A career as an alcohol and substance abuse counselor would be a good choice for a psychology major with an undergraduate degree for a variety of reasons. First, a counseling position relies on the use of many of the skills developed over the course of a four-year psychology program including strong written and oral communication skills, listening and observational skills, research skills, and critical thinking and analytical skills. Second, it provides entry into one of only a few of the service-related fields available without the need for a graduate degree. However, while many entry level positions require only a bachelor level degree, most states do require some form of certification that would include a combination of classroom course work specializing alcohol and substance abuse counseling and on-the-job training (Kuther & Morgan, 2004).

In the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS, 2002), conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 18,204 substance abuse treatment facilities across the country were contacted to collect a variety o

A person beginning a career as an alcohol and substance abuse counselor would most likely find work with a private non-profit organization which accounted for 61% of the responding facilities nationwide. An example of a non-profit treatment facility is the Phoenix House, the country's largest non-profit organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of substance abuse. Phoenix House counselors and other staff members provide over 100 programs in nine states including California, Florida, New York, Texas and New England (Phoenix House, 2001).

The University of Minnesota’s Health and Human Services Certificate Program for Addiction Studies (2004), reports that employment in the field of substance abuse counseling is projected to increase over the next several years due, in large part, to the high attrition rate as counselors reach retirement age. In addition, due to the increased awareness and acceptance of the problem of alcohol and substance abuse issues, many HMOs and insurance companies are expanding the coverage they make available to their insured clients as well as providing increased reimbursement for alcohol and drug counseling services to service providers. Economist Daniel Hecker (2004) projected for years 2002 through 2012, for all standard occupation classification codes, changes in employment that can be expected. According to his figures, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors, which have been grouped under the same classification, can expect an increase of 23.3% for a total increase of 31,000 jobs over this period of time, and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers can expect an increase of 34.5% and 49,000 jobs for the same time period (Hecker, 2004). One additional factor, mentioned by the University of Minnesota (2004), that we believe will have a positive impact on the future demand for substance abuse counselors is that of employers increasingly referring their employees for alcohol and drug abuse services through employee assistance programs (EAPs).

The second most likely place one might find work would be a private for-profit facility which accounted for 25% of the responding facilities. An example of a for-profit treatment facility is Hazelden whose headquarters are located in Center City, Minnesota. Hazelden, founded in 1949, is the oldest facility of its kind and is considered to be the architect of the 20th century’s approach to addiction treatment practices providing a holistic approach encompassing body, mind and spirit (Hazelden, 2004). At Hazelden, alcohol and substance abuse counselors make up an integral part of the treatment delivery team which also includes clergy, psychiatrists, wellness and fitness professionals, and nutritionists among others. Treatment includes residential, long-term residential, out-patient, and follow-up care. Hazelden has locations in Minnesota, Florida, Oregon, Illinois, and New York.

Where the Jobs Are by Geographic Location

Because this is a helping profession, it is safe to say that one of the biggest benefits would be to know that you are helping people. Going to work each day and trying your best to impact another person’s life in a positive way; helping a person make the changes necessary to live a happy, fulfilling life, and seeing the results of these changes would be a great reward. Just knowing that you are doing what you can to make a difference, one person at a time, is sometimes enough.

Tribal owned facilities, in addition to accounting for only 1% of the responding facilities, pose rather significant challenges to the hiring outlook. At present, the Indian and Health Services division of the Department of Health and Human Services is hiring a substance abuse counselor who will be relocated to a Cherokee reservation in North Carolina (United States Office of Personnel Management 2004). And while this job may sound like a wonderful opp

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