Ongoing Education
In addition to the education required to get certified as an addictions counselor, there are also educational requirements to maintain your certification. Each state varies in their requirements, but most credentials need to be renewed every two years. You will need to complete a certain number of hours or CEUs (Continuing Education Units) during this period. (e.g., in Ohio you must complete 40 hours of continuing education every 2 years to maintain your credential.) You will need CEU’s for every credential that you have, however classes may apply to more than one credential (e.g., a class on co-occurring disorders will
Achieving Excellence in Counseling
There is no such thing as a perfect counselor. Even if you were a perfect addictions counselor, you would still have clients who relapse. You are going to make some mistakes along the way. The good news is that in most situations these mistakes are not catastrophic and they can help us grow and become better counselors. As counselors we tell our clients that relapse is part of the recovery process and we help them learn from these experiences, so that they will be better able to avoid relapse in the future. Mistakes are part of our learning process. While
Making Yourself More Marketable as an Addictions Professional
With any profession it is critical to make yourself more appealing to potential employers. Even if you are satisfied with your current job, having other employers pursue you, gives you leverage, helps boost your self-esteem and can give you more credibility in your field. So, in the field of substance abuse counseling, what will make you stand out? How can you get to the point where employers are pursuing you instead of you chasing them? Here are a few tips that can help you become the addictions professional that everyone wants to hire. 1. Get Experience. It is an
Counselor Credibility
I have had many conversations with clients over the years discussing trust. We have talked about how easy it is to lose someone’s trust and how earning trust takes time and consistency. The same could be said for earning credibility as a counselor. I am sure that building a good reputation can be a challenge in any profession, but I think that it is particularly challenging in this field, due to the population that we are working with. You need to have a good reputation with your clients in order to be an effective counselor. Having a good reputation amongst
E-Cigarettes and Recovery
The first time I saw someone puffing on an electronic cigarette in public, I had no idea what they were doing, but now it is becoming more common to see. You are starting to see the ads for electronic cigarettes all over the place. (We even have them on this site.) But, is “vaping” really a good alternative to smoking? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons and how this relates to recovery.
The Skill Of Listening
It seems obvious that counselors would be good listeners; however, developing our listening skills is often overlooked because we think it is easy to be a good listener. Being an active listener is a skill that requires effort and practice. You can’t apply all of your other counseling skills until you become a good listener. Below are some tips to improve your listening skills. Be in the moment. This is good advice for all of life, but when you are with a client you owe it to them to be 100% focused on them. That means that you have to take
Addiction Counselor 101
The most important part of becoming an addiction counselor is the desire to want to help others in need. The pay is not great, the average being around $38,620 a year according to the statistics. Depending on the facility and education level the pay may be as high as $60,000. For example, if one has a master’s degree he or she might be more qualified for a higher position and salary. The more education in this field the better. Also, applicants must pass a background check for felonies or child abuse.
Substance Abuse Counselor Overview
A substance abuse counselor provides treatment to those in need of treatment whom are suffering from an addiction or are in recovery and trying to stay sober. They are an essential part of society as they provide the necessary needs for addicts. The process of becoming certified according to the U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics (BLS) educational requirements range from a high school diploma to a master’s degree, depending on the setting, type of work, state regulations, and level of responsibility. Workers with a high school diploma typically go through a period of on-the-job training.
A Typical Day as a Substance Abuse Counselor
There is probably no such thing as a typical day as a substance abuse counselor, but this article: A Day in the Life of a Substance Abuse Counselor by Douglas Klier, M.A., C.A.C., Adjunct Faculty, Assumption College provides a good description of what counselors do on a daily basis.
Counselors in Recovery
Being a substance abuse counselor is one of the few professions where having a “checkered” past can actually be an advantage. While it isn’t like it was 30 years ago, when most substance abuse counselors were in recovery, there are still a significant number of addictions professionals, who identify themselves as recovering addicts or former drug users. I continue to have clients who express an interest in using their life experiences to help and encourage others in their recovery. This may be in the form of a sponsor or mentor, but some wish to make a career out of helping