I will have my bachelors degree in sociology this summer but wondering if I need to get a masters to be a counselor at a rehab center. I do know some people who do not have a masters and our counselors.
2006-11-21 06:00:05 · 4 answers · asked by nashvillekat 6 in Business & Finance ➔ Careers & Employment
It depends on the license requirements of your state...but where i live (kansas-missouri border) you don't need a liscense to be a substance abuse counselor (thats the proper name, not drug counselor). However, to be a school or mental health counselor, you do need at least a masters degree.
Sociology woulnd't be the appropriate degee anyway, you would want a masters in Counseling, psychology or a masters in Social Work. Sociology has nothing to do with substance abuse or counseling.
I am currently in a masters in counseling program (couples counseling), and have a few friends that work as substance abuse counselors (they just have bachelors degrees right now). They only make $14 an hour tho, its a very low paying job (since most clinics are free because most drug addicts can't afford to pay for substance abuse counseling).
2006-11-21 06:11:12 · answer #1 · answered by EllisFan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you don't need a Master's in Sociology. It's not your degree, per se, that gets you into counseling, it is your licensure. To be a drug counselor, it is recommended that you are at least an LCCDC I, which is a Licensed Clinical Chemical Dependency Counselor of the first level. You can move up levels (I, II, III), or become an LICCDC, which is an independent counselor. To obtain these licensures, you need to check your state licensing board to find out the training requirements. Good Luck!
2006-11-21 06:14:30 · answer #2 · answered by Leah B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my friend was a drug counselor at a rehab center in Chicago but he had a bachelor's in Psychology. He went on to get his masters in clinical psychology and now does family counseling. He couldn't handle drug counseling anymore but he enjoyed it while he was there. Thought he was actually making a difference in people's lives.
2006-11-21 06:05:25 · answer #3 · answered by foxfire101 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There will always be perceived barriers. I say perceived because often they are fictional.
I have worked in substance abuse counselling for 30 years. Often I have worked in jobs that on paper required a MSW or PhD. I have neither.
The main thing is to find something you personally have a passion for and keep doing things that get you known. If it is meant to be doors will open.
Another paradigm is lo look at yourself as an addiction worker, a more general term.
Wishing you the best
2006-11-21 06:28:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