1. Home
  2. Careers
  3. Substance Abuse And Behavioral Disorder Counselors
  4. Required Skills Responsibilities Activities

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors Occupation Detailed Description

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

The main tasks and work activities of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors are to counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues, maintain client records, write reports or evaluations, develop treatment plans for patients or clients. In general, for the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors, speaking, active Listening, social Perceptiveness, critical Thinking and other 17 skills are required.
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related ExperienceExtensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job TrainingEmployees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
ExampleThese occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors jobs. 1.38% of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 1.88% of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
1.38%
Post-Secondary Certificate
1.88%
Some College Courses
7.12%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
13.85%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
75.77%

Tasks and Work Activities of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

  • Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
  • Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.
  • Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories.
  • Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans.
  • Interview clients, review records, and confer with other professionals to evaluate individuals' mental and physical condition and to determine their suitability for participation in a specific program.
  • Intervene as an advocate for clients or patients to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
  • Provide clients or family members with information about addiction issues and about available services or programs, making appropriate referrals when necessary.
  • Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in client status.
  • Coordinate counseling efforts with mental health professionals or other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or social workers.
  • Attend training sessions to increase knowledge and skills.
  • Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs.
  • Conduct chemical dependency program orientation sessions.
  • Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting clients or patients.
  • Participate in case conferences or staff meetings.
  • Act as liaisons between clients and medical staff.
  • Coordinate activities with courts, probation officers, community services, or other post-treatment agencies.
  • Confer with family members or others close to clients to keep them informed of treatment planning and progress.
  • Instruct others in program methods, procedures, or functions.
  • Follow progress of discharged patients to determine effectiveness of treatments.
  • Develop, implement, or evaluate public education, prevention, or health promotion programs, working in collaboration with organizations, institutions, or communities.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Assisting and Caring for OthersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersHandling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
  • Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
  • Maintain client records.
  • Write reports or evaluations.
  • Develop treatment plans for patients or clients.
  • Monitor clients to evaluate treatment progress.
  • Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.
  • Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
  • Intervene in crisis situations to assist clients.
  • Refer clients to community or social service programs.
  • Present social services program information to the public.
  • Modify treatment plans to accommodate client needs.
  • Maintain professional social services knowledge.
  • Counsel family members of clients or patients.
  • Advocate for individual or community needs.
  • Confer with family members to discuss client treatment plans or progress.
  • Train staff members in social services skills.
  • Collaborate with other professionals to develop education or assistance programs.
  • Plan programs to address community health issues.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling or educational programs.
  • Supervise workers providing client or patient services.

Skills and Abilities for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Time SharingThe ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Alcohol analyserse.g. Breathalyzers
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Notebook computerse.g. Notebook computers
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizerse.g. Personal digital assistants PDA
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Therapy and CounselingKnowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Sociology and AnthropologyKnowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • ClericalKnowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Philosophy and TheologyKnowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.