What Does an Addictions Counselor Assistant Do?

An addictions counselor assistant works with a head counselor to provide support to patients suffering from addiction. They deal with the clerical and administrative side of running a counseling firm. This includes managing data, maintaining confidentiality of patient information, monitoring adherence to government regulations, and assisting with patients' treatment.

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Addictions Counselor Assistant Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real addictions counselor assistant resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Certify in CPR and CPI.
Med certiffy, CPR certify.
Work on PowerPoint presentations, and coordinate the presentations with board activity.
Maintain strict confidentially of client information in accordance with HIPPA and PII policy.
Maintain data entry of office and patient records, while maintaining HIPPA compliance and patient confidentiality.
Conduct in-person assessments to employees formally refer to the employee assistance program (EAP) and formulate treatment goals and plans.
Assist veterans with questions about benefits and scheduling
Deliver extraordinary customer service to AAA members.
Administer medications and document prescription logs for patients throughout the facility.
Participate with veterans organizations and disseminate information regarding veteran's benefits.
Provide educational information to patients and families appropriate to their developmental stage and needs.
Submit daily progress reports and participate in rehabilitation programs outline by therapists and clinicians.
Develop treatment programs to encourage rehabilitation and recovery, specifically a psycho-educational groups that addressed trauma.
Market, negotiate and deliver EAP program services to external businesses to increase revenues and foster community relationships.
Counsele and assist students on the college application process and submitting FAFSA student aid

Addictions Counselor Assistant Job Description

Perhaps the hardest question to answer when deciding on a career as an addictions counselor assistant is "should I become an addictions counselor assistant?" You might find this info to be helpful. When compared to other jobs, addictions counselor assistant careers are projected to have a growth rate described as "much faster than average" at 13% from 2018 through 2028. This is in accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What's more, is that the projected number of opportunities that are predicted to become available for a addictions counselor assistant by 2028 is 52,200.

On average, the addictions counselor assistant annual salary is $46,799 per year, which translates to $22.5 an hour. Generally speaking, addictions counselor assistants earn anywhere from $34,000 to $64,000 a year, which means that the top-earning addictions counselor assistants make $29,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

It's hard work to become an addictions counselor assistant, but even the most dedicated employees consider switching careers from time to time. Whether you're interested in a more challenging position or just looking for a fresh start, we've compiled extensive information on becoming a community health counselor, substance abuse counselor, peer counselor, and counselor.

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12 Addictions Counselor Assistant Resume Examples

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Steven Richardson Addictions Counselor Assistant Contact Information Chicago, IL (770) 555-5673 srichardson@example.com Skills EAP Facilitators Staff Members Community Resources Client Intake Lesson Plans Medical Records Plan Activities Powerpoint Mental Health Employment History Addictions Counselor Assistant 2018 - Present Boys & Girls Club Chicago, IL Conducted educational activities for school children. Communicated with parents in regard to participation and behavioral issues and accomplishments. Facilitate relapse prevention planning Supervisor: Connie Moreno-Peraza, MSW Provide supervision and personal care to the individuals living at the home. Serve as a liaison between WIC office and local hospital, school, and other community entities. Counselor, Instructor 2016 - 2018 YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Fishers, IN Assisted consumers in daily activities including daily hygiene functions. Helped students with goal setting, decision making and provided tutoring. Referred students to mental health resources in the community for further services. Provided family therapy for families in the community in need of mental health counseling. Provide guidance and support to women in recovery Respect women rights to self- determination and independence Served as a role model Summer Camp Counselor 2011 - 2012 Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Tallahassee, FL Provided transportation with company vehicle to clients for substance abuse assessments and intake appointments. Planned and organized weekly overnight sessions for the campers along with my peers and other specialty counselors and camp director. Ensured safety, physical/emotional well-being of all teen residents Accompanied residents to medical appointments, activities, therapy sessions, etc. Prepared daily activities and supervision over 30 children with an assistant of a day camp with 200 children. Education Doctoral Degree Social Work 2013 - 2016 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Master's Degree Social Work 2012 - 2013 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Bachelor's Degree Social Work 2008 - 2011 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL


