Nursing Archives - HCI College

What is a Substance Abuse Counselor?

Drug and alcohol abuse is a problem that continues to plague society. Consequently, there is a high demand for people to work with those who suffer from addiction and related mental health issues. Substance abuse counselors ensure these people get the help they need.

During the pandemic, emergency calls rose by 40%, and 42 states experienced increases in overdose deaths. As the opioid crisis continues to impact communities across the country, demand for substance abuse counselors is expected to grow, with a 22% job growth outlook from 2021 to 2031.

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Substance abuse counselors help people with drug problems in various ways. They may work in places like hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, schools, or other locations where people are struggling with addictions.

If you’re considering a career as a substance abuse counselor, here are the main things you should know.

What is a Substance Abuse Counselor?

A substance abuse counselor is a mental health professional who works with people who have an addiction to drugs like alcohol, marijuana, opioids, stimulants, and so on. They may also work with people who have an addiction to gambling, sex, or other issues.

This job is challenging and requires a lot of patience, but it can also be incredibly rewarding.

What Does a Substance Abuse Counselor Do?

Substance abuse counselors talk to patients, create personalized treatment programs, help educate the patients and their families, manage case histories, and communicate with law enforcement and the courts. This care is provided in a number of settings.

Individual Therapy

Substance abuse counselors work with the patient individually to process difficult aspects of their personal lives, assess situational stressors, such as work, family, and other issues that may be pushing them to self-medicate.

Group Therapy

Group therapy sessions give people with addictions the opportunity to talk about their experiences and struggles with others who share them, and learn from people who have been where they are. These sessions help individuals realize they’re not alone in the battle and that there is hope for recovery.

Family Counseling

Substance abuse doesn’t only affect the individual. One study found that one in eight children aged 17 and below live with someone who has a substance abuse disorder. The National Center for Substance Abuse and Child Welfare reported that in 38.9% of cases, substance abuse was the reason children were removed from their homes.

Substance abuse counselors help family members heal and better understand their role in the patient’s recovery.

Aftercare Services

Dealing with addiction is a complex process that requires ongoing effort. Substance abuse counselors continue working with the patient to help them develop coping mechanisms and strategies to help them move forward and avoid relapse. Aftercare services also focus on helping patients build life skills, maintain their recovery status, prevent relapse, and achieve a life with a sense of purpose.

How to Become a Substance Abuse Counselor

Now that you know what a substance abuse counselor does, how can you become one?

Earn an Associate Degree

If you’re interested in becoming a substance abuse counselor, you first need to earn an Associate of Science (AS) in Substance Abuse Counseling degree. The program will introduce you to counseling, crisis intervention, and patient education. You may also take up psychology or social work. This can help you gain insight into the challenges faced by people with addiction and the best ways to help them.

Start a Career as a Substance Abuse Counselor

If you’re interested in helping people work through addictions and build better lives for themselves, this can be a very rewarding career. However, it also requires resilience, empathy, and strong interpersonal skills.

An associate degree and proper experience are the first steps to becoming a substance abuse counselor. You’ll then be well-equipped to help people from all walks of life, working with them to manage their addictions and build a better future—and in the process, you’ll become part of the solution to some of society’s toughest problems.

Explore our Programs to get started in your journey to become a substance abuse counselor and make a difference in your community!

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7 Tips for Choosing the Right Technical School

For many students, pursuing higher education through a technical school is a smart decision. Technical schools provide students with a quick way to receive their diplomas while providing hands on education geared towards their specific future jobs.

4 Ways Technical Schools Can Solve the Skills Gap

One of the biggest challenges for businesses is hiring the right talent. Because there is a shortage of workers and the modern workplace is evolving so rapidly, it’s nearly impossible to find employees with a perfect skillset. HR managers know this, and report that 58% of their workers require new skills to accomplish their tasks.

7 Steps for Becoming a Travel Nurse

Many people think being a nurse means being tied down in one place and taking care of the same patients every day—but that’s not the case. Due to the growing and evolving medical field, most nurses can now enjoy the freedom to explore different places to work and offer their services to a wide variety of medical clinics and hospitals.

4 Quick Workouts for Paramedics

The physical demands of being a paramedic often mean they have to work long shifts, usually 12 hours. During shifts, paramedics respond to myriad calls and are dispatched to several emergencies that may require them to rush, jump, carry weight, kneel, and bend while taking care of patients.

What’s the Difference Between Registered Nurses and Physician Assistants?

The healthcare industry is an evolving profession and one of the fastest-growing fields where employment is always plentiful. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates, careers in the healthcare sector will grow by 16% from 2020 to 2030, representing 2.6 million vacancies.

Next to doctors, nurses are also well-known professionals in the industry. However, as roles and responsibilities continue to evolve, some new medical careers are emerging, including physician assistants.

Physician assistants often work full-time and side-by-side with doctors and nurses. The nature of their work can often lead people to confuse them with registered nurses. While they both work closely with doctors in patient care, there are various important differences between the two professions.

5 Benefits of Nurses Working in Aging Care Homes

Nurses often find employment in big hospitals and small medical clinics, but those who want to venture into different sectors will discover nursing homes are an industry where they can also achieve success.

5 Reasons to Enroll in a Technical School

Education has evolved. It is no longer the case that a university or college education is certain to lead to a good job, and student loans can be crippling for people starting out in life.

Consequently, many educational institutions are updating their curriculum to ensure that students get the best chance for future success with their chosen careers. These changes factor significantly into an individual’s employability when they graduate. Today, many employers focus on hiring people with the right set of skills and appropriate knowledge that will help them get the most value and success.

5 Things to Know About Being a Rural Nurse

As the healthcare industry evolves, there continues to be challenges in making sure patients have access to healthcare, and to the providers that support them. In rural areas, for example, residents continue to have limited access to basic healthcare, due in large part to a shortage of healthcare providers such as nurses.

How Can Nurses Prevent Malpractice?

Nurses do everything they can to ensure they provide the best care for their patients. However, sometimes they do face accusations of malpractice. Mistakes can happen, especially during busy times, like the height of the pandemic when there was a demand for nurses to take care of an overwhelming number of patients, and when people are working long hours. Burnout can lead to nurses making errors in patient care. For instance, a nurse taking care of several patients at a time may dispense medications later than the prescribed hour, which may cause serious side effects on the patient’s health.