Substance Abuse Counseling in Texas

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Substance abuse counseling is an incredible profession because it can have you working with many people that you can truly help.

When you work in substance abuse counseling you might work with many different clients, or you may choose to specialize in different issues for one specific group of people.

This might include teens, people with mental disorders, or one specific drug.

As a substance abuse counselor, you will need to be able to listen to your clients and talk to them about their problems.

You will need to listen to them describe their problems and understand what causes them to engage in their addictive behavior.

Not only will you learn the fundamentals of counseling, but you will learn how to work in a variety of different settings.

You will also learn how addiction itself works, and why people become addicted.

Overall you will learn about the relationships between addiction and socioeconomic status as well as substance abuse and the brain.

How Substance Abuse Counseling Helps Clients

You may help discuss different methods that can help your clients cope.

You might recommend 12-step programs or other methods of treatment in order to help clients toward recovery.

Because every patient is different and struggling with different degrees of addiction, you may sometimes find yourself working with individuals who are in a crisis situation.

Others might meet you more regularly as they recover.

If you are compassionate, patient, and want to solve the problems of others, substance abuse counseling might be a great career move for you.

What Do You Do in Substance Abuse Counseling?

Substance abuse counseling is the opportunity for those who are drug-addicted, to find a support system. Substance abuse counseling is good for people with drug and alcohol problems, but also for those who suffer from other disorders such as eating disorders and behavioral issues.
Alcoholism counseling helps to teach users how to change their behavior with the intention of a full recovery. Clients are susceptible to relapses, which is why many substance abuse counselors work with clients long term.

Responsibilities of Substance Abuse Counselor

• Meeting with clients
• Evaluating health and substance problems in clients
• Identifying issues
• Creating goals and treatment plans
• Teaching clients coping mechanisms
• Helping clients to find jobs
• Helping clients to reestablish their career
• Leading group therapy sessions
• Providing progress reports to courts
• Referring clients to support groups
• Creating aftercare plans
• Meeting with family members

What Education Do I Need For Substance Abuse Counseling?

Often a master’s degree in counseling or social work is required when it comes to obtaining a substance abuse counseling job. Despite this, not every state requires this level of education. If you are able to hold a higher degree, it will allow you to offer more help and services to clients.
If you are interested in owning your own practice, you will be required to hold a master’s degree and also complete up to 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. You will then be required to pass an exam. At this point, you will officially be licensed to practice as a substance abuse counselor in your state.

Texas Requirements

You should always check with your state for educational requirements even if you’re not planning to operate a private practice. In Texas, you must have at least an Associate’s degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling. You are required to have 4,000 hours of supervised work experience under the supervision of an LCDC with a current active license in Texas. This experience must be within the 12 core functions.

Why Go Into Substance Abuse Counseling?

As a certified substance abuse counselor, you will complete an education program that develops the skills needed to help those struggling with addiction. You will learn substance abuse counseling fundamentals, addiction treatment and relapse prevention, ethical conduct, relevant laws, pharmacology, and about the brain. You will also learn skills to enhance personal and professional growth.

Skills You Will Learn

• Communicating with both individuals and families that need help with substance abuse counseling and treatment.
• Facilitating different types of counseling groups. This might include processing, problem-solving, psycho-educational, and activity groups.
• Giving clients coping skills to prevent relapse.
• Maintaining private medical records, and keeping them private in adherence to regulations and applicable laws (HIPPA).
• Understanding how important therapy is, in regards to substance abuse counseling.
• Being able to use culturally-competent techniques in counseling.

Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Counseling

For someone who is struggling with both a mental disorder as well as a substance abuse disorder, it can be extremely difficult. This is called dual diagnosis and is even more of a reason for someone to go to substance abuse counseling.

The Impact of Substance Abuse Counseling

Substance abuse counseling in treatment will ensure that the treatment is successful. Overall, the substance abuse counselor has a huge impact on the community. There are many ways in which substance abuse counseling helps others:

• Increase in community safety by helping addicts heal
• Decrease in crime rates
• Decrease in substance-related hospitalizations
• Safer roads due to less drunk driving
• Decrease in domestic violence
• Helping the family of a substance abuser to deal with heartbreak and emotional trauma.
• Helping the family to understand the nature of addiction and its related emotional component.
• Shifting the understanding of the family
• Take a collaborative and empowering approach, to help the family to participate in the healing journey of their addicted family member.

changing Lives

As a substance abuse counselor, you will truly make a change in the lives of those with who you work with. For the chemically dependent person, it can be extremely hard to do this on their own. By seeing their patterns of addiction, they can also learn about problem avoidance. As their substance abuse counselor, you will help them to have a radical shift in consciousness.

This kind of empowerment will changes lives forever when it comes to substance abuse counseling. You may be able to help people find employment, allow them to reconcile with their family members, and ultimately get sober. You will work as both a mentor and an advocate in their life which will have a huge impact and completely change their life.

Get Started on Your Goals

At Resurgence Resurgence Texas we offer the opportunity to become a substance abuse counselor.

Contact us for more information on how to get started.

Alternatively, if you or someone you love is in need of substance abuse counseling, we also offer free verification for insurance.

This can help you to know what you can afford, and get you the help you need.

It is time to get healthy today.