Walter Hayes Addictions Counselor Assistant Contact Info Rock Hill, SC (830) 555-8408 whayes@example.com Skills Lab EquipmentDomestic ViolenceAnimal CarePeer SupportCell CulturePowerpointTreatment PlansGene ExpressionRelapse PreventionClinical Trials Employment History Addictions Counselor Assistant 2019 - Present CampCo Rock Hill, SC Head Lifeguard, CPR and first aid certified Worked with mentally ill adult clients living in an agency providing housing and support services for psychiatric rehabilitation. Program Counselor 2016 - 2019 Presbyterian Homes Lynchburg, VA Create and make changes to policies and procedures that will enhance better sleep. Developed educational activities for children of all ages. Assisted with the development of service plans and objectives for treatment plans. Completed treatment plans and established goals for therapy with clients and their guardians. Research Technician 2009 - 2012 Precision Opinion Las Vegas, NV Provide quality research and data collection for government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, politicians and many more. Helped to organize independent review boards and compliance with clinical trials and testingrequirements. Maintained cancer cell cultures and performed cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays to identify novel apoptotic markers. Case study on nonverbal communication with a autistic boy who loves drumming. Provided research support, including quantitative data collection and policy analysis, on various projects related to educator effectiveness and teacher compensation Provide site management for observational/non-international research study sites in accordance with relevant SOPs, study specific procedures and regulations. Education Doctoral Degree Psychology 2013 - 2016 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Master's Degree Psychology 2012 - 2013 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Bachelor's Degree Psychology 2006 - 2009 Pennsylvania State University Main, PA


Amy Brown Addictions Counselor Assistant Indianapolis, IN (650) 555-4517 abrown@example.com Experience Addictions Counselor Assistant2019 - Present YMCA of Greater Indianapolis•Indianapolis, IN Delivered weekly individual telephone counseling and quarterly group counseling to teen mothers' ages 15-19 on secondary pregnancy prevention. Assess and identify substance abuse treatment needs of client referred on a volunteer basis. Program Counselor2016 - 2019 Pressley Ridge•Pittsburgh, PA Maintain direct supervision of at risk youth Implement treatment interventions as it relates to a child's individual service plan Provided residential living support for children with differing intellectual disabilities. Assisted in the daily living of 10 troubled teenaged girls suffering from various trauma related behavioral issues. Monitored progress of clients, made adjustments to treatment plans, and cooperated with co-workers to make flexible changes in plans. Provide supervision to eight youth with mental health diagnoses and Severely Emotionally Disturbed classification in a Community Residence treatment program. Activity Coordinator2011 - 2015 Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare•Tallahassee, FL Plan and implement daily activities for all residents. Assist with development, organization and planning of facility special events. Produce a monthly calendar, contact vendors, and entertainers, special events planning. Skills Peer SupportIntellectual DisabilitiesReligious RitesSpecial EventsAlzheimerMental HealthCounselAccurate RecordsADLFacility Education Master's Degree Mental Health Counseling2015 - 2016 Nova Southeastern University•Fort Lauderdale, FL Bachelor's Degree Psychology2008 - 2011 Florida State University•Tallahassee, FL

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Addictions Counselor Assistant Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 24% of Addictions Counselor Assistants are proficient in Patients, Social Work, and Substance Abuse. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Organizational skills, and Problem-solving skills.

We break down the percentage of Addictions Counselor Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Patients, 24%
Provided educational information to patients and families appropriate to their developmental stage and needs.
Social Work, 11%
Assisted social workers in helping children who had behavioral problems by using art therapy and traditional counseling
Substance Abuse, 9%
Used information obtained to make critical recommendations regarding substance abuse and employee assistance related issues and referrals to other agencies.
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Served as on-call clinician once per week providing crisis intervention and insurance authorizations for mental health benefits.
Chemical Dependency, 4%
Provided quality chemical dependency treatment according to program and agency requirements.
PowerPoint, 4%
Utilized Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

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Some of the skills we found on addictions counselor assistant resumes included "patients," "social work," and "substance abuse." We have detailed the most important addictions counselor assistant responsibilities below.

The most important skills for an addictions counselor assistant to have in this position are communication skills. In this excerpt that we gathered from a addictions counselor assistant resume, you'll understand why: "social and human service assistants talk with clients about the challenges in their lives and assist them in getting help" According to resumes we found, communication skills can be used by a addictions counselor assistant in order to "crafted communications for the mayor's office of veterans' affairs, including press releases, promotional reports and correspondence. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many addictions counselor assistant duties rely on organizational skills. This example from a addictions counselor assistant explains why: "social and human service assistants must often complete lots of paperwork and work with many different clients." This resume example is just one of many ways addictions counselor assistants are able to utilize organizational skills: "assisted financial aid counselors in clerical, organizational and administrative responsibilities. "

Problem-solving skills is also an important skill for addictions counselor assistants to have. This example of how addictions counselor assistants use this skill comes from a addictions counselor assistant resume, "social and human service assistants help clients find solutions to their problems" Read this excerpt from a resume to understand how vital it is to their everyday roles and responsibilities, "provided short term, solution-focused counseling and crisis intervention/management. "

In order for certain addictions counselor assistant responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "time-management skills." According to an addictions counselor assistant resume, "social and human service assistants often work with many clients" As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "uploaded and submitted monthly executive expense reports within deadlines using concur. "

As part of the addictions counselor assistant description, you might find that one of the skills that might be helpful to the job is "compassion." A addictions counselor assistant resume included this snippet: "social and human service assistants often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations" This skill could be useful in this scenario: "provide compassionate direct support to individuals with developmental disabilities while out in the community. "

While "interpersonal skills" is listed last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to addictions counselor assistant responsibilities. The skill is described by this resume snippet, "social and human service assistants must make their clients feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues" Here is an example of how this skill is used, "charted daily progress of patients' interpersonal and intra-personal cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and personality state. "

See the full list of addictions counselor assistant skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming an addictions counselor assistant. We found that 57.4% of addictions counselor assistants have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 12.9% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While most addictions counselor assistants have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every seven addictions counselor assistants were not college graduates.

Those addictions counselor assistants who do attend college, typically earn either psychology degrees or business degrees. Less commonly earned degrees for addictions counselor assistants include social work degrees or criminal justice degrees.

Once you're ready to become an addictions counselor assistant, you should explore the companies that typically hire addictions counselor assistants. According to addictions counselor assistant resumes that we searched through, addictions counselor assistants are hired the most by Louisiana State Police, UnityPoint Health, and Fifth Third Bank. Currently, Louisiana State Police has 6 addictions counselor assistant job openings, while there are 5 at UnityPoint Health and 4 at Fifth Third Bank.

But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, addictions counselor assistants tend to earn the biggest salaries at Chino Valley Unified School District, Fifth Third Bank, and Mercy Children's Hospital. Take Chino Valley Unified School District for example. The median addictions counselor assistant salary is $61,761. At Fifth Third Bank, addictions counselor assistants earn an average of $59,682, while the average at Mercy Children's Hospital is $58,910. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.

View more details on addictions counselor assistant salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a addictions counselor assistant include CampCo, Ymca, and Private Practice. These three companies were found to hire the most addictions counselor assistants from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

The industries that addictions counselor assistants fulfill the most roles in are the health care and non profits industries. But the highest addictions counselor assistant annual salary is in the education industry, averaging $48,803. In the professional industry they make $46,081 and average about $45,882 in the health care industry. In conclusion, addictions counselor assistants who work in the education industry earn a 16.3% higher salary than addictions counselor assistants in the non profits industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious addictions counselor assistants are:

Louisiana State Police6 Addictions Counselor Assistants Jobs
UnityPoint Health5 Addictions Counselor Assistants Jobs
Fifth Third Bank4 Addictions Counselor Assistants Jobs

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What Community Health Counselors Do

A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.

In this section, we compare the average addictions counselor assistant annual salary with that of a community health counselor. Typically, community health counselors earn a $3,495 lower salary than addictions counselor assistants earn annually.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both addictions counselor assistants and community health counselors positions are skilled in patients, social work, and crisis intervention.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. An addictions counselor assistant responsibility is more likely to require skills like "substance abuse," "chemical dependency," "powerpoint," and "client intake." Whereas a community health counselor requires skills like "behavioral health," "rehabilitation," "discharge planning," and "mental illness." Just by understanding these different skills you can see how different these careers are.

Community health counselors receive the highest salaries in the health care industry coming in with an average yearly salary of $41,674. But addictions counselor assistants are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $48,803.

On average, community health counselors reach higher levels of education than addictions counselor assistants. Community health counselors are 10.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Substance Abuse Counselor?

Substance abuse counselors act as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems and other behavioral issues. They help the patients control their behavior until they achieve a full recovery. The mental health counselors aid patients to overcome their chemical dependencies and become self-sufficient individuals. Part of their duty includes meeting clients to evaluate their health and substance issues while creating goals and treatment plans. They teach clients coping mechanisms, refer them to support groups, and engage them in group therapy sessions. Once the patient is stable, they help them re-establish their careers and give updates and reports of progress to the courts. Requirements for the job include a master's degree in counseling and social work.

The next role we're going to look at is the substance abuse counselor profession. Typically, this position earns a lower pay. In fact, they earn a $3,730 lower salary than addictions counselor assistants per year.

Not everything about these jobs is different. Take their skills, for example. Addictions counselor assistants and substance abuse counselors both include similar skills like "patients," "social work," and "crisis intervention" on their resumes.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences that are worth noting. For example, addictions counselor assistant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "substance abuse," "powerpoint," "client intake," and "financial aid." Meanwhile, a substance abuse counselor might be skilled in areas such as "substance abuse treatment," "rehabilitation," "excellent interpersonal," and "criminal justice." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

It's been discovered that substance abuse counselors earn lower salaries compared to addictions counselor assistants, but we wanted to find out where substance abuse counselors earned the most pay. The answer? The non profits industry. The average salary in the industry is $41,273. Additionally, addictions counselor assistants earn the highest paychecks in the education with an average salary of $48,803.

When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, substance abuse counselors tend to reach higher levels of education than addictions counselor assistants. In fact, they're 11.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Peer Counselor Compares

Typically working at schools, communities, or medical facilities, a peer counselor specializes in providing counseling to an individual or group of people, aiming to help them deal with and overcome crises. Their duties often include conducting initial assessments through interviews and appointments, listening to clients and offering advice, recommending opportunities, referring them to other support agencies, and coordinating treatment services as needed. Above all, a peer counselor must provide emotional support and guidance to clients, giving them comfort and a shoulder to lean on.

The third profession we take a look at is peer counselor. On an average scale, these workers bring in lower salaries than addictions counselor assistants. In fact, they make a $9,335 lower salary per year.

By looking over several addictions counselor assistants and peer counselors resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "substance abuse," "crisis intervention," and "powerpoint." But beyond that the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, an addictions counselor assistant is likely to be skilled in "patients," "social work," "chemical dependency," and "client intake," while a typical peer counselor is skilled in "peer support," "wic program," "mental illness," and "role model."

Interestingly enough, peer counselors earn the most pay in the education industry, where they command an average salary of $47,483. As mentioned previously, addictions counselor assistants highest annual salary comes from the education industry with an average salary of $48,803.

Peer counselors typically study at lower levels compared with addictions counselor assistants. For example, they're 5.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Counselor

Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.

The fourth career we look at typically earns lower pay than addictions counselor assistants. On average, counselors earn a difference of $10,574 lower per year.

While both addictions counselor assistants and counselors complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like patients, social work, and substance abuse, the two careers also vary in other skills.

While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "chemical dependency," "client intake," "roadside assistance," and "client service" are skills that have shown up on addictions counselor assistants resumes. Additionally, counselor uses skills like family therapy, social services, mental illness, and direct care on their resumes.

In general, counselors make a higher salary in the education industry with an average of $37,750. The highest addictions counselor assistant annual salary stems from the education industry.

The average resume of counselors showed that they earn similar levels of education to addictions counselor assistants. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 4.7% more. Additionally, they're less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 2.4%.

Updated October 2, 2020