If you’re here to find out what a typical day for a substance abuse counselor is like, we’re sorry to disappoint. We know you Googled it and landed here, and the title is spot on, but there’s no such thing as a typical day for a substance abuse professional.
You see, typical is a lot like normal, and everyone has their own shade of normal. For example, we normally start our day with a hot cup of java. You might not. You might start your day with a morning run or a protein shake, and a cup of coffee is an indulgence you allow once in a great while. Typical is a pretty relative word. But you’re still here, looking for a glimpse at the day-to-day of a substance abuse counselor. So let’s start with something you can take to the bank.
Client Reaction to Substance Abuse Treatment
Counselor. What do you think of when you hear the word counselor? More importantly, what does the average client think? We could survey every last person that walks into our office and ask them, but we already know the results of the survey would be mixed.
One does not simply see a counselor if everything in their life is good—this is the common denominator most people reference when they hear the word counselor. What they don’t often stop to realize is that the title has multiple applications in the human services field. Specifically, in the substance abuse field, it refers to a professional who educates, treats, and supports substance abusers and individuals that are addicted to alcohol or drugs.
The very first challenge counselors’ face on a daily basis is their clients’ reactions to their profession. A lot of people do not know what a substance professional is; all they do know is that they are sitting in front of a person the court ordered them to see because of a DWI, and they have to be there if they want to drive again legally. And that’s just one circumstance that puts a client in front of you. They could be there because of other legal troubles, family intervention, or self-intervention. Your challenge will be to turn an often negative or skeptical client reaction into a positive meeting that lays the foundation for what comes next.
Outpatient Counseling
Unless you’re aiming to work at a rehab facility, you will likely be in the outpatient setting. Counselors who work with outpatients focus on ten major activities:
- Assessment
- Diagnosis
- Treatment Planning
- Group and Individual Therapy
- Care Coordination
- Referrals
- Advocacy
- Record Keeping
- Multi-Disciplinary Treatment
- Discharge
The finer points of these activities are taught with educational courses and licensure education. The main takeaway you can focus on right now is the ways substance abuse counselors make a difference.
Counseling isn’t about a rigid plan, writing prescriptions, or following a textbook. Unlike many other professions, the substance abuse field is intimately attached to the human experience. You will spend your days working with people in need of specialized help; people who could so easily be your brother, sister, child, or best friend. Mentally, it’s going to be tough.
According to PayScale.com, the average substance abuse counselor makes $36,000 per year. The bottom range of salary is roughly $26,000, and the upper range is $48,000. PayScale describes the average salary as “belt-tightening” and says the field isn’t “exactly the most profitable line of business,” but the profit is not measurable in conventional ways.
The Impact of Substance Abuse Counseling
Counseling is largely an act of educating. Our counselors are continually amazed by the prevalent misinformation our clients are exposed to before attaining professional help. Here’s a small sampling of some of the beliefs real people have every day:
- Marijuana isn’t dangerous because it’s gaining legal status.
- Medical and recreational marijuana are the same and aren’t addictive.
- You can try any drug once without the risk of addiction.
- You can try any drug once without risking an overdose or serious medical complications.
- You can stop drinking or using a drug at any time; it’s easy to quit.
- My substance use doesn’t impact my child.
- My addiction won’t change how my child views drugs or alcohol.
- Alcohol is legal; therefore, it’s safe.
- Binge drinking isn’t dangerous if you don’t drive.
The typical day for a substance abuse counselor is constantly changing. You will be exposed to new people, new ideas, and new misbeliefs on a regular basis. It will be your job to educate and treat, and you will play a pivotal role in changing people’s lives for the better.
It sounds like a lot of power, doesn’t it? It is! One of the most difficult challenges you will face is maintaining professional boundaries. Recovery is personal. You’re about to work in a high burnout environment where you give your all, but success ultimately hinges on the client’s willingness to receive treatment. You’re going to have to tear down stigmas that hold them back from getting help, and once they’re in counseling, you’ll have to tear down the stigmas associated with treatment and making a change.
There is no cookie cutter treatment plan. There are no textbook cases. It will fall to you to individualize treatment, get creative, and find ways to reach your clients on a deep enough level to enact change and restructure entire belief and behavioral patterns. Understanding and empathy will be combined with expertise and experience. Above all else, garnering and maintaining trust will be a daily focal point.
Start Your Career Today
Do you want to make a life-changing impact? Do you want to feel your life change in positive ways? Substance abuse counseling opens a giant door to growth, evolution, and positive change. Want a peek at it? Take a moment to discover how one of our programs, Drug Education School, has become a life changing program for our clients, counselors, and our entire community.
Are you ready for days that are anything but typical? Learn how to become a substance counselor today, and find out just how Absolute Advocacy can help you launch into the field with constant support. Your journey starts here.