Substance Abuse Counselors help people who have substance abuse problems, people who fear that they may develop substance abuse problems and the friends and family members of addicts who are suffering from or have suffered from substance abuse problems.

As a Substance Abuse Counselor you will help people who are addicted to drugs, alcohol or both. You will also help addicts with practical aspects of life and dealing with real life issues such as finding a job. As a Substance Abuse Counselor you won’t prescribe medicines or provide medical or psychological therapy. You would usually be employed by Doctors, Psychologists or Social Workers.

As a Substance Abuse Counselor you can find employment opportunities with halfway houses, outpatient clinics, hospitals, treatment centers, or social services agencies. You will also conduct counseling sessions for an addict or a group of addicts where they help addicts to talk about and cope with their addiction problems. At halfway houses, you will be helping addicts who live there while they are under treatment. At the outpatient clinics you would be helping the addicts who regularly come there for their treatment.

As a Substance Abuse Counselor, you won’t be just working with drug addicts or alcoholics. You will also be working with people who want to quit habits such as smoking or those who want to quit their dependancy on pain killer medicines.

In order to work as a Substance Abuse Counselor, you can start by getting training on the job. This training can last from six months and can go for as long as two years. You can also get an Associates Degree or a Bachelors Degree in Substance Abuse Psychology. You will study a number of concepts, theories, studies, methods of research, trends and values that apply to human behavior related to substance abuse. You will also learn how to apply scientific methods to evaluate behavior and mental processes relating to personal, social and organizational issues in connection with substance abuse.

You can also work your way towards a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling. As a Substance Abuse Counselor, you can earn an average annual salary of above $30,000 per year.

Thus, as a Substance Abuse Counselor you will be a part of the country’s network of personnel who are preventing the crime of drug use and abuse from affecting the young and old alike - helping people live better lives and finding their way to a healthier, happier future.