Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors

Employers

Approximately 397,880 substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors are employed in the United States. Counselors are hired by hospitals, private and public treatment centers, government agencies, prisons, public school systems, colleges and universities, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), crisis centers, and mental health centers. More and more frequently, large companies are hiring alcohol and drug abuse counselors as well, to deal with employee substance abuse problems.

Starting Out

Counselors who have completed a two- or four-year college degree might start a job search by checking with the career services office of their college or university. Those who plan to look for a position without first attending college might want to start by getting an entry-level or volunteer position in a treatment center or related agency. In this way, they can obtain practical experience and also make connections that might lead to full-time employment as a counselor.

Job seekers should also search employment Web sites and classified advertisements in local newspapers, where jobs are usually listed as "alcohol and drug counselor," "substance abuse counselor," or "mental health counselor." Another option is to apply directly to the personnel department of various facilities and agencies that treat alcohol and drug abusers.