What does a substance abuse technician do?
A substance abuse technician works at facilities that aim to support the treatment of clients suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and other interfering behavior. They work alongside counselors and fellow technicians in the joint effort to implement rehabilitation programs and help patients reach their journey to sobriety. Moreover, a substance abuse technician develops and coordinates treatment plans with health care professionals, conducts research and assessments, administers medications according to protocols, and monitors the patients' progress throughout the rehabilitation processes.
Substance abuse technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real substance abuse technician resumes:
- Work with outside counsel to develop patent and trademark portfolio and manage patent litigation.
- Coordinate community base services, identifies high-risk patients, veterans and provides case management and crisis intervention services.
- Provide care to chemically dependent patients in short-term social model detox program working directly with patients/families in all areas of recovery.
- Collect sample for DNA testing.
- Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
- Maintain the integrity of all specimens under DOT/non-DOT guidelines.
- Administer drug test & breathalyzers.
- Supervise and train a staff of 30+ CDT's.
- Conduct urinalysis screens and breathalyzer tests on clients.
- Coordinate and conduct urinalysis and process new patient intakes.
- Facilitate group and educational sessions in accordance with the DUI philosophy and State/County guidelines.
Substance abuse technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Substance Abuse Technicians are proficient in Substance Abuse Treatment, Patients, and Mental Health. They’re also known for soft skills such as Ability to use technology, Analytical skills, and Observation skills.
We break down the percentage of Substance Abuse Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Substance Abuse Treatment, 16%
Monitor and observe and ensure the safety and well-being of clients in a substance abuse treatment program.
- Patients, 13%
Provided care to chemically dependent patients in short-term social model detox program working directly with patients/families in all areas of recovery.
- Mental Health, 10%
Co-Facilitated groups/individual sessions with substance abuse and mental health clients.
- Rehabilitation, 8%
Developed a video designed to teach Rehabilitation Interns to do Eccentric Viewing and other techniques for improving vision efficiency.
- Patient Care, 7%
Integrated critical thinking skills and time management into individualized patient care.
- Client Transportation, 5%
Supported treatment plans by scheduling and coordinating client transportation, assisting in planning client interaction events, and so forth.
Common skills that a substance abuse technician uses to do their job include "substance abuse treatment," "patients," and "mental health." You can find details on the most important substance abuse technician responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling substance abuse technician duties is analytical skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "chemical technicians must be methodical in conducting scientific experiments and interpreting data." According to a substance abuse technician resume, here's how substance abuse technicians can utilize analytical skills in their job responsibilities: "drug screens for children protective services, filing & imputing data, organizing files and answering phones. "
The three companies that hire the most substance abuse technicians are:
- Burrell Behavioral Health9 substance abuse technicians jobs
- Sea Mar Community Health Centers4 substance abuse technicians jobs
- Universal Health Services2 substance abuse technicians jobs
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Compare different substance abuse technicians
Substance abuse technician vs. Behavioral therapist
A behavioral therapist is responsible for supporting patients with various developmental disorders and behavioral difficulties. Behavioral therapists conduct counseling to the patients, identifying their personal and social challenges, and administering treatment plans to modify unusual behaviors. They also coordinate with other medical professionals to plan activities and therapy sessions for patients' needs. A behavioral therapist maintains a record of the patients' progress, help them on developing social engagement, and adjust treatment strategies depending on the patients' noticeable changes.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, substance abuse technician responsibilities require skills like "substance abuse treatment," "mental health," "rehabilitation," and "patient care." Meanwhile a typical behavioral therapist has skills in areas such as "autism," "behavior analysis," "provide aba," and "applied behavior analysis." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Behavioral therapists really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $41,338. Comparatively, substance abuse technicians tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $34,580.behavioral therapists tend to reach higher levels of education than substance abuse technicians. In fact, behavioral therapists are 6.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Substance abuse technician vs. Family therapist
A Family Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real substance abuse technician resumes. While substance abuse technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "substance abuse treatment," "patient care," "client transportation," and "detox," family therapists use skills like "mental health issues," "group therapy," "child abuse," and "fft."
Family therapists earn a higher average salary than substance abuse technicians. But family therapists earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $50,267. Additionally, substance abuse technicians earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $34,580 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Family therapists tend to reach higher levels of education than substance abuse technicians. In fact, they're 38.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for substance abuse technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University
Substance abuse technician vs. Mental health professional
The duties of a mental health professional will revolve around observing the behavior of patients. They are responsible for knowing their medical history, conducting consultations and assessments, diagnosing conditions, devising particular treatments and prescribing medication, and providing emotional support to patients. Furthermore, a mental health professional must coordinate with families and other mental health experts to monitor patients' behavior and develop care plans to help them in their road to recovery.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, substance abuse technicians are more likely to have skills like "substance abuse treatment," "patient care," "client transportation," and "detox." But a mental health professional is more likely to have skills like "excellent interpersonal," "clinical supervision," "clinical documentation," and "taking care."
Mental health professionals earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $49,393. Comparatively, substance abuse technicians have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $34,580.Most mental health professionals achieve a higher degree level compared to substance abuse technicians. For example, they're 24.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Substance abuse technician vs. Mental health practitioner
Mental health practitioners are medical professionals who work with patients who have mental health issues such as schizophrenia, split personality disorder, and depression. These practitioners are required to develop and implement patient care plans for adults with severe mental disabilities while providing mental health services to attain improved mental health. They must make sure that patients did not spit out their medicines by observing post medication administration with the nurse. Mental health practitioners must also manage therapeutic activities that will teach patients about functional living skills.
Types of substance abuse technician
Updated January 8, 2025
