Substance Abuse and Counseling: A Perspective
Your coursework will include a combination of clinical and classroom assignments. Graduate level substance abuse classes may consist of topics such as the psychosocial implications of substance abuse; family treatment; the legal and ethical impact of https://ecosoberhouse.com/; and counseling theories about addiction and rehabilitation. You may take classes in substance abuse and human growth, multicultural counseling and providing substance abuse counseling to the military. People abuse alcohol or drugs for a myriad of reasons, often as a way to deal with stress and problems in their lives. Substance abuse is similar to addiction in that a person enjoys the mind-altering effects, whether physical, emotional, or psychological.
Each state has different requirements, so it’s important to find out how many hours you need based on the location where you plan to work. Along with academics and experience, most states also require that you pass an exam. Substance abuse counselors typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in substance abuse counseling or a related field. One survey found that 71% of professionals employed in the addictions workforce held a bachelor’s degree or higher. All of these qualities play a role in developing what is known as the therapeutic relationship or the working alliance between a mental health professional and a client.
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Counselors need to review these models to develop a conceptual position regarding causation upon which he/she can make consistent therapeutic assumptions and decisions to guide counseling practice. Substance abuse counselors must educate families and friends about addiction and recovery and provide them with resources that will help them support their loved ones in recovery. These resources can include family therapy sessions and support groups. Students who want to effect social change in their community and help individuals heal from addiction should explore master’s in counseling programs that can provide a strong foundation in addiction counseling. In towns and cities across the United States, there is a growing and critical need for drug and alcohol abuse counselors. Sadly, it’s hard to escape the headlines and daily stories of individuals and families destroyed by addiction, especially with opioid abuse in our country now hitting crisis proportions.
- In addition to needing to evaluate clients’ mental health, physical health and openness to treatment, addiction counselors help clients to develop treatment and recovery plans.
- Counseling is a mainstay of substance use disorder treatment for many people.
- Sometimes this may involve being on-call and working weekends, evenings, and nights.
- Models emphasize morality or individual conscious choice, biological or disease vulnerability, behavioral learning patterns, cultural-environmental concerns, or biopsychosocial impact.
The undergraduate certificate in alcohol and drug abuse counseling program meets California certification standards, so students living or working elsewhere must check requirements and standards in their states. The program is designed for students early in their academic career, as well as those with advanced degrees who are seeking to specialize in addiction work and need the certification in alcohol and drug abuse counseling. Substance abuse counseling is a specialized and challenging job with its own certification. It’s a field that provides a good entry level into counseling careers since you don’t need a bachelor’s- or master’s-level education to become a drug and alcohol abuse counselor in 48 states, although it does require specialized training.
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Counselors also work with families to help them better understand their loved one’s illness and guide their interactions with them. Their role may also encompass community outreach such as working with job placement services, support groups and schools, all to support their patients’ goals of living healthier lives. 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.
A drug and alcohol abuse counselor is a person with experience in providing treatment to clients who want to learn how to reduce or remove their unhealthy dependence on destructive substances and behaviors. Counselors work with individuals, families, couples, and groups to share a variety of techniques and treatments for coping with problems in ways other than turning to unhealthy substances. These process considerations in counseling clients with substance abuse problems hold to be true for specialists in this area and for counselors working in school, rehabilitation, mental health, and social work settings. The counselor emphasis is on the person not the substance abuse problem.
Substance Abuse Counselor Certification Requirements
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. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is an international network of community-based meetings for people recovering from drug addiction. It’s modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), so it’s a 12-step program with a defined process for overcoming addiction. Once a patient decides to seek treatment, it’s important they are well equipped to avoid relapses.