Automatically apply for jobs with Zippi

Upload your resume to get started.

Alcohol and drug counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Richard Hazler Ph.D.,

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Alcohol and drug counselor example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical alcohol and drug counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for alcohol and drug counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.8% of alcohol and drug counselor resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an alcohol and drug counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 alcohol and drug counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use patients:

Provided readjustment counseling services to patients and their significant others with substance abuse disorders and highly complex and diversified psychological/social problems.
Provided in social setting detoxification and other level of care facility direct care for patients struggling with chemical dependence addictions.

3. Crisis Intervention

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use crisis intervention:

Provided diagnostic assessment and Intensive Outpatient drug and alcohol group and individual counseling and crisis intervention in adolescent treatment program.
Directed individual and group counseling sessions, implementing behavior management systems and conducting crisis intervention counseling as necessary.

4. Rehabilitation

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use rehabilitation:

Provided daily group and individual psychotherapy at an outpatient rehabilitation facility for clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Facilitated Psycho-Social Rehabilitation groups and provided clients with individual guidance through social skills and behavioral management education as Lead Counselor.

5. Substance Abuse Treatment

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use substance abuse treatment:

Complete comprehensive assessments, administer the SASSI and formulate diagnostic evaluations by conducting client interviews and reviewing substance abuse treatment history.
Worked in the Outpatient program, facilitating adolescent adult and some limited adolescent outpatient and inpatient substance abuse treatment.

6. Treatment Services

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use treatment services:

Participated in Volunteer Community Outreach events, including local Pow-Wows and activities to increase awareness regarding treatment services.
Developed and arranged for other treatment services or placement into an inpatient or detoxification treatment center.

Choose from 10+ customizable alcohol and drug counselor resume templates

Build a professional alcohol and drug counselor resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your alcohol and drug counselor resume.

7. Intake Assessments

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use intake assessments:

Conducted intake assessments, evaluations, individual and group counseling to individuals with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
Completed intake assessments, psycho-socials, treatment planning and utilization review for insurance authorization.

8. ASAM

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use asam:

Provided adults and adolescents chemical dependency assessments based on ASAM criteria, and bio-psycho-social interviews.
Developed formal discharge plans and discharge summaries according to program standards Assigned levels of care consistent with ASAM PPC 2-R.

9. Discharge Planning

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use discharge planning:

Performed individual and group counseling/therapy, life skills, clinical case management, treatment/discharge planning, clinical documentation and record keeping.
Completed discharge planning for youth completing residential AoD treatment; including establishing ongoing after care and community reintegration services.

10. Community Resources

Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use community resources:

Created and implemented aftercare program to support transitioning clients in ensuring adherence to treatment plans and continued utilization of community resources.
Provided program information and scheduling, referral to community resources, individual counseling and guidance in developing treatment goals.

11. Discharge Summaries

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use discharge summaries:

Complete all documentation required of the treatment process including integrated progress reports and discharge summaries.
Created and maintained individualized treatment plans and discharge summaries.

12. Drug Abuse

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use drug abuse:

Research Assistant for National Institute of Drug Abuse randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of Motivational Interviewing.
Instructed substance abusers in alcohol and drug abuse prevention as well as behavioral modification.

13. Mental Health Issues

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use mental health issues:

Program coordinator and primary counselor for an Intensive Outpatient Treatment program for adolescents with chemical dependency and mental health issues.
Provided individual and group therapy to ensure stabilization of substance abuse and mental health issues

14. Relapse Prevention

Relapse prevention is a therapy, derived by Marlatt and Donovan in 2005, that targets the cognitive behavior of participants. The therapy is conducted to prevent relapses in patients, by helping them understand and predict those circumstances that trigger a relapse. The therapy facilitates people in developing behavioral strategies, also known as relapse prevention plan, which deals with relapse-oriented situations in advance.

