Drug and alcohol abuse counselors work with patients and families to prevent substance abuse and promote a healthy environment. They use various techniques to identify and prevent family dysfunction and refer clients to additional services. They may work with patients in group or private sessions and may also work with youth and parents to prevent substance abuse. To become licensed, a candidate must complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work with a minor in substance abuse counseling. The job can be emotionally demanding and may lead to burnout.
A drug and alcohol abuse counselor typically works with substance abuse patients and their families in an effort to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and create a healthy home environment free of temptations and enabling behaviors. Employing a variety of treatment techniques, a drug and alcohol abuse counselor can identify and help prevent family dysfunction that may be contributing to substance abuse and curb any of the abuser’s resulting behaviors. Counselors can further help clients by referring them to additional services, such as a food pantry, vocational training center, or physician who can provide support in the fight against addiction.
A drug and alcohol abuse counselor may work with their patient in group or private sessions, depending on the substance abuser’s specific needs and concerns. In a typical session, the counselor will help the client develop more productive communication skills and learn to express emotions constructively. In addition, the client and counselor will create coping strategies necessary to endure sobriety. The client’s family and friends may also be invited to attend sessions so that they can provide a stable and supportive environment for recovery.
In some cases, drug and alcohol abuse counselors work with youth and parents to prevent substance abuse rather than with a person who is already in recovery. These counselors are typically employed by a public or private school, university, or local welfare agency. Its role in this context is primarily to educate children, adolescents and parents about behaviors that encourage substance abuse and how to avoid them.
To be licensed as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor, most regions require a candidate to complete a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work with a minor in substance abuse counseling. Some drug and alcohol abuse counselors are also former substance users. There are job opportunities for drug and alcohol abuse counselors in halfway houses, shelters, hospitals, prisons, and drug and alcohol treatment centers. The counselor may be a member of a support team which may include a psychologist, lawyer, social worker or social worker.
A career as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor can be emotionally demanding and require endless compassion and patience. The need for constant crisis intervention, high rates of relapse and even death among clients all contribute to the increasingly common incidence of burnout among substance abuse counselors. As a result, some drug and alcohol abuse counselors will eventually move into other fields of social work.
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