Job as Rehab Counselor / Qualifying as a Substance Abuse Professional?

Question by B!: Job as Rehab Counselor / Qualifying as a Substance Abuse Professional?
I’m a psychology major at school, going into my last leg of undergrad schooling. I’ve known for a long time that I want to work with drug abuse/rehabilitation (my brother is a recovered heroin addict), and I was curious:

What is required to get a job as a rehab counselor and is the pay alright? Are there any other jobs you can recommend for a psych student who wants to work in this field?

Also, what goes into qualifying as a substance abuse professional?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

Best answer:

Answer by transman1977
Check out the links at this website for education and training: http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-tyc7&p=drug%20abuse%20counselors&type= and http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu70nfFVI5sgAQhtXNyoA?fr2=sg-gac&sado=1&p=education%20to%20be%20a%20drug%20counselor&fr=slv8-tyc7&ei=UTF-8

DOT/SAP (Substance Abuse Professional) Qualification and Continuing Education Requirements

The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulation — 49 CFR Part 40 — defines the Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) as a person who evaluates employees who have
violated a DOT drug and alcohol regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare. In order to be a SAP, an individual must possess certain credentials, have knowledge and experience in substance abuse disorders, receive training on DOT regulations, and achieve a passing score on an examination. There is also a continuing education requirement to complete 12 hours of professional development in content relative to the SAP function.

Credentials: To become SAP qualified you must possess one of the following credentials:
1. Licensed physician (Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy);
2. Licensed or certified social worker;
3. Licensed or certified psychologist;
4. Licensed or certified employee assistance professional;
5. Alcohol and drug abuse counselor certified by the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors Certification Commission (NAADAC), or by the International Certification Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug
Abuse (ICRC), or by the National Board of Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates/Master Addictions Counselor (NBCC).

Knowledge: To be a SAP an individual must have knowledge of and clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse-related disorders. It is required that an individual be fully knowledgeable in the SAP role as it relates to the special responsibilities employers have for ensuring the safety of the traveling public. To be a Substance Abuse Professional it is required that the individual be fully informed about 49 CFR, Part 40, pertinent DOT agency regulations, the SAP guidelines, and any significant changes to them. Note: that your degrees and certificates alone do not confer to you these knowledge requirements.

Training: It is a requirement for an individual to complete DOT/SAP qualification training. The qualification training must include the nine required components laid out in
Section 281(c) of Part 40.

Examination: Following completion of the training, an individual must satisfactorily complete an examination. The examination must be given by a nationally recognized
professional or training organization and must comprehensively cover all the elements required for the qualification training, i.e. 49 CFR, Part 40. Please be aware that DOT requires these training or professional organizations to have their SAP examination validated by a test evaluation organization.

Continuing Education: During each three-year period following satisfactory completion of the training and examination (the three-year period begins on the date of successful completion of the exam), you must complete at least 12 professional development hours (e.g., Continuing Education Units) relevant to your performing SAP duties.
http://www.eapassn.org/public/articles/dotinfo.pdf

Salary would depend upon education, training and state you live in. Check out the links at: http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-tyc7&p=drug%20abuse%20counselors%20salary&type=

Have you considered becoming a Psychological Examiner as a backup profession? Do you plan to go to graduate school? Good luck with your career endeavors!

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