Counselors can research whether there are recovery gyms in their community that can help support clients. A collaborative strengths-based, person-centered assessment identifies clients’ current coping skills and abilities; family, social, and recovery supports; motivation; and other sources of recovery capital (discussed in “Recovery Capital Assessment” below). It applies several key strategies of a CBT approach to prevent recurrence of problematic substance use, including psychoeducation, assessment of risk for recurrence with a focus on craving, identification of craving cues and situational triggers, coping skills training, and a between-sessions practice exercise. Secondary trauma refers to the trauma that behavioral health service and other providers may experience through exposure to their clients’ traumatic experiences.819 Working with survivors of trauma may cause additional trauma-related symptoms for counselors. Counselors can reduce the risk of secondary trauma by monitoring their own mental health needs, seeking assistance from behavioral health service providers, and engaging in self-care activities.
- You might be an undergraduate student thinking about a career in counseling.
- Several leading theorists of the strengths-based model have articulated principles relevant for counseling people recovering from problematic substance use.
- For more information on evidence-based guidelines visit Addiction Medicine Primer.
- It emphasizes client resilience and functioning instead of client weakness and pathology.
- Outpatient treatment programs are the usual setting for drug and alcohol abuse treatment.
- Engaging clients in the recovery process includes establishing a collaborative alliance, helping clients resolve ambivalence about engaging in their chosen recovery pathways, working in partnership with clients to identify recovery goals, and supporting their work toward recovery tasks and goals.
Linkages to Peer- and Community-Based Support Services
Counselors should ensure that they regularly update the database to keep it current. Exhibit 4.1 provides a sample matrix counselors can use to collect and organize information. Being familiar with substance abuse counselor requirements by state can help eliminate licensing issues https://ecosoberhouse.com/ later. Certified alcohol and drug counselor (CADC) certification must be maintained throughout your career. You can contact your state licensure or certification board directly with any questions. You might also want to talk with a substance abuse counselor in your community.
What is an SUD?
Counselors should be aware of the range of trauma that people in recovery may have experienced. They should also be conscious of the fact that clients may have experienced many different forms of trauma within their lifetimes. Rural and isolated residents in recovery rely on various types of remote recovery support, which give participants choices and access beyond in-person support.1389 These services ensure that people overcoming problematic substance use receive sustained support. In the absence of rigorous studies, a brief review of relevant literature indicates that digital mutual-help meetings likely mobilize the same supports as in-person meetings.
Education Requirements for Addictions Counselors
Clients may have been exposed during their treatment program to therapies based on art, writing, music, or drama. If they found particular satisfaction in any of these, they may benefit from developing it as a lifelong interest. For example, there are a number of knitting and sewing programs available that offer a creative outlet while supporting recovery. Clients may also have questions about their legal rights, specifically with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Because SUD affects significant life skills, including the ability to work, having a history of SUD may be considered a disability. If clients express concern about specific actions taken by an employer, counselors should refer the client to an attorney.
- The job outlook for substance abuse counselors is expected to grow 23% from 2020 to 2030, which is faster than the average for other occupations.
- For certain drug types, some symptoms are less prominent, and in some cases, not all symptoms apply.
- By examining a client’s recovery goals, counselors can help to identify a mutual-help group that is a strong fit with their client’s needs and values.
- Many mental health organizations also have online directories of licensed therapists.
- No single, agreed-upon set of principles for strengths-based counseling exists.
- Depending on your state and the type of licensure you plan to pursue, you might also need to complete supervised, post-graduate professional practice as part of your substance abuse counseling training.
What medications and devices help treat drug addiction?
Self-actualization needs, or the process of fulfilling personal potential. Know how to use 12-Step facilitation techniques to link clients to 12-Step groups as appropriate. Know the landscape of available recovery communities and services as well as mutual-help groups. Understand the conditions where people in the area live, learn, work, worship, and play. Understand the widespread impact of trauma and its relationship to substance use. Understand how chronic stress, adverse childhood experiences, and discrimination can contribute to trauma.
Before starting a job search, clients should understand recovery-friendly and recovery-supportive workplaces and workplace-supportive recovery programs. Advocate for policy change in the community (e.g., against policies that criminalize substance use or deny services to these individuals) through appropriate public channels (e.g., face-to-face conversation, social media, op-eds). For more information about how to identify recovery housing in their community, substance abuse counseling counselors can search for “recovery housing” in their city or state. Several types of housing models and programs exist that may address the needs of those recovering from problematic substance use.1288 These models, described below, may focus on people recovering from substance use–related problems or address other needs, such as homelessness or income barriers. Each program has a different philosophical approach and eligibility requirements.