Employment Information
What are the duties of an addictions counselor?
Addictions counselors help people who have problems with alcohol, drugs, gambling, and eating disorders. They counsel individuals and help them identify behaviors and problems related to their addiction. They hold counseling sessions for one person, families, or groups of people and develop treatment plans for their clients, which includes:
* Providing addiction and treatment information to clients and family members
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Taking notes and keeping history and progress records
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Evaluating a clients’ advancement towards intended goals
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Coordinating counseling with other mental and health care professionals as needed
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Meeting with other care team members to coordinate services for clients 5
What other related jobs are available in the addictions and recovery services field?
- Co-occurring Disorders Counselor
- Clinical Supervisor
- Vocational Counselor
- HIV Counselor
- Nurse/Psychiatric Nurse
- Detox Specialist
- Psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Addictionologist/Medical Director
- Family Therapist
- Social Worker
- Case Manager
- Administrative Support
- Researcher
- Educator/Teacher/Professor
- Recovery Coach
In what type of settings do addictions professionals work?
- Behavioral health units in hospitals
- Hospital emergency rooms and trauma units
- Community mental health centers
- Behavioral health centers
- Detoxification centers
- County subsidized clinics and rehabilitation centers (inpatient and outpatient)
- Methadone clinics
- Children and adolescent treatment centers
- Psychiatrist practices
- Psychologist practices
- Crisis hotlines centers
- Geriatric service agencies
- Centers treating co-occurring disorders
- Student assistance programs
- Employee assistance programs
- HIV/AIDS clinics
- Halfway houses
- Managed care companies
- Insurance companies
- Case management groups
- Licensing organizations
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
- State monitoring boards
- Certification boards
- Staffing agencies
- Criminal justice organizations and agencies
- Adult and juvenile probation/parole organizations
- Correctional facilities
- Therapeutic communities
- Juvenile detention centers
- Educational, academic or training institutions and centers
- Research facilities