Substance abuse services director vs primary therapist

The differences between substance abuse services directors and primary therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a substance abuse services director and a primary therapist. Additionally, a substance abuse services director has an average salary of $83,088, which is higher than the $59,826 average annual salary of a primary therapist.

The top three skills for a substance abuse services director include substance abuse, social work and substance abuse treatment. The most important skills for a primary therapist are patients, social work, and group therapy sessions.

Substance abuse services director vs primary therapist overview

	Substance Abuse Services Director	Primary Therapist
Yearly salary	$83,088	$59,826
Hourly rate	$39.95	$28.76
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	57,827	85,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Substance abuse services director vs primary therapist salary

Substance abuse services directors and primary therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Substance Abuse Services Director	Primary Therapist
Average salary	$83,088	$59,826
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $125,000	Between $43,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	-	Thousand Oaks, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between substance abuse services director and primary therapist education

There are a few differences between a substance abuse services director and a primary therapist in terms of educational background:

	Substance Abuse Services Director	Primary Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Substance abuse services director vs primary therapist demographics

Here are the differences between substance abuse services directors' and primary therapists' demographics:

	Substance Abuse Services Director	Primary Therapist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 48.1% Female, 51.9%	Male, 27.1% Female, 72.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between substance abuse services director and primary therapist duties and responsibilities

Substance abuse services director example responsibilities.

Manage the departmental budget by adjusting therapist schedules to more efficiently schedule patients.
Re-Accredite program with CARF and new accreditation (CARF) of adolescent outpatient and intensive outpatient program.
Refocuse strategic mission of psychiatry toward integration and support of hospital services.
Perform patient chart audits ensuring proper documentation and patient care are provided per Medicare and Medicaid guidelines.
Negotiate contracts for inpatient detoxification and rehabilitation for HMO patients.
Create and implement psycho-educational groups pertaining to methadone and substance abuse and behavioral health.

Primary therapist example responsibilities.

Case managing, intakes, group and individual session, treatment plans, OASAS standards
Provide clinical therapy for severely emotionally disturb adolescents and their families to aid in the rehabilitation process.
Perform crisis intervention, including management of difficult or resistant patients, utilizing clinically appropriate accept techniques and methods.
Assist in development of extend hour IOP and PHP program.
experience, IOP, individual sessions, assessments, case management.
Assist in developing and assessing progress on individual rehabilitation plans.

Substance abuse services director vs primary therapist skills

Common substance abuse services director skills

Substance Abuse, 24%
Social Work, 14%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 10%
Treatment Programs, 6%
Treatment Services, 5%
Clinical Supervision, 5%

Common primary therapist skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 14%
Group Therapy Sessions, 8%
Eating Disorders, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

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Substance Abuse Services Director
Substance Abuse Services Director vs Primary Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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