The duties of workers in many occupations are closely related to those of counselors. Among these occupations are alcohol and substance abuse counselors, counseling psychologists, school psychologists, and psychiatrists.
ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE COUNSELOR
People who recognize, or are forced to face their dependency on alcohol or other drugs, often enter programs that provide medical monitoring, structure, an introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar fellowship, and counseling. The counseling may be conducted by specialists in the field who are known by various titles, such as addiction counselor, alcoholism counselor, chemical dependency counselor, drug abuse counselor, and substance abuse counselor. The counselor's duties include evaluating the client's condition, conducting individual and group counseling sessions, and meeting with other staff members to develop an individualized treatment program for each client. Work settings include hospitals, treatment centers, government agencies, and private practice.
These counselors number more than 100,000 according to the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors. The need for such counselors is great, judging by the number of alcoholics (around fifteen million) and other chemically dependent people in the country; but relatively few people seek treatment. Demand is also held down by lack of funds; funding for treatment programs is harder to come by than denunciations of drugs and drunk drivers.
One distinguishing characteristic of this occupation, as opposed to other counseling occupations, is the variety of routes to employment. Although most alcohol and substance abuse counselors have a bachelor's degree, employers may not require one, in part because suitable courses were rarely offered by colleges in the past. This situation has changed, and many two-year and four-year colleges and graduate schools now provide appropriate training. In the absence of a fixed educational requirement, employers seek to hire individuals who have a competency-based certification. Certification requires experience, which can be acquired as a counselor-in-training. Employers hiring counselors-in-training look for people who have good counseling skills and are knowledgeable about the substances being abused, the nature of alcoholism and addiction, and the resources available to a recovering individual.
Certification of these counselors is available through states and other jurisdictions; it is often voluntary, but in all states there is some form of recognition or certification, either through state government or privately. No single national certification board exists; however, the National Commission on Accreditation of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Credentialing Bodies has set standards for the states to follow. The minimum standards for certification usually include at least two years of supervised work experience as an alcoholism or drug abuse counselor, 200 – 300 clock hours of training, a written test, and a case presentation. Dual certification for alcohol and other drugs requires three years of supervised experience and is becoming increasingly important. More than thirty credentialing bodies have accepted these standards. The top level of certification is represented by Master Addictions Counselor, which requires a master's degree, 500 contact hours of training, and a passing grade on the MAC exam administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors. Three years of experience are also required, two of which must be post-master's degree.
Counselors earn approximately $43,300 a year; these earnings are generally less than those of nurses or social workers. Counselors in publicly funded programs perceive themselves as low paid.
COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), counseling psychologists "provide services to promote individual and group well-being and to prevent and remedy developmental, educational, vocational, social and/or emotional adjustment problems." Like other counselors, they usually work with clients considered normal rather than patients considered ill.
Although precise figures are unavailable, employment probably exceeds six thousand; almost three thousand members of the APA state that they are employed full time as counseling psychologists. Only clinical psychology is more often identified as a specialty by APA members. More than 40 percent have private practice as their secondary employment setting, while it is the primary setting for 15 percent; the growing importance of private practice is indicated by the finding that younger counseling psychologists are twice as likely as older ones to be engaged in private practice. Other employment settings are hospitals, community mental health centers, full-time consultation, and government agencies.
The average salary of licensed psychologists with a doctorate who provided direct human services was $77,030—with the highest ten percent earning more than $124,520 and the lowest ten percent earning less than $42,330. Counseling psychologists enjoy the usual fringe benefits granted by their employer.
Fully qualified counseling psychologists have a doctorate in their field from a program accredited by the APA. Use of the job title “psychologist” by people who are offering services to the public is controlled in every state. Common requirements, besides the doctorate, are one to two years of experience and successful performance on an examination.
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
School psychologists, like school counselors, work to improve the intellectual, social, and emotional development of children.
According to the National Association of School Psychologists Inc., school psychology "focuses upon the psycho-educational development of individuals, their abilities and potentialities, and the emotional and cultural factors which influence this learning process."
As with other occupations, their duties vary with the employer. In some school districts they practically function as elementary school counselors, providing counseling and consultation services to the students and teachers in two or three schools. In others, school psychologists might work almost exclusively as counselors for students with adjustment problems or with families undergoing unusual stress. In yet another, school psychologists will be actively engaged in curriculum development or in-service training.
School psychologists, being responsible for the placement of students in programs that will be most beneficial, often have a special concern with assessment. Assessment is based on a psycho-educational evaluation of the student's personal social adjustment, intelligence, academic achievement, sensory and perceptual motor functioning, and environmental or cultural influences. On average, school psychologists spend 40 percent of their time on assessment and the rest