Certified Addiction Drug and Alcohol Counselor Salary

A Certified Addiction Drug and Alcohol Counselor can work in inpatient as well as outpatient centers, as well as with colleges, job corps, correction facilities or in any place that deals with chemically addicted individuals. These counselors may do either one-on-one or group therapy sessions. They may have to screen individuals for placement in a treatment program and do preliminary assessments on addiction related conditions. Individuals seeking a job as a certified drug and alcohol counselor must have a Bachelor's degree, at the very least, and be certified and/or licensed in the state where they are seeking employment.

The counselor must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written. They should have experience in dealing with people from all different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Counselor will need to formulate and implement treatment programs, sometimes after interviewing the patient as well the patient's family and other loved ones. Data entry skills are required as the counselor will need to type progress reports and possibly maintain open lines of communication with state or other local agencies, depending on the capacity of their employment. They should have a working knowledge of 12 step programs as well as alternative programs. Counselors should keep themselves up to date with new educational material and programs.

Hours on this job vary depending on place of employment. Weekends and holidays may be mandatory if a counselor is on call.

If in recovery, the Counselor will be required to have been clean and/or sober for any length of time requested by the employer. A criminal background check will be performed as well as a credit check. They should possess between 1-3 years experience working in their field, as a minimum.

Certified Addiction Drug and Alcohol Counselor Tasks