How to Become a Substance Abuse Counselor
Substance abuse counselors advise clients who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, mental health issues, eating disorders, and related mental and behavioral problems. They offer support and treatment to clients in their recovery from addiction.
Substance abuse counselors work with clients one-on-one and in groups. Many counselors use 12-step programs, such as AA’s program, to guide their work. Counselors teach clients how to deal with stress and the problems of life without relying on drugs or alcohol.
They also help their clients to rebuild their professional relationships, and if needed, reestablish their career. Counselors also help their clients improve personal relationships and find effective ways to discuss their addiction problem with friends and family.
Are you thinking about a career as a substance abuse counselor? Please use this page as a resource to learn about what these counselors do, where they work, how to become one, and more.
What Is Substance Abuse Counseling?
A substance abuse counselor helps patients to get over their addiction to alcohol, drugs, and destructive behaviors like overeating and gambling. A substance abuse counselor will intervene when the person is at their lowest point in the addiction struggle. A substance abuse counselor may also work with the addict’s family to speed the healing process. (Drugrehab.com).
Substance abuse counselors often work in outpatient facilities, halfway houses, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals.
The primary purpose of substance abuse counseling is to address the underlying causes of the addiction and prevent them from leading to relapse.
What Do Substance Abuse Counselors Do?
The most common duties of substance abuse counselors are: (BLS.gov)
- Evaluate the mental and physical health needs of the client, as well as their addiction problem to assess readiness for treatment.
- Develop, recommend, and review substance abuse treatment goals and plans with clients and families.
- Help clients to develop skills and behaviors needed to recover from their addiction or change their behavior.
- With the substance abuse client to pinpoint situations and behaviors that interfere with recovery.
- Teach family members about behavior disorders and addiction to help them to devise strategies to cope with these problems.
- Refer substance abuse clients to other services and resources, including support groups and job placement services.
Where Do Substance Abuse Counselors Work?
Jobs for the 397,880 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors working in the United States are distributed across practice settings as follows:
- 21% work in outpatient care centers
- 17% work in individual and family services
- 16% work in offices of other health practitioners
- 11% work in residential intellectual and developmental disability, mental health, and substance abuse facilities
- 6% work in local government, excluding schools and hospitals
The BLS further notes that these professionals work in halfway houses, detox centers, or in employee assistance programs.
What Is the Job Outlook for Substance Abuse Counselors?
Employment for substance abuse counselors is projected to increase by 18.8% between 2023 and 2033, much faster than average. Continued growth in this profession is expected for years to come as communities across the country continue to reel from the opioid and fentanyl crises.
And as treatment and rehabilitation continues to be seen as a more effective way of dealing with drug offenders, substance abuse counselors will be instrumental in helping to keep families together and giving people a new lease on life. With sentencing for drug offenses often requiring offenders to go to treatment and counseling programs, there’s enough data now to clearly show that it’s more cost-effective than incarceration and better at reducing rates of recidivism.
How Can You Become a Substance Abuse Counselor?
In most states, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, mental health counseling, or addiction counseling satisfies the basic requirements for licensure. But educational standards for substance abuse counselors can vary from state-to-state, ranging from a high school diploma and substance abuse certification to a master’s degree.
Advanced licensure takes an advanced degree in most states. Professionals with master’s degrees in psychology, clinical social work, mental health counseling, and related fields are best equipped to lead clinics and social programs, as well as provide direct substance use disorder treatment.
May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics labor market information for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors is based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed March 2025.
What Do Exams and Licensing Involve?
Substance abuse counselors in private practice must hold a license. Licensing standards vary by state, but all states do require counselors to have a master’s degree and 2000-4000 hours of supervised clinical experience. Also, all counselors must pass a state examination and complete continuing education annually. To determine the specific licensing criteria for your state, review the information at the National Board for Certified Counselors.
Licensure standards for substance abuse counselors not in private practice varies by state. For instance, not all states mandate applicants to have a specific college degree, but many require them to pass an examination.
Becoming a substance abuse counselor will allow you to help people to overcome their problems and to reduce the issues of crime and addiction in our society. Review the online master’s programs on this site in psychology and substance abuse counseling to determine which is the right one for you to pursue your new career.