If you are looking forward to taking up the role of substance abuse counselor, you might be wondering what role they play and what their job looks like. There is no exact answer to this as there is no typical day in the lives of substance abuse counselors, and every day brings new challenges in the job and always prepares you to expect the unexpected. From managing patients of different substance abuse treatment programs to handling real-life experiences of patients, their role is something that completely deserves all appreciation. Let’s have an in-depth look at the roles and responsibilities substance abuse counselors carry on their shoulders.
Role & Responsibilities of Substance Abuse Counselors
A substance abuse counselor helps different patients overcome their addictions and dependencies on various substances like drugs, alcohol, and more. They help patients by counseling them in a group or via personal counseling sessions. The counselors also carry out different specific researches for every patient and thus enroll them in suitable substance abuse treatment programs.
These counselors also offer clinical sessions, orientation programs for affected groups and help them with possible efforts and measures. They also initiate different types of preventive measures for substance abuse so that they can decrease the degree of dependency on drug abuse in the overall population. The perfect substance abuse counselor will have great monitoring and decision-making capabilities that are actually needed for the treatment of drug addicts or abusers.
Career Paths for Substance Abuse Counselor
Various factors directly contribute to your career growth as a substance abuse counselor. According to previous successful substance abuse counselors, if you have a master’s degree, then you will be more able to grab better opportunities. Another factor that will enhance your career opportunities will be your specialization in a certain subject that will help you get jobs as a substance abuse counselor.
Some common job locations available for substance abuse counselors are:
- Individual and family services
- Non-profit organizations
- State and local government centers
- Hospitals
- Residential mental health and substance abuse centers
Besides all these locations, substance abuse counselors can also run their own independent private practice center where they can initiate their own preventive measures for substance abuse. This is a great career choice to help all individuals suffering from mental or substance abuse to bring positive changes in their behavior with different substance abuse treatment programs that will improve the quality of their life.
