife, mother, and recovering addict. It might not be catchy, but I fail to see how this knowledge could be considered unhelpful or irrelevant. If I answer a question about parenting, wouldn't you want to know that I am one? Isn’t my professional experience relevant to any questions related to those fields? Not according to Quora.My credentials for specific topics were flagged as well, and since I've spent less than six years of my life without actively pursuing an educational goal, Quora had quite a few chances to show me how they handle real-world credentials. “RN” was flagged as unhelpful for various healthcare related topics, so I tried “Nurse”. That worked for about half a day, but then some trollish creature reported that one too. “BSN” was allowed, but I got a lot of questions about what it meant so after a while I changed it back to “RN” and hoped no one would report it.“MS in Counseling” was repeatedly flagged, but “Substance Abuse Counselor” was allowed to stand. I preferred the other one, as there are a few so-called counselors who use a similar description of themselves. I think I know who flagged that one, because the notice that it had been marked as unhelpful arrived a day after I'd received a message from a guy who wanted me to know that it was called an MA. It's always great when some stranger thinks he knows more about the degree you hold than you yourself do.“Recovering Addict” in the addiction topics, “Born Danish” for questions related to Denmark, and “Proud Liberal” for politics were all flagged as well. It seems pretty clear that someone had made a real effort to find and flag as many of my credentials as possible, since some were barely ever used. I do have a dusty old Ph.D., but it's completely unrelated to the field I work in and I do not have the patience to answer questions about History (I’ve tried, but I get too annoyed), and I honestly don't remember ever using that particular credential. I must have at least once, because I had created it and someone had flagged it. One thing I am absolutely certain of is that I wouldn't have used it unless it was relevant, and I vaguely remember answering a question about dissertations, so that might have been where I'd used it. Regardless of why I created it, it couldn't have been easy to find and flag, and it would not have been used unless it was relevant.It would be irritating to have actual descriptions of relevant qualifications marked as unhelpful no matter what, but it adds insult to injury when I see some of the ones that other writers are allowed to use. Most of you have probably seen the one where a guy describes himself as a relative of this site, but I guess the trolls who flag and report like to focus on women and minorities. We’ve also got quite a few Quorans who have advanced degrees in things like “life”, “sex”, or “Quora”. I've seen a “Master of the Universe”, “Dog in a Man’s Body”, and a few different people who were “High on Life”.I’ve never reported a credential unless it was an actual educational or professional description that someone obviously wasn't qualified to use, but there are plenty of unhelpful credentials to report if someone is in the mood to police Quora in that particular way. Why waste your time on the real ones?

A counselor is a specific type of therapist. There are several types of counselors, most of whom are therapists. Guidance counselors are not clinically trained, they work with children in schools. Substance abuse counselors work with people with substance abuse issues. Career counselors help people choose careers. Clinical mental health counselors like myself, work with mental health problems, including mental illness. This is in the US. It may be different in other countries as far as credentials and education and job description.What is it like being a therapist? Different therapists will give different answers. I love my job my most of the time, particularly helping people get unstuck and overcome their problems. My least favorite part of the job is when people cancel last minute or don’t show up and don’t let you know what’s happening. Also, those that drop out of therapy without saying why. I appreciate communication.