Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
In the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors occupation, workers counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. O*NET rates it as extensive preparation, which usually means graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. It leans on social perceptiveness, active listening, and speaking. You may also need to counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes. Interest ratings put Social on top at 6.7 out of 7 and Investigative second, so the code is SIC and the day leans toward helping, teaching or caring for people. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.
What they do
Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.
Main tasks
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Attend training sessions to increase knowledge and skills.
- Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories.
- Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.
- Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans.
- Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs.
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on social perceptiveness and active listening.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.6 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIC takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Also called
- Addictions Counselor
- CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor)
- Case Manager
- Chemical Dependency Counselor (CD Counselor)
- Chemical Dependency Professional
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.