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Substance abuse technician skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.,
Madeline Lee Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical substance abuse technician skills. We ranked the top skills for substance abuse technicians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.9% of substance abuse technician resumes contained substance abuse treatment as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a substance abuse technician needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 substance abuse technician skills for your resume and career

1. Substance Abuse Treatment

Here's how substance abuse technicians use substance abuse treatment:
  • Monitor and observe and ensure the safety and well-being of clients in a substance abuse treatment program.
  • Developed an understanding of substance abuse treatment, knowledge of addiction, and prevention of relapse.

2. Patients

Here's how substance abuse technicians use patients:
  • Provided care to chemically dependent patients in short-term social model detox program working directly with patients/families in all areas of recovery.
  • Facilitated patient detoxification in social setting || Assessed, admitted, supervised, monitored, transferred and discharged detoxification patients

3. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how substance abuse technicians use mental health:
  • Co-Facilitated groups/individual sessions with substance abuse and mental health clients.
  • Provide Mental Health and Substance Abuse services from training given by the company of MHMR.

4. Rehabilitation

Here's how substance abuse technicians use rehabilitation:
  • Developed a video designed to teach Rehabilitation Interns to do Eccentric Viewing and other techniques for improving vision efficiency.
  • Conducted individual, family, and group therapy sessions at an outpatient rehabilitation facility.

5. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how substance abuse technicians use patient care:
  • Integrated critical thinking skills and time management into individualized patient care.
  • Provide direct patient care as assigned, under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.

6. Client Transportation

Here's how substance abuse technicians use client transportation:
  • Supported treatment plans by scheduling and coordinating client transportation, assisting in planning client interaction events, and so forth.
  • Co-facilitated client transportation and safety procedures.

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7. Crisis Intervention

Here's how substance abuse technicians use crisis intervention:
  • Provide crisis intervention and referral information.
  • Assisted therapists in providing assessment, client orientation, safety monitoring, crisis intervention, service coordination and advocacy for clients.

8. Social Work

Here's how substance abuse technicians use social work:
  • Communicated and interacted closely with mental health care professionals including social workers, psychiatrist, and psychologist.
  • Trained professionals including social workers, teachers and volunteers in substance abuse prevention and intervention initiatives.

9. Detox

Here's how substance abuse technicians use detox:
  • Processed detox patient admissions on computer system which included - conducting alcohol and drug assessment, taking psycho/social history.
  • Conduct interviews to obtain and determine pertinent information for admission into Detox program.

10. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how substance abuse technicians use cpr:
  • Job Related CPR Certification: Received: 06/09/11 expires 06/09/2013
  • Certified for first aid and CPR.

11. Drug Abuse

Here's how substance abuse technicians use drug abuse:
  • Developed and conducted programs to promote prevention of alcohol and drug abuse in schools and communities.
  • Worked full time rehabilitating adolescents from drug abuse.

12. Mental Illness

Here's how substance abuse technicians use mental illness:
  • Scheduled client interventions and planned recovery regarding mental illness and drug addiction.
  • Aided clients with Substance Abuse and Mental Illness reintegrate into the local community.

13. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how substance abuse technicians use vital signs:
  • Conducted drug screens, medication administration and monitored vital signs.
  • Perform routine collection of baseline information including vital signs, height & weight, as well as completing clinical call reminders.

14. Drug Screens

A drug screen is a drug test that consists of a collection of blood, urine, saliva, or even a hair sample. The samples are used to determine the presence of any chemical remnants which are present in the body after the intake of any drug.

Here's how substance abuse technicians use drug screens:
  • Administered drug screens on a regular basis to ensure clients were not involved in drug or alcohol related offenses.
  • Facilitated drug screens for clients awaiting trial or released from prison.

15. Abuse Program

Here's how substance abuse technicians use abuse program:
  • Administered the Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Program !
  • Oversee a DASALicensed Substance Abuse Program.
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What skills help Substance Abuse Technicians find jobs?

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What type of skills will young substance abuse technicians need?

Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.

What technical skills for a substance abuse technician stand out to employers?

Madeline Lee Ph.D.

Associate Professor, California State University San Marcos

There are technical skills that may stand out to employers, but as social workers, I think those technical skills together with "soft skills," can make an applicant really stand out to employers; social workers can combine their research skills with evidence-informed care and organizational quality improvement efforts, while being able to lead, build relationships, and think critically. In the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, our graduates will need to be able to fluidly navigate between employing telehealth methods to performing their work safely in-person when engaging and helping clients. To be effective, social workers will also need to understand the reverberating effects of the deep-seated roots of racism in our country and be willing to honestly confront and address those issues in whatever role they assume. Social workers are needed now more than ever.

List of substance abuse technician skills to add to your resume

Substance abuse technician skills

The most important skills for a substance abuse technician resume and required skills for a substance abuse technician to have include:

  • Substance Abuse Treatment
  • Patients
  • Mental Health
  • Rehabilitation
  • Patient Care
  • Client Transportation
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Social Work
  • Detox
  • CPR
  • Drug Abuse
  • Mental Illness
  • Vital Signs
  • Drug Screens
  • Abuse Program
  • Client Intake
  • Step Program
  • Substance Abuse Issues
  • Community Resources
  • Program Rules
  • Crisis Situations
  • Client Behavior
  • Group Therapy Sessions
  • AA
  • NAS
  • Direct Care
  • Residential Treatment Facility
  • Computer System
  • UA
  • Incident Reports
  • Hippa
  • Blood Pressure
  • Behavioral Issues
  • HIPAA
  • Room Searches
  • Training Sessions
  • Drug Tests
  • Addiction Issues
  • Residential Clients
  • Room Checks
  • Substance Abuse Problems
  • Pregnant Women
  • Breathalyzers
  • Medical Appointments

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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