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Substance abuse clinician vs clinical counselor

The differences between substance abuse clinicians and clinical counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a substance abuse clinician, becoming a clinical counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $50,155 average annual salary of a substance abuse clinician.

The top three skills for a substance abuse clinician include social work, substance abuse treatment and patients. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.

Substance abuse clinician vs clinical counselor overview

Substance Abuse ClinicianClinical Counselor
Yearly salary$50,155$54,191
Hourly rate$24.11$26.05
Growth rate9%17%
Number of jobs12,017146,133
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age3941
Years of experience64

Substance abuse clinician vs clinical counselor salary

Substance abuse clinicians and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Substance Abuse ClinicianClinical Counselor
Average salary$50,155$54,191
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $68,000Between $43,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CityDanbury, CTBethesda, MD
Highest paying stateHawaiiMaryland
Best paying companyBoston Medical CenterNovo Nordisk
Best paying industryFinanceProfessional

Differences between substance abuse clinician and clinical counselor education

There are a few differences between a substance abuse clinician and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:

Substance Abuse ClinicianClinical Counselor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Substance abuse clinician vs clinical counselor demographics

Here are the differences between substance abuse clinicians' and clinical counselors' demographics:

Substance Abuse ClinicianClinical Counselor
Average age3941
Gender ratioMale, 29.2% Female, 70.8%Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage12%15%

Differences between substance abuse clinician and clinical counselor duties and responsibilities

Substance abuse clinician example responsibilities.

  • Provide clinical assessments, psychotherapy, and case management for patients and clients recovering from mental health disorders and substance addiction.
  • Provide individual and group treatment and rehabilitation for youth diagnose with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
  • Provide all forms of intervention, from assessment to aftercare, to patients suffering with substance-relate, psychiatric and co-occurring disorders.
  • Facilitate psychoeducational and rehabilitation groups using standard group techniques.
  • Assess and treat elementary school students with articulation, language, and autism spectrum disorders under an apprenticeship model of supervision.
  • Assist team of professionals with developing ISP's, IEP's, and needs assessments to determine proper treatment.
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Clinical counselor example responsibilities.

  • Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
  • Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
  • Perform client intake assessments and conduct monthly assessments to identify progress of patients and determine individuals ready to graduate from program.
  • Review charts to ensure that they are in compliance with OASAS standards.
  • Initial assessment, diagnosis, ASAM criteria, treatment planning , 3rd party contact, group and individual therapy.
  • Maintain appropriate documentation per NYS OASAS regulations and APG guidelines
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Substance abuse clinician vs clinical counselor skills

Common substance abuse clinician skills
  • Social Work, 30%
  • Substance Abuse Treatment, 11%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Substance USE Disorders, 4%
  • Community Resources, 3%
  • Clinical Assessments, 3%
Common clinical counselor skills
  • Social Work, 36%
  • Patients, 8%
  • Foster Care, 7%
  • Independent Living, 6%
  • Child Abuse, 4%
  • Clinical Services, 3%

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