How many years of college do you need to be a substance abuse counselor?
9 answers found
Its purpose is to suggest that the profession of rehabilitation counseling can have a positive impact on the professionalization of substance abuse counseling.
Last, substance abuse counselors are highly likely to be secondarily exposed to traumatic events through their work with traumatized populations, and many experience at least some symptoms of secondary traumatic stress.
Although this study represents a new approach for assessing training need in the substance abuse treatment field, the ITN approach is not limited to this application.
Clinically oriented, interactive faculty development courses in substance abuse education can contribute to increased confidence in clinical skills in substance abuse as well as teaching about substance abuse.
Despite their lack of substance abuse training, counselors were highly confident in their ability to provide quality substance abuse services.
Psycho-educational and skill-building programmes should be used to re-orient students about substance abuse.
Findings suggest that clearly defined procedures and sufficient staffing of qualified substance abuse counselors could lead to better programs.
Results indicate that most substance abuse counselors are not being prepared for practice with traumatized populations in their formal academic training, although many obtained some trauma training through continuing education activities.
The authors suggest that enhanced experiential sessions, elective programs, and greater emphasis during the clinical years on issues relating to substance abuse are necessary for maintaining the desirable educational outcomes of a substance abuse management curriculum, and that an intensive program against a backdrop of curriculum reform is a useful model.