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use relapse prevention:

Facilitated psycho-educational lectures on addiction, grief and loss, stress management, assertive communication, cognitive distortions and relapse prevention.
Provide group and individual counseling in an outpatient setting, utilizing cognitive-behavioral treatment using motivational interviewing and relapse prevention skills education.

15. Dual Diagnosis

Here's how alcohol and drug counselors use dual diagnosis:

Acted as a primary chemical dependency counselor on an adult chemical dependency /dual diagnosis unit.
Provided counseling to Dual Diagnosis clients to identify negative consequences of substance abuse.

5 Alcohol And Drug Counselor resume examples

Build a professional alcohol and drug counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 5+ resume templates to create your alcohol and drug counselor resume.

Create my resume

Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

What skills help Alcohol And Drug Counselors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on alcohol and drug counselor resumes?

Dr. Richard Hazler Ph.D.

Professor, The Pennsylvania State University

Schools want counselors who are independent and committed to the school system, parents, and individual students. They want people who are competent in dealing with mental health issues and understand how to help in ways that promote attendance and academic success. They also want people who can work with teachers and parents to make things work better for the children.

What soft skills should all alcohol and drug counselors possess?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

Soft skills that are essential for counselors include emotional intelligence, empathy, multicultural competency, interpersonal abilities, and authenticity.

What hard/technical skills are most important for alcohol and drug counselors?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

It is important that counselors are able to effectively take notes and summarize progress, interpret assessments, memorize and recall information, and keep clear yet concise records.

What alcohol and drug counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Emily Yowell Ph.D.

Professor

There is a critical need for mental health care in our world. Many want to help with this need, making counseling a good profession to enter now.

What type of skills will young alcohol and drug counselors need?

Chris Hennington Ph.D.

School Counseling Program Coordinator, Lubbock Christian University

School counselors will be tasked with the usual school counseling responsibilities while also encountering trauma that students experience outside of school and in school. Being well versed in trauma response is going to be a vital aspect of being a school counselor. Kids are experiencing more trauma, but we are getting better at recognizing and treating trauma as well.

What technical skills for an alcohol and drug counselor stand out to employers?

Dr. Chantrelle Varnado-Johnson

Assistant Professor & Coordinator of School Counseling Program, Nicholls State University

In addition, recent graduates will need to be familiarized with using telehealth platforms due to more remote learning needs. Plus, recent graduates will need to familiarize themselves with their basic facilitative skills to establish rapport quickly to have brief sessions. Also, I would recommend students receive competency-based credentials and become licensed in at least one additional state. Lastly, I would recommend students familiarize themselves with crisis intervention and trauma counseling.

In sum, graduates have to be aware of how their roles may shift due to job displacement, furloughs, and restructuring. Due to new challenges presented in the COVID-19 pandemic, graduates have to be prepared to address the possibility of being faced with high caseloads, secondary traumatization, role conflict/ambiguity, and tension in the workplace. As a precautionary measure, neophytes should adopt a holistic self-care regimen and professional network to ameliorate the mental health condition.

Do you want to know more?

List of alcohol and drug counselor skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor resume and required skills for an alcohol and drug counselor to have include:

Patients
Social Work
Crisis Intervention
Rehabilitation
Substance Abuse Treatment
Treatment Services
Intake Assessments
ASAM
Discharge Planning
Community Resources
Discharge Summaries
Drug Abuse
Mental Health Issues
Relapse Prevention
Dual Diagnosis
Substance Abuse Issues
Mental Health Disorders

Chemical Dependency Assessments
Family Therapy
Client Care
Treatment Programs
Social Services
Group Therapy Sessions
Outpatient Treatment
Mental Illness
Domestic Violence
Family Sessions
IOP
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Core Functions
Methadone
Residential Treatment
AOD
Clinical Documentation

Individual Therapy Sessions
Psychosocial Assessments
Group Facilitation
Mental Health Professionals
Community Services
Eating Disorders
Recovery Process
Community Agencies
Anger Management
DUI
Individual Clients
Intake Process
Therapy Counseling
CPS
Crisis Situations

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs