Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counseling

Scope of Work for Substance Abuse Counselors

Over 20 million Americans are classified with alcohol and drug dependency each year. With more than nine percent of the population seeking counseling and/or treatment for substance abuse, the demand for substance abuse counselors remains high.

Substance abuse counseling is arguably the most challenging career choice for mental health counselors for two reasons:

• People suffering from drug and alcohol addiction likely have other behavioral or mental health problems.
• The likelihood of relapse during a person's lifelong treatment is a harsh reality.

Jobs for substance abuse counselors are available in many areas:

• Half-way houses
• Homeless shelters
• Hospitals
• In/out patient therapy (individual or group)
• Jails and prisons
• Drug and alcohol treatment centers
• Social welfare agencies
• State and community departments

Working With Youth

Because the highest percentage of growth in substance abusers is in young adults and teenagers, there is also a great need for counselors in high schools and colleges.

Not only are counselors called upon to treat people in recovery, they also work to prevent drug and alcohol abuse at an early age and educate parents on how to get involved in their children's exposure to drugs and alcohol.

Substance Abuse Counselor Salary

There were 76,000 substance abuse counseling jobs in 2004, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Median range salaries for substance abuse counselors were $25,840 to $40,130 per year. The demand is expected to remain high as drug offenders are more often sent for rehabilitation rather than jail.

Substance Abuse Counseling Degrees

Although you can begin working in a social service setting with a bachelor's degree, a master's degree is required to become a licensed substance abuse counselor in most states. You can receive an MA, MS or MSW, then specialize in substance abuse counseling either during your program (if available), or by receiving a certification after graduation.

In any case, most counselors graduate with an MA in counseling psychology and receive certifications in their specialty fields after graduation.

Check your state's licensing requirements for counselors.