What does an Addiction Counselor in Texas do? What is Their Job Role?
Substance abuse is a national epidemic. Even before news of the opioid problem hit the headlines, drugs such as alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine, and benzodiazepines were wreaking havoc in all corners of American society. Now, nearly 20% of all youth deaths are due to opioids alone.
The bigger picture isn't rosy, either. The CDC reports that overall drug overdose rates rose by 21.5 percent, according to 2015-2016 data. The same reporting period saw a 10.6 percent increase in prescription opioid overdose, a 19.5 percent increase in heroin overdose, and 52.4 percent increase in cocaine-related deaths.
This all means that the problem of drug abuse is creating more victims every single day. However, there are also a lot of people who are motivated to help those victims find solutions such as an alcohol drug counselor. Alcohol drug counselors may be working in rehabilitation centers, private substance abuse counseling practices, or doing volunteer work through 12-step organizations. You can become a part of the growing legions that are working to provide alcohol drug solutions for the families, addicts, and everyone else impacted by this metastasizing scourge. If you are interested in becoming a substance abuse counselor, your skills and talents will be welcome to so many.
If you are considering becoming a substance abuse counselor in Texas, keep reading to learn more about alcohol drug counseling, as well as your state's licensure requirements.
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Overview
A career in chemical dependency counseling is one that is richly rewarding and vitally important to the lives of so many. It's been said that nearly every single person is somehow impacted by alcohol drug abuse. Whether their family members, friends, or coworkers are caught in the spiral of abuse, the disease of alcohol drug addiction touches everyone. Thus, if you choose to pursue a career as a substance abuse counselor, your efforts will positively impact hundreds, if not thousands, of people you will never even meet.
Work Environment
Substance abuse counselors work in a variety of workplaces. You might find yourself working in a hospital-like setting with spartan facilities. Other alcohol drug rehabilitation centers are housed in office parks and the patients all live standard, private apartments. There are even a resort-like campus that features a wide range of therapies, including yoga, equine therapy, and nutrition classes. Rehabs are also found on sailboats, in wilderness areas that invite patients to confront themselves on long endurance hikes, and any other environment you can imagine.
However, you might choose to not work in a rehabilitation center, at least not full-time. You could open a private practice for addicts and their families. Part of your practice could involve interventions where distraught families confront the addict in their lives. Alternatively, your practice could focus on aftercare, helping addicts integrate into their lives after rehab.
Duties
In a alcohol drug rehabilitation setting, counselors might spend their days in one-on-one sessions with addicts, or facilitating group therapy sessions. You might also be called to teach classes that detail the impact of drugs on the body, or courses that detail the causes and conditions for relapse. Still other counselors might spend time managing patients in their halfway house settings.
Counselors in private practice often supplement their duties by working with attorneys to ensure that addicts stay on track with their pre-trial duties. That is, you might do phone sessions with alcohol drug addicts who need to focus on completing community service, drug/alcohol courses, or other tasks that will help them when they appear in court.
Sometimes drug counselors conduct courses in the community for those facing criminal charges. DUI school, for instance, is in high demand. In that function, your intervention in the addictive cycle will not be as dramatic, but it can be just as important. When you help alcohol drug addicts assess their use and abuse, you are helping them face and admit their problem so that they can solve it.
Are You a Good Fit?
Texas substance abuse counselors have diverse personalities, backgrounds, and motivations for joining the profession. However, they are all interested in helping addicts recover from their problem. Thus, they all have an open mind with regards to the addict's plight. Rather than a punitive approach, substance abuse counselors see substance abuse as a mental health issue rather than one of bad behavior. They tend to be compassionate and seek to understand the plight of their clients.
While you will need an understanding attitude you will also need to learn how to have strong boundaries. As part of your training, you will learn how to be kind and compassionate, but also objective and discerning. Alcohol drug addicts are known to be manipulative, and to have histories of deep trauma. Your task will be to find compassion for their pain, but also to maintain a healthy distance. This distance will help you provide the best care and to be a guide for someone in recovery.
Texas Licensing & Certifications for Associates & Independent Counselors
There are many different sorts of credentials you can hold as a Texas substance abuse counselor. You could be a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in addictions, a clinical psychologist, or a certified addiction registered nurse, among other credentials. Most of these require extensive academic training, on top of a rigorous internship. There is an alternative in Texas, if you would rather focus in on your passion.
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Texas offers a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) credential that does not require you to hold a master's degree. In some cases, those with an associate's degree may be LCDCs. Just like other Texas mental health professionals, your credentials will come from the Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Program, which is run under the Health and Human Services Commission. In order to attain the credential, you will need to have met specific requirements. Chief among those are your education and background, including an extensive internship period.
Education Requirements
To become an LCDC in Texas, you must first satisfy the state's academic requirements. Texas asks that you complete 270 clock-hours of classroom time that focus on your career. They have a specific breakdown for your coursework.
