How to become a Substance Abuse Counselor
Becoming a substance abuse counselor takes more than what meets the eye. You have to dedicate your entire being to helping others who are struggling with substance abuse to reform.
You should assess your inner self and find out why you really want to become a substance abuse counselor?
This assessment will help you appreciate your role as a substance abuse counselor in society and help others to overcome from substance abuse.
You will find this professionrewarding, given the fact that you are actually helping individuals who are victims of substance abuse change their lives for the better.
Given below are tips on how to become a substance abuse counselor
Do a personal evaluation
Before you become a substance abuse counselor, you should do a self assessment and find out whether you have what it takes to become a qualified substance abuse counselor.
Do you have the following qualities that are fit for every substance abuse counselor?
Your role as a substance abuse counselor will include among other things, identifying the underlying causes of an individual’s addictive behavior and how to help such an individual to overcome the behavior.
This profession requires you to have great compassion for individuals who are struggling with substance abuse. You should also be able to find satisfaction in helping such individuals to go through rehabilitation and become better citizens.
Enroll for a bachelor’s degree
The first step for you to take towards becoming a substance abuse counselor is to get formal training by doing the relevant courses.
You should enroll for an undergraduate degree in the following fields before you can get certified.
It is also advisable for you to choose a college in your state when enrolling for an undergraduate degree related to this profession.
Studying in the state where you intend to practice will make it much easier for you to get a practicing license.
This is mainly because most colleges will base their study programs on the licensing requirements in their respective states.
Enroll for a master’s degree
Most states require you meet the requirements for a master’s degree in order to become a licensed substance abuse counselor.
If you are a degree holder, find out which graduate programs have received accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs which are considered by most states.
You are required to complete a certain a number of hours under supervision in a clinical setting in order to meet the requirements for a master’s degree.
Go for a post graduate training
You will be required to complete a post graduate training for a period of 1-2 years in a hospital or a mental health clinic before you can get employed as a substance abuse counselor.
Find out what licenses are required in your state
You can find out the check licensing requirements in your state given the fact that the requirements differ in every state.
You can also find out more details about how to get a license from the American Counseling Association and the Association of Social Work board by visiting their respective websites.
You can also find out more details by making a call to the local Certification Board for Addiction Professionals in your state.
Get certified
You should also consider becoming certified as a substance abuse counselor by seeking certification from the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.
Most professional organizations who will get you certified, might ask you to take written exams every so often and complete a certain number of credit hours of continuing education in your field.
