Tips About Supervision
In order to become credentialed as a substance abuse counselor, you will need to be supervised for a number of hours. This is an area where the requirements can vary significantly from state to state. You will have your supervisor on the job, which means that you will have to be an employee, intern or volunteer. You will also have a supervisor, who is your trainer that guides you through the certification process. In some situations this will be the same person and in those situations, you may not have much choice who supervises you through this process. In many
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
Getting Started
How do most substance abuse counselors get started in this field? I have noticed three common scenarios, but I’m sure there may be others. Scenario #1: They battled addiction themselves and, through recovery, found that they want to use their life experiences to help others. Scenario #2: They have someone very close to them who has battled addiction, or maybe have even lost someone due to drug or alcohol problems.
Do You Have What it Takes to be an Addiction Counselor?
Having worked as a substance abuse counselor for over 16 years, I have worked for, worked with, and supervised a lot of counselors. I have seen some excellent counselors who found their jobs challenging and rewarding. I have also seen counselors who got discouraged, burned out, and regretted ever getting into the field. So before you invest time and money, be sure you have what it takes to be a quality counselor and be happy doing it. I have listed some qualities that I believe are important if you plan on becoming an addiction counselor or are in a position