§ OCCUPATION · GLOBAL STANDARDS

drug and alcohol addiction counsellor

Description

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.

Theoretical Knowledge

ESSENTIALTheoretical knowledge required

social sciences adolescent psychological development counselling methods social justice reflexion human psychological development client-centred counselling dependency on drugs legal requirements in the social sector psychology behavioural therapy supervision of persons psychological theories cognitive behavioural therapy

OPTIONALAdjacent knowledge that strengthens fit

clinical social work sophrology

Practical Skills

ESSENTIALApplied skills & competences

have emotional intelligence relate empathetically build helping relationship with social service users maintain the trust of service users promote human rights use motivational incentives in addiction counselling promote the safeguarding of young people assess the development of youth communicate with social service users apply socially just working principles promote social change demonstrate leadership in social service cases support the positiveness of youths promote inclusion maintain records of work with service users undertake continuous professional development in social work perform therapy sessions provide social counselling refer social service users follow health and safety precautions in social care practices respond to individuals' extreme emotions communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields manage stress in the work place report on social development encourage counselled clients to examine themselves prepare youths for adulthood maintain a non-emotional involvement cooperate at inter-professional level deliver social services in diverse cultural communities apply quality standards in social services organise relapse prevention accept own accountability manage social crisis listen actively assess social service users' situation help clients make decisions during counselling sessions assess clients' drug and alcohol addictions

OPTIONALOptional competences

inform on the risks of substance and alcohol abuse

Data Source: Unified Global Standards (ISCED, ISCO, O*NET, ESCO)