Profession drug and alcohol addiction counsellor

Drug and alcohol addiction counsellors provide assistance and counselling to individuals and families dealing with drug and alcohol addictions, monitoring their progress, advocating for them, performing crisis interventions and group therapy. They also assist the persons with the consequences of their addictions which can be unemployment, physical or mental disorders and poverty. Drug and alcohol addiction counsellors may also prepare educational programs for high-risk populations.

Personality Type

• Social / Artistic
• Social / Investigative
• Social / Enterprising

Knowledge

• Adolescent psychological development

  Understand the developments and the development needs of children and young persons, observing the behaviour and the attachment relationships in order to detect developmental delay.

• Client-centred counselling

  Practice that encourages clients to concentrate on how they feel at the present moment during the counseling session in order to search for the most appropriate solutions.

• Counselling methods

  Counselling techniques used in different settings and with various groups and individuals, especially concerning methods of supervision and mediation in the counselling process.

• Dependency on drugs

  Dependency on substances such as alcohol, prescribed medication or cocaine and their impact on the brain and human body.

• Human psychological development

  The human psychological development across the lifespan, theories of personality development, cultural and environmental influences, human behavior, including developmental crises, disability, exceptional behavior, and addictive behavior.

• Psychological theories

  The historical development of counselling and psychological theories, as well as the perspectives, applications, and interviewing and counselling strategies.

• Behavioural therapy

  The characteristics and foundations of behavioural therapy, which focuses on changing patients` unwanted or negative behaviour. It involves studying the present behaviour and the means by which this can be un-learned.

• Reflexion

  The way to listen to individuals, to summarise the major points and clarify what they are feeling in order to help them reflect on their behaviour.

• Legal requirements in the social sector

  The prescribed legislative and regulatory requirements in the social sector.

• Social sciences

  The development and characteristics of sociological, anthropological, psychological, political, and social policy theories.

• Supervision of persons

  The act of directing one individual or a group of individuals in a certain activity.

• Social justice

  The development and principles of human rights and social justice and the way they should be applied on a case by case basis.

• Psychology

  The human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation.

• Cognitive behavioural therapy

  The solution-focused approach to treating mental disorders oriented towards solving problems by teaching new information-processing skills and coping mechanisms.

Skills

• Manage stress in organisation

  Cope with sources of stress and cross-pressure in one's own professional life, such as occupational, managerial, institutional and personal stress, and help others do the same so as to promote the well-being of your colleagues and avoid burn-out.

• Maintain records of work with service users

  Maintain accurate, concise, up-to-date and timely records of the work with service users while complying with legislation and policies related to privacy and security.

• Have emotional intelligence

  Recognize ones own and other people`s emotions, distinguish correctly between them and observing how they can influence one`s environment and social interaction and what can be done about it.

• Demonstrate leadership in social service cases

  Take the lead in the practical handling of social work cases and activities.

• Promote the safeguarding of young people

  Understand safeguarding and what should be done in cases of actual or potential harm or abuse.

• Listen actively

  Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.

• Provide social counselling

  Assist and guide social service users to resolve personal, social or psychological problems and difficulties.

• Build helping relationship with social service users

  Develop a collaborative helping relationship, addressing any ruptures or strains in the relationship, fostering bonding and gaining service users` trust and cooperation through empathic listening, caring, warmth and authenticity.

• Relate empathetically

  Recognise, understand and share emotions and insights experienced by another.

• Manage social crisis

  Identify, respond and motivate individuals in social crisis situations, in a timely manner, making use of all resources.

• Refer social service users

  Make referrals to other professionals and other organisations, based on the social service users' requirements and needs.

• Follow health and safety precautions in social care practices

  Ensure hygienic work practice, respecting the safety of the environment at day care, residential care settings and care at home.

• Help clients make decisions during counselling sessions

  Encourage clients to make their own decisions related to their problems or inner conflicts by reducing confusion and allowing clients to reach their own conclusions, with no bias whatsoever.

• Respond to individuals' extreme emotions

  React and help appropriately in case of extreme emotional reactions of individuals in a crisis situation, extreme distress or who are traumatised.

• Report on social development

  Report results and conclusions on society's social development in an intelligible way, presenting these orally and in written form to a range of audiences from non-experts to experts.

• Support the positiveness of youths

  Help children and young people to assess their social, emotional and identity needs and to develop a positive self image, enhance their self esteem and improve their self reliance.

• Organise relapse prevention

  Help the patient or client identify and anticipate high risk situations or external and internal triggers. Support them in developing better coping strategies and back-up plans in case of future difficulties.

• Prepare youths for adulthood

  Work with children and young people to identify the skills and abilities they will need to become effective citizens and adults and to prepare them for independence.

• Assess social service users' situation

  Assess the social situation of service users situation balancing curiosity and respect in the dialogue, considering their families, organisations and communities and the associated risks and identifying the needs and resources, in order to meet physical, emotional and social needs.

• Apply quality standards in social services

  Apply quality stardards in social services while upholding social work values and principles.

• Deliver social services in diverse cultural communities

  Deliver services which are mindful of different cultural and language traditions, showing respect and validation for communities and being consistent with policies regarding human rights and equality and diversity.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Maintain a non-emotional involvement

  Keep a broader perspective and stay non-attached to the emotions and feelings expressed by the client during counselling sessions.

• Promote human rights

  Promote and respect human rights and diversity in light of the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of autonomous individuals, taking into account their opinions, beliefs and values, and the international and national codes of ethics, as well as the ethical implications of healthcare provision, ensuring their right to privacy and honouring for the confidentiality of healthcare information.

• Cooperate at inter-professional level

  Cooperate with people in other sectors in relation to social service work.

• Use motivational incentives in addiction counselling

  Use questions to motivate the client to change his/her behaviour or undertake treatment or abstinence from substance or alcohol abuse.

• Assess the development of youth

  Evaluate the different aspects of development needs of children and young people.

• Communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields

  Communicate professionally and cooperate with members of the other professions in the health and social services sector.

• Promote social change

  Promote changes in relationships between individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities by taking into consideration and coping with unpredictable changes, at the micro, macro and mezzo level.

• Apply socially just working principles

  Work in accordance with management and organisational principles and values focusing on human rights and social justice.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Encourage counselled clients to examine themselves

  Support and encourage the clients to analyse and be aware of some aspects in their life that may have been distressing or impossible to tackle so far.

• Handle conflicts

  Mediate in conflicts and tense situations by acting between parties, such as service users, important others like families, and institutions, striving to effect an agreement, reconciliate, and resolve problems.

• Perform therapy sessions

  Work in sessions with individuals or groups to deliver therapy in a controlled environment.

• Undertake continuous professional development in social work

  Undertake continuous professional development (CPD) to continuously update and develop knowledge, skills and competences within one`s scope of practice in social work.

• Maintain the trust of service users

  Establish and maintain the trust and confidence of the client, communicating in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way and being honest and reliable.

• Assess clients' drug and alcohol addictions

  Interview clients and assess their addictions in order to establish an appropriate plan for action.

• Communicate with social service users

  Use verbal, non-verbal, written, and electronic communication. Pay attention to the specific social service users' needs, characteristics, abilities, preferences, age, developmental stage, and culture.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB