Become An Alcohol And Drug Counselor

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Working As An Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Documenting/Recording Information
Getting Information
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Deal with People
Unpleasant/Angry People
Mostly Sitting
Make Decisions
Stressful
$39,980
Average Salary

What Does An Alcohol And Drug Counselor Do

Alcohol And Drug Counselors provide counseling services for individuals who have problems with alcohol or drug abuse. They promote healthy lifestyles through educating and supporting their clients.

How To Become An Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Most positions require a bachelor’s degree. However, depending on the employer, educational requirements can vary from a high school diploma and certification to a master’s degree.

Education

Most positions require a bachelor’s degree. However, depending on the employer, educational requirements can vary from a high school diploma and certification to a master’s degree. Workers with more education are able to provide more services to their clients, such as private one-on-one counseling sessions, and they require less supervision than those with less education. Those interested should research their state’s educational requirements.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors in private practice must be licensed. Licensing requirements vary by state, but all states require a master’s degree and 2,000 to 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. In addition, counselors must pass a state-issued exam and complete continuing education every year. Contact information for your state's regulating board can be found through the National Board for Certified Counselors.

The licensure or certification criteria for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors outside of private practice vary from state to state. For example, not all states require a specific degree, but many require applicants to pass an exam. Contact information for your state’s licensing board can be found through the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network.

Important Qualities

Compassion. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors often work with people who are dealing with stressful and difficult situations, so they must be compassionate and empathize with their clients.

Interpersonal skills. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors must be able to work with different types of people. They spend most of their time working directly with clients or other professionals and must be able to develop and nurture good relationships.

Listening skills. Good listening skills are essential for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors. They need to give their full attention to a client to be able to understand that client’s problems and values.

Patience. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors must be able to remain calm when working with all types of clients, including those who may be distressed or angry.

Speaking skills. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors need to be able to effectively communicate with clients. They must express ideas and information in a way that their clients easily understand.

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Alcohol And Drug Counselor jobs

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Alcohol And Drug Counselor Career Paths

Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Program Director Educator Case Manager

Career Manager

6 Yearsyrs

Adjunct Faculty Pastor Family Service Counselor

Case Management Supervisor

7 Yearsyrs

Program Director General Manager Specialist

Case Manager

5 Yearsyrs

Addictions Counselor Mental Health Therapist

Clinical Care Manager

8 Yearsyrs

Therapist Registered Nurse Case Manager

Clinical Case Manager

6 Yearsyrs

Case Manager Therapist

Clinical Director

9 Yearsyrs

Substance Abuse Counselor Therapist

Clinical Supervisor

8 Yearsyrs

Director Of Social Services

6 Yearsyrs

Director Of Social Work

7 Yearsyrs

Clinical Supervisor Nursing Director Case Manager

Housing Case Manager

6 Yearsyrs

Family Therapist Therapist

Lead Therapist

5 Yearsyrs

Program Manager Education Director Case Manager

Mental Health Case Manager

5 Yearsyrs

Mental Health Therapist Clinical Director

Outpatient Services Director

9 Yearsyrs

Counselor/Case Manager Case Manager Program Supervisor

Residential Program Manager

5 Yearsyrs

Specialist Case Manager

Senior Case Manager

5 Yearsyrs

Mental Health Therapist Mental Health Counselor Clinician

Addictions Counselor Mental Health Counselor

Social Services Manager

5 Yearsyrs

Substance Abuse Counselor

Social Work Supervisor

7 Yearsyrs

Program Manager Service Director Therapist

Therapist And Program Manager

5 Yearsyrs

Average Length of Employment

Drug And Alcohol Treatment Specialist 3.7 years
Addiction Therapist 3.4 years
Addictions Counselor 3.0 years
Alcohol And Drug Counselor 3.0 years
Counselor/Art Therapist 3.0 years
Counselor/Case Manager 2.9 years
Substance Abuse Counselor 2.9 years
Drug Abuse Counselor 2.7 years
Mitochondrial Disorders Counselor 2.7 years
Substance Abuse Clinician 2.7 years
Clinical Counselor 2.6 years
Alcoholic Counselor 2.5 years
Chemical Dependency Therapist 2.5 years
Therapist And Program Manager 2.4 years
Primary Counselor 2.4 years
Substance Abuse Technician 2.4 years
Primary Therapist 2.3 years
Adolescent Counselor 2.0 years
Counselor Internship 0.9 years

Top Careers Before Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Top Careers After Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Alcohol And Drug Counselor Demographics

Gender

Female
64.4%
Male
34.2%
Unknown
1.3%

Ethnicity

White
82.8%
Hispanic or Latino
9.5%
Asian
5.9%
Unknown
1.2%
Black or African American
0.6%

Languages Spoken

Spanish
61.1%
French
10.0%
Italian
4.4%
Dakota
3.3%
Arabic
3.3%
Greek
2.2%
Portuguese
1.1%
Chinese
1.1%
German
1.1%
Bosnian
1.1%
Cantonese
1.1%
Serbian
1.1%
Japanese
1.1%
Mandarin
1.1%
Polish
1.1%
Hindi
1.1%
Choctaw
1.1%
Urdu
1.1%
Croatian
1.1%
Thai
1.1%

Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.

Alcohol And Drug Counselor Education

Schools

Capella University
12.1%
Grand Canyon University
11.8%
Walden University
8.9%
Liberty University
7.0%
University of Phoenix
6.2%
Minnesota State University - Mankato
5.1%
Metropolitan State University
4.8%
Saint Cloud State University
4.6%
Cleveland State University
4.0%
Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies
4.0%
Springfield College
3.5%
University of South Dakota
3.5%
University of Cincinnati
3.2%
State University of New York Buffalo
3.2%
Portland State University
3.2%
Eastern Washington University
3.0%
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
3.0%
Saint Mary's University
3.0%
Youngstown State University
3.0%
Ohio State University
3.0%

Majors

Degrees

Masters
42.6%
Bachelors
24.3%
Other
15.3%
Associate
8.1%
Certificate
4.7%
Doctorate
3.8%
Diploma
0.8%
License
0.5%

Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.

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Full Time

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Temporary

Real Alcohol And Drug Counselor Salaries

Job Title	Company	Location	Start Date	Salary
Assistant Commissioner, Alcohol and Drug USE Preve	New York City Department of Health and Mental HYGI	New York, NY	Jul 04, 2010	$100,000 - $120,000
Chemical Dependency Counselor I	Hazelden Foundation	Center City, MN	Apr 23, 2013	$46,500
Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor	Avida Care Services, LLC	Houston, TX	Sep 01, 2015	$43,000
Chemical Dependency Counselor	Asian Counseling and Referral Service	Seattle, WA	Jun 15, 2011	$42,035
Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor	Avida Care Services, LLC	Houston, TX	Sep 01, 2015	$42,000
Counselor-Chemical Dependancy	St. Christopher's Inn, Inc.	NY	Sep 26, 2012	$41,000
Chemical Dependency Counselor	Residence Xii	Kirkland, WA	Apr 13, 2012	$35,000 - $47,000
Chemical Dependency Counselor	Residence Xii	Kirkland, WA	Oct 01, 2012	$35,000 - $47,000

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Top Skills for An Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Top Alcohol And Drug Counselor Skills

Individual Treatment Plans
Chemical Dependency Assessments
Intake Assessments

You can check out examples of real life uses of top skills on resumes here:

Conducted intake sessions and consulted with clients when developing individual treatment plans.
Performed chemical dependency assessments and made recommendations for appropriate level of care based on findings.
Completed intake assessments and utilization review for insurance authorization.
Worked in the Outpatient program, facilitating adolescent adult and some limited adolescent outpatient and inpatient substance abuse treatment.
Make appropriate referrals as necessary.