Hospice social worker vs alcohol and drug counselor

The differences between hospice social workers and alcohol and drug counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hospice social worker, becoming an alcohol and drug counselor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a hospice social worker has an average salary of $52,859, which is higher than the $45,758 average annual salary of an alcohol and drug counselor.

The top three skills for a hospice social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor are patients, social work, and crisis intervention.

Hospice social worker vs alcohol and drug counselor overview

	Hospice Social Worker	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Yearly salary	$52,859	$45,758
Hourly rate	$25.41	$22.00
Growth rate	9%	-
Number of jobs	110,787	77,461
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	45	39
Years of experience	2	6

What does a hospice social worker do?

A hospice social worker is primarily in charge of providing emotional support and guidance to terminally-ill patients and their families, aiming to give them comfort and assistance in various procedures. Their responsibilities include identifying the needs of patients and their families through visitations or appointments, coordinating with nurses and physicians, and serving as a patient advocate by providing them with spiritual and emotional comfort. Furthermore, as a hospice social worker, it is essential to assist families with the bereavement processes, referring them to other programs as necessary.

What does an alcohol and drug counselor do?

A drug & alcohol counselor treats addicts in either one-on-one or group settings. They help by educating and developing possible treatment plans for patients to support them in coping with their addictive personalities. A drug and alcohol counselor will evaluate to determine the progress has been successfully made towards recovery. They help patients better understand and overcome their addictions. Counselors help through offering support, rehabilitation, and guidance by using various techniques. Drug & alcohol counselors seek to help an addict find the source of their addiction.

Hospice social worker vs alcohol and drug counselor salary

Hospice social workers and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hospice Social Worker	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average salary	$52,859	$45,758
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $67,000	Between $30,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Montage Health
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between hospice social worker and alcohol and drug counselor education

There are a few differences between a hospice social worker and an alcohol and drug counselor in terms of educational background:

	Hospice Social Worker	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Hospice social worker vs alcohol and drug counselor demographics

Here are the differences between hospice social workers' and alcohol and drug counselors' demographics:

	Hospice Social Worker	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average age	45	39
Gender ratio	Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	13%	12%

Differences between hospice social worker and alcohol and drug counselor duties and responsibilities

Hospice social worker example responsibilities.

Collaborate with multidisciplinary team to provide necessary referrals and counseling to achieve establish patient goals.
Provide support, education and compassion to patients and family members.
Assist patients and families with obtaining necessary insurances such as Medicaid, etc.
Provide advocacy and support services to terminally ill patients, families and/or significant others to maximize benefits and limit out-of-pocket expenses.
Work as lead MSW on all pediatric hospice cases.
Work with other members of the IDT to track and document changes to the patient's status, coping, etc.

Alcohol and drug counselor example responsibilities.

Plan and implement follow-up and aftercare programs for clients to be discharge from treatment programs.
Practice cognitive behavioral, motivational enhancement and structural family therapy.
front office, counseling and aftercare.
Administer UA test onsite and send out.
Improve IOP successful completion rate while facilitating seven groups per week.
Collect and organize statistical data as required by DASA, and NEWTA.

Hospice social worker vs alcohol and drug counselor skills

Common hospice social worker skills

Social Work, 29%
Patients, 19%
Home Health, 11%
MSW, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

Common alcohol and drug counselor skills

Patients, 15%
Social Work, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 6%
Treatment Services, 6%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Hospice Social Worker
Hospice Social Worker vs Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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