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Substance abuse clinician vs substance abuse counselor

The differences between substance abuse clinicians and substance abuse counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a substance abuse clinician and a substance abuse counselor. Additionally, a substance abuse clinician has an average salary of $50,155, which is higher than the $43,069 average annual salary of a substance abuse counselor.

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

Substance abuse clinician vs substance abuse counselor overview

Substance Abuse ClinicianSubstance Abuse Counselor
Yearly salary$50,155$43,069
Hourly rate$24.11$20.71
Growth rate9%-
Number of jobs12,01778,643
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age3939
Years of experience66

Substance abuse clinician vs substance abuse counselor salary

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

Substance Abuse ClinicianSubstance Abuse Counselor
Average salary$50,155$43,069
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $68,000Between $27,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CityDanbury, CTTrenton, NJ
Highest paying stateHawaiiNew Hampshire
Best paying companyBoston Medical CenterErlanger Health System
Best paying industryFinanceNon Profits

Differences between substance abuse clinician and substance abuse counselor education

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

Substance Abuse ClinicianSubstance Abuse Counselor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Substance abuse clinician vs substance abuse counselor demographics

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

Substance Abuse ClinicianSubstance Abuse Counselor
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 29.2% Female, 70.8%Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between substance abuse clinician and substance abuse 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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Substance abuse counselor example responsibilities.

  • Ensure and manage the compliance with Didi Hirsch policies and procedures, contracts and other regulatory agencies, HIPAA and DMH.
  • Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
  • Perform assessment of patients using ASAM criteria and recommendation for appropriate level of programming.
  • Process detox patient admissions on computer system which include - conducting alcohol and drug assessment, taking psycho/social history.
  • Provide clinical services, patient care, education and opiate addiction counseling services to patients receiving methadone maintenance and detoxification treatment.
  • Certify for first aid and CPR.
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Substance abuse clinician vs substance abuse 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 substance abuse counselor skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Substance Abuse Treatment, 11%
  • Social Work, 8%
  • Crisis Intervention, 8%
  • Intake Assessments, 5%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%

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