JOB DESCRIPTION
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.
OTHER JOB TITLES
Addictions Counselor, Case Manager, Chemical Dependency Counselor (CD Counselor), Chemical Dependency Professional, Clinical Counselor, Correctional Substance Abuse Counselor, Counselor, Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist (DATS), Prevention Specialist, Substance Abuse Counselor (SA Counselor)
JOB TASKS
ANNUAL SALARY
- Workers on average earn $22.91/hr. – $47,660 annual.
- Projected Growth (2019-2029) Much faster than average (8% or Higher)
- Projected job openings (2019-2029) 39,400
REQUIRED EDUCATION
High School Diploma/ Equivalent, Bachelor’s Degree Required, Masters Degree, Licensure
LOCAL CAREER SPOTLIGHT
In middle school, I wanted to be a teacher because I was driven to help others, and my family always told me that I would make a great teacher. After high school, I attended Anna Maria College and initially studied Early Childhood Education but later changed my major to Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. Although this change was discouraging at the time, it was for the best as it led me down the career path I am in today. Afterwards, I went to Assumption College, now University, for my masters in Family and Child Counseling Psychology. In my current role as Clinical Director at the New England Recovery Center in Westborough, MA, I oversee and manage the clinical team working directly with patients in a detox setting. My job also requires me to ensure documentation is up to standards of state licensing requirements. Before taking on this position, I worked in several areas of the clinical field from outreach to emergency services, to outpatient, and now currently inpatient, with children, adolescents, adults, and elders. What I love about my current role is watching the staff I work with grow their clinical skills and make a difference in people’s lives daily. I also love working with clients and witnessing the progress they make connecting the skills I am helping them to learn and applying them to their own lives. In this role, being organized, solution focused, a problem solver, able to delegate tasks, think fast in crisis situations, be open to learning new things, and admit when a mistake is made are all attributes that have played a role in my success.
REFLECT ON THE CAREER
RESOURCES
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