Certified Addictions Counselors

As I said earlier, a substance abuse counselor helps people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, but I am looking to not only help those

First, the identification of a licensed chemical dependency counselor would suffice at the moment. A licensed chemical dependency counselor are counselors that specialize in identifying and treating addictive behaviors that are maladaptive, altered from cognitive imbalance, and from physiological discrepancies, or frequent intoxication to achieve homeostasis or functionality to some extent. In other words, licensed chemical dependency counselors establish and implement treatments to help people cure their addictions from substances which they are chemically dependent on. Second, the nature of chemical dependency is to be acknowledged. The nature of chemical dependency is not very well understood by human population. Many people see addictions as diseases, immoral behaviors or sins, as maladaptive behaviors, and some may view such substance dependence as out of control behaviors as well. However, chemical or substance dependency is a mental issue. The mind tells the body that it needs a certain substance to function, it is a craving that is difficult for the body to ignore, and the body cannot function until such a need is met. The change in behaviors, mood and conscious motivates the mind further to continue finding ways to meet this need. Therefore, there is not only an addiction, but a chemical dependency issue as well. It is strong and difficult to defeat. It is strong enough that it may cause some people to conduct criminal activities or infringe upon the rights and

When most people think of substance abuse and addiction counseling they often only think of the 12 step program or alcoholics anonymous. The truth is that an addiction counselor must have a vast knowledge in the

Currently, I am a counselor in training at East Carolina University within the Department of Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies. Upon graduation, I will be pursuing licensure as a Clinical Addiction Specialist and a Professional Counselor. I am working at the Navigate Counseling Clinic, under the supervision of Qunesha Hinton, who also serves as my ECU doctoral student supervisor. My faculty supervisor is Shari Sias, Associate Professor, Substance Abuse and Clinical Counseling Program Director at East Carolina University (office number: 252-744-6304; email: siass@ecu.edu) and facility supervisor is Dr. Leigh Atherton at Navigate Counseling Clinic (office number: 252-744-6300; email: athertonw@ecu.edu) .

Therefore, the counselor needs to be someone that has a personality and willing to listen to Ray and his stories. The therapist needs to approach Ray as a human and not a client. This will let Ray open up to him/her and will allow for Ray to get deeper and deeper into his reasons of his drug addiction.

Chemical dependency counselors in the state of Texas are regulated under House Bill (HB) 3145 enacted by the 82nd Texas Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Perry on June 17, 2011. The bill is reported to amend "Texas Occupations Code Chapter 504 the law that regulates the practice of chemical dependency counseling in Texas." (Texas State Department of Health Services, 2011)

Through standardized testing, the Commission is able to set a benchmark for professionals and monitor the abilities of those who treat addictions (NAADAC, 2013). It is extremely important to focus on the individual counselor to determine the current knowledge and competence at the national level. In addition, the process was created to establish, measure, and monitor the requirements for knowledge in the profession while providing assistance to identify quality counselors who have met the national competency standards. As one can see the certification, professional licensing, and credentialing of substance abuse professionals are important to ensure quality service is received by the client, counselor, and service provider

In the statue of rules of regulations in Indiana to become a certified addiction counselor, the three statues that I found interested is: a certification in addiction counseling is acceptable, ten years of experience of being a addiction counselor, and under supervision, there is one hundred fifty credit hours needs to be complete in a internship. The credentials that needed to have a certification in addiction counselor is to have thirty-six credits and a practicum. An addiction counselor can have a minimum of a high school diploma or can have a bachelor degree. I can receive a certification unless than a year and can practice in the State of Indiana.

The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) is an organization of professionals who focus on addiction counseling. The NAADAC prides itself on four main roles: professional development, public engagement, professional services and to communicate its mission. The organization will aide in professional development by providing the most current education and training to ensure counselors are adopting the newest evidence based practices in their work (Tuohy, C., n.d. para. 2). NAADAC also provides mentorship and a career path, which are always essential for continued growth. While the NAADAC is directed towards addiction professionals; The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) supports school counselors. The ASCA also provides assistance in professional development as well as mentorship for its members. By providing annual conferences, webinars, specialist training to one-day workshops, the ASCA is committed to the professional development of its members (n.d. para 2). Both of these organizations provide publications that administer the latest knowledge regarding the organization and profession. Although a membership fee is required for both of these associations, the benefits make it well worth it.

Addiction counseling and human service professional settings and the collaboration of serving our community is frequently essential in controlling our clients. However, misunderstandings regarding job titles and legal issues and ethical issues arise that can affect the collaboration of both field working together. In this paper, it will elaborate related concerns of multidisciplinary collaboration, the boundaries of both fields, social changes, and ethical and legal issues arise in collaboration. Therefore, this paper will present a highlight of the shared practice of both fields and how can both field make a difference with our clients by collaborating. The reflections of addiction counselors and human services professionals are here with share disciplines with altered concentrations.

To become a substance abuse nurse, one must first become a licensed registered nurse. To accomplish this, a student can attend a two or four year program in nursing, where they will learn anatomy, chemistry, physiology and patient care. They must then successfully pass the national licensing exam, NCLEX – RN. After this, a nurse must log around three years of practical work experience as a registered nurse with 4,000 hours, or two years, in substance abuse nursing before they can be eligible to sit for the certification exam. This exam is sponsored by the International Nurses Society on Addictions and is only available twice a year, so candidates should prepare accordingly. Passing the exam allows a nurse to be called a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) and offers them to be more competitive in the workforce and even command a higher salary.

The abuse counseling career that most interest me is a substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselor because I desire to assist those with addictions of all kinds by finding and treating the source of the client’s problem. Dealing with abuse can be a very difficult road to recover from due to the individuals need to cope with life daily however there are techniques and creative ways to introduce to those who need help in recovering. There are addictions that are responsible for certain behavioral disorders such as child abuse, neglect, and domestic violence which may cause the client to be withdrawn or overly active each case varies. Other behavior traits can be genetic and or learned over

This can also serve as a source of hope for the patient, seeing a post addict, as a professional now reaching out to other addicts and giving them the support, knowledge, and resources they need to achieve recovery (Warren, Cisler, Weatherford, Syamilah 2013). Addiction therapy needs to be non bias, stereotype free, and understanding trained, educated professionals. According to the Council of Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards revised in 2009, counseling students need to be properly and thoroughly educated on how to deal with substance abuse

a drug and alcohol abuse expert; inpatient-only; adult, child, and a rehabilitation psychologist. Along with doctors that can offer help to manage a person’s stressors as well as drug abuse counsellors that help individuals who are addicted to any substance. This type of abuse expert is able to help the addicted person to conquer their desire for alcohol and or drugs with therapeutic sessions. The drug and alcohol expert will also talk with the addicts loved ones to inform them how to be supportive once they beat the addiction. They will teach them how to deal with the stress of helping the addict and also help them cope with the person as they withdraw from the substance. They will inform the loved ones on signs of setbacks that could cause harm. In a survey of thousands of students across the United

The goal of a substance abuse counselor is to help clients overcome their struggles with addiction and assist them in working to improve their quality of life. Substance abuse counselors specialize in treating many forms of addiction, from drug and alcohol abuse to eating disorders. Effective counseling involves applying several strategies and techniques to promote recovery and prevent relapse.