What does a drug abuse technician do?
Drug abuse technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real drug abuse technician resumes:
- Work with outside counsel to develop patent and trademark portfolio and manage patent litigation.
- Complete intake procedures for new clients including UA's.
- Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
- Administer state require DWI protocols including breathalyzer tests and obtaining specimens.
Drug abuse technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Drug Abuse Technicians are proficient in Drug Screens, Alcohol Screens, and Drug Tests. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Emotional skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Drug Abuse Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Drug Screens, 17%
Drug screens collection (Non- federal of Transportation and Federal Department of Transportation).
- Alcohol Screens, 17%
Maintain daily schedules of employees needing drug and alcohol screens.
- Drug Tests, 14%
Monitored and evaluated breath/alcohol drug tests for local and state police as well as company employees.
- Test Results, 12%
Reported test results to proper authority in confidential manner.
- Vital Signs, 8%
Maintained patient stability by checking vital signs and weight; testing specific gravity in urine; recorded intake and output info.
- Custody Procedures, 6%
Perform and verify proper chain of custody procedures using knowledge of Federal DOT procedures to complete forms.
Most drug abuse technicians use their skills in "drug screens," "alcohol screens," and "drug tests" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential drug abuse technician responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a drug abuse technician to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what drug abuse technicians do because "clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives." Additionally, a drug abuse technician resume shows how drug abuse technicians use communication skills: "maintain close communications with methadone medical director and other program staff. "
Interpersonal skills. drug abuse technicians are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to drug abuse technician responsibilities, because "social workers must be able to work with different groups of people." A drug abuse technician resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "demonstrate positive interpersonal skills while working with patients, families, physician, co-workers, and other departments. "
Problem-solving skills. A big part of what drug abuse technicians do relies on "problem-solving skills." You can see how essential it is to drug abuse technician responsibilities because "social workers must analyze their clients’ complex situations and develop practical solutions." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical drug abuse technician tasks: "intervened in "crisis situations" so as to achieve effective and safe conflict resolution. "
Organizational skills. A commonly-found skill in drug abuse technician job descriptions, "organizational skills" is essential to what drug abuse technicians do. Drug abuse technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "social workers must help and manage multiple clients, often assisting with their paperwork or documenting their treatment." You can also see how drug abuse technician duties rely on organizational skills in this resume example: "prepare powerpoint and multimedia presentations to promote organizational learning throughout the h&p; land drilling fleet. "
The three companies that hire the most drug abuse technicians are:
- West Virginia University1 drug abuse technicians jobs
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Compare different drug abuse technicians
Drug abuse technician vs. Social services specialist
A Social Services Specialist provides social services to children and adults in communities, facilities, institutions, or hospitals. They develop and implement specialized treatment programs.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a drug abuse technician are more likely to require skills like "drug screens," "alcohol screens," "drug tests," and "test results." On the other hand, a job as a social services specialist requires skills like "social work," "patients," "substance abuse," and "term care." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Social services specialists tend to make the most money working in the insurance industry, where they earn an average salary of $64,884. In contrast, drug abuse technicians make the biggest average salary, $28,423, in the health care industry.social services specialists tend to reach higher levels of education than drug abuse technicians. In fact, social services specialists are 16.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.5% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Drug abuse technician vs. Rehabilitation counselor
Rehabilitation counselors are professional counselors who are responsible for helping individuals cope with their disabilities to live independently. These counselors are required to consult other professionals, family members, and individuals when developing a treatment plan based on the goals, strengths, limitations, and personal values of their clients. They must make connections with community support so that individuals with disabilities can avail of the types of services that are available. Rehabilitation counselors must also find employers and educate them in understanding the needs and abilities of disabled people.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that drug abuse technician responsibilities requires skills like "drug screens," "alcohol screens," "drug tests," and "test results." But a rehabilitation counselor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "rehabilitation," "social work," "mental health," and "patients."
Rehabilitation counselors earn a higher average salary than drug abuse technicians. But rehabilitation counselors earn the highest pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $43,146. Additionally, drug abuse technicians earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $28,423 annually.rehabilitation counselors earn higher levels of education than drug abuse technicians in general. They're 19.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Drug abuse technician vs. Mental health counselor
A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from drug abuse technician resumes include skills like "drug screens," "alcohol screens," "drug tests," and "test results," whereas a mental health counselor is more likely to list skills in "social work," "patients," "crisis intervention," and "patient care. "
Mental health counselors make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $52,181. On the other hand, drug abuse technicians are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $28,423.mental health counselors typically earn higher educational levels compared to drug abuse technicians. Specifically, they're 24.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Drug abuse technician vs. Family counselor
A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between drug abuse technicians and family counselors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a drug abuse technician might have more use for skills like "drug screens," "alcohol screens," "drug tests," and "test results." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of family counselors require skills like "social work," "poc," "family support," and "family therapy. "
Family counselors enjoy the best pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $40,967. For comparison, drug abuse technicians earn the highest salary in the health care industry.In general, family counselors hold higher degree levels compared to drug abuse technicians. Family counselors are 26.5% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of drug abuse technician
Updated January 8, 2025
