What You'll Do

  • Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
  • Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.
  • Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories.
  • Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans.
  • Interview clients, review records, and confer with other professionals to evaluate individuals' mental and physical condition and to determine their suitability for participation in a specific program.
  • Intervene as an advocate for clients or patients to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
  • Provide clients or family members with information about addiction issues and about available services or programs, making appropriate referrals when necessary.
  • Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in client status.
  • Coordinate counseling efforts with mental health professionals or other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or social workers.
  • Attend training sessions to increase knowledge and skills.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.25/5
Speaking 4.25/5
Critical Thinking 4.12/5
Social Perceptiveness 4.12/5
Reading Comprehension 4.0/5
Writing 4.0/5
Monitoring 4.0/5
Persuasion 3.88/5
Service Orientation 3.88/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.88/5
Active Learning 3.75/5
Coordination 3.5/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Empathy, Sincerity, Dependability, Integrity, Social Orientation

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Expression 4.12/5
Problem Sensitivity 4.12/5
Speech Clarity 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 4.0/5
Written Expression 4.0/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.0/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.0/5

Technologies & Tools

ACMS Casewatch Millenium Addison Health Systems WritePad EHR Allscripts Canopy Anasazi Software Assessment and Treatment Plan Systems Athena Software Penelope Case Management Cadence Solutions extendedReach Case management software CaseManagement.com E-Reports Client System danic Technology Database software Economic Analysis Group EAG CaseTrack Email software IBM Lotus Notes IMA Technologies CaseTrakker Libera System7 Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Empathy (High importance: 5.0/5)
  • Sincerity (High importance: 4.93/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.77/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.57/5)
  • Social Orientation (High importance: 4.55/5)

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How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Addiction Counselor Addiction Recovery Specialist Addiction Therapist Addictions Counselor Alcohol and Drug Counselor Alcoholic Counselor Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor Assessment Specialist Behavior Technician (Behavior Tech) Behavior Therapist Behavioral Analyst Behavioral Clinician Behavioral Specialist Behavioral Technician Behavioral Therapist Case Manager Certified Abuse and Drug Addiction Counselor Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADAC) Certified Alcohol Counselor Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor (CADC) Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (ADAC) Certified Drug Counselor Certified Substance Abuse Counselor Chemical Dependency Counselor (CD Counselor) Chemical Dependency Professional Chemical Dependency Technician Clinical Counselor Clinician Correctional Substance Abuse Counselor Counselor Direct Care Counselor Drug Abuse Counselor Drug Abuse Technician Drug and Alcohol Therapist Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist (DATS) Drug Counselor Drug or Alcohol Abuse Human Relations Counselor Group Counselor Group Home Counselor Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) Licensed Clinician Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Outpatient Counselor Prevention Specialist Quitline Counselor Residential Substance Abuse Counselor Residential Therapist Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) Substance Abuse Counselor (SA Counselor) Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator Substance Abuse Technician Substance Abuse Therapist Substance Use Counselor Substance Use Disorder Counselor Treatment Coordinator Treatment Counselor

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.