Finding the right career can be difficult. Fortunately, the Strong Interest Inventory® is a powerful tool for helping people identify careers that they will enjoy, and which match their personality and professional preferences. This instrument assesses individuals’ personalities and interests from multiple angles, and then refers them to one to three of six different Career Theme Code Categories based on how they respond to the assessment questions. Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors is considered part of the The Strong Interest Inventory® Social Career Theme Code Category because their responsibilities center around communicating and counseling to help others improve their lives.

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling or eating disorders. They might also provide support to families, friends, or loved ones of individuals coping with these problems. As they do so, they may complete and maintain accurate patient records, provide counseling individually or in groups, and develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories. They may also need to review and evaluate clients’ progress in relation to other patients as well as measurable goals described in treatment and care plans. If a plan is not effective or is not working quickly enough, the Substance Abuse Counselors may need to modify their treatment plans.

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Discover the Strong Interest Inventory® career as a Substance Abuse Counselor. Learn about this career in this data rich write-up including information such as income, daily tasks, required education and more.

Another major responsibility of these Counselors is their own professional development. They often attend additional training or continuing education sessions in order to increase their knowledge or skills, as well as participate in conferences, staff meetings, and other professional development opportunities. In some cases, they may even conduct, present, and publish research, or supervise or direct other workers who are also providing services to their patients or clients. Overall, these Counselor’s lives are highly interactive and social.

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors use a number of different software programs and tools to complete their daily tasks, including analytical or statistical software, scheduling programs, e-mail and communications software, and Microsoft Office Suite. In addition, they may use medical software (e.g., Addison Health Systems WritePad EMR Systems; Athena Software Penelope Case Management; STI Computer Services ChartMaker) and project management software to ensure that they can keep track of patients’ status and progress. However, the specific programs used will vary depending on the service provider.

Many Substance Abuse and Behavioral Counselors are highly educated, with 30% holding a Master’s Degree and 16% holding another professional degree. They typically have a broad base of knowledge in psychology, therapy, and personal service, as well as a basic understanding of sociology and anthropology. Furthermore, counselors need to have well-developed active listening and critical thinking skills, as so much of their job is being able to listen and respond to others’ needs and challenges.

The median salary for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors is $46,740 annually. However, in Utah, Wyoming, and North Dakota, average annual salaries are over $55,000. On the other extreme, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia all have annual salaries under $37,000. Counselors are in high demand in California, New York, and Pennsylvania, each of which employs over 9,800 counselors.

Below are some employment trends for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors:

  • Median Salary: $22.47 hourly; $46,740 annually
  • Employment: 102,000 employees
  • Projected growth (2016-2026): much faster than average (15% or higher)
  • Projected job openings (2016-2026): 14,100
[Information retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and 2016-2026 employment projections]

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References

  1. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and 2012-2022 employment projections Onetonline.org