Texas asks that 135 hours of your schooling focus specifically on the study of addictions and addiction treatment. The remaining 135 hours should be related to counseling, but not specific to addictions or substance abuse disorders. These related courses might include:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Clinical psychology
- Ethics
- Behavioral science
- Psychological research
- Psychiatric nursing
- Family counseling
Texas will accept coursework from either an accredited educational institution or from a career school. If you choose to attend a career school, make sure that the curriculum must include at least the Transdisciplinary Foundations, and includes the following courses/topics that satisfy the state's standards for professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs):
- Understanding addiction
- Treatment knowledge
- Application to practice
- Professional readiness
CACREP Accredited Online Certification
Two types of accreditation are recognized in the United States; institutional and specialized. Institutional accreditation takes the entire institution into account while the specialized focus on professional preparation programs. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is a specialized accreditation that focuses on master’s and doctoral degree programs in substance abuse counseling at colleges and universities worldwide. Only already-accredited institutions are eligible for CACREP review. The review for accreditation will center on programs offering graduate degrees in substance abuse counseling.
Choosing a CACREP-accredited program ensures that the program meets the highest of quality standards. Many counseling specialties are accredited bythe CACREP, including addiction counseling. Accredited addiction counseling programs prepare individuals to work with those affected by addictive behavior and their families. Addictive behaviors include alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, sex, and anything else that negatively affects your personal or work life by creating addiction behaviors.
CACREP-accredited programs will focus on treatment models and the phases of addiction including prevention, recovery, and relapse prevention. These 60-semester hour programs will include the application of interventions. When students choose a CACREP-accredited program they can be confident that:
- the program must include at least the national standards
- the program will focus on professional counseling rather than psychology oreducation
- the program has an excellent reputation
- CACREP graduates statistically receive higher scores on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE).
- the requirements for licensure will be met.
State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors
The Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors is a focused branch of the Texas Department of State Health Services. The Board implements and enforces the Code of Ethics implemented by the state on the practice of mental health counseling. They oversee mental health professional licensure, renewals, and continuing education requirements. It is also the responsibility of the Board to investigate complaints against professionals. The focus of the Board includes improving mental health outcomes through specific strategies including prevention and intervention.
Address
P.O. Box 149347, Mail Code 1982
Austin, Texas 78714-9347
Phone
(512) 834-6658
Website Address
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/counselor/
Licensure:
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
- Licensed Professional Counselor Intern (LPC-I)
Professional Examination for Texas
The Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals (TCBAP) administers an examination that you must pass prior to receiving your LCDC licensure. If you have completed your education, you should first register as an LCDC-I with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, then you can visit the TCBAP website to download an application. The TCBAP website is a great resource that includes pages where you can register to take the exam, purchase study materials, and complete a testing demonstration.
If you don't pass the test on the first attempt, don't worry. Texas allows you to re-test, but you must first wait 90 days from your examination date to re-register. You can use this time to review your weak spots and either take a preparation course or study with your peers.
Clinical Supervision Explained
“As part of the graduate program, a supervised practicum experience that is primarily substance abuse counseling in nature. The practicum should be at least 300 clock-hours with at least 100 clock-hours of direct client contact. Academic credit for the practicum must appear on the applicant's transcript.
After completion of the graduate degree and before application, an applicant must take and pass the National Counselor Exam and the Texas Jurisprudence Exam. After receiving a temporary LPC license from the board, the applicant may begin the supervised post-graduate counseling experience (internship). 3000 clock-hours with at least 1,500 being direct client contact of internship under the supervision of a board-approved supervisor is required. The 3000 clock-hours may not be completed in a time period of less than 18 months.” Originally seen published on https://www.dshs.texas.gov.
Keep in mind that you need to stay with the same school for the entire 300 hours. When you are ready to submit you hours to the board, it must be accompanied by your transcripts and a letter from your educational coordinator that verifies that your work was in the field of substance abuse.
Your experience must also meet certain criteria. You must be exposed to treatment services and activities that conform to the KSA dimensions instituted by the state. You should also observe how treatment is delivered and then have supervised time delivering treatment yourself. Note that for the state to validate your experience, you must be supervised by a qualified and credentialed counselor.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Once you are established as a LCDC, you will need to continue your education. To keep your credentials current and valid, you must complete up to 40 hours of continuing education credits for every biennial licensure period. The 40-hour requirement is for LCDCs who do not hold a master's degree. For those with a master's, the requirement drops to 24 hours for every 2-year period.
The basic criteria for your continuing education units (CEUs) are that they must be provided by a recognized body such as:
- Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners
- Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists
- Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors
- National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
- Texas Certification Board for Addiction Professionals
Your courses should address the KSA dimensions and be specific to the subject of substance abuse disorders, treatment, or be closely related to addictions counseling. You can take courses that cover the following topics:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Counseling
- Mental health
- Behavioral science
- Psychiatric nursing
- Ethics
- Rehabilitation counseling
Potential Counselor Career Path Options
- Addiction Counselor
- Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor
- Behavioral Health Specialist
- Certified Addiction Drug and Alcohol Counselor
- Chemical Dependency Counselor
- Mental Health Counselor
- School Counselor
- Substance Abuse Counselor
Associations & Organizations
To broaden your personal and professional horizons, consider joining a professional association. The Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAAP) will put you in contact with other professionals all across Texas. They offer CEU hours conducted both in person and via the internet, hold informative meetings and conferences, and even offer leadership opportunities if you so desire.
The TAAP is part of a national association, the NAADAC, and thus will connect you with professionals nationwide. Through the national association, you can offer referrals when clients move out of state and participate in national conferences. They have a national job posting board and can help you attain a national certification.
As you pursue your career in addictions counseling, you will find that there is no shortage of support. Just as you encourage your clients to establish a support network, there is a national network ready to support you and your career. Your journey to a rewarding career starts today.
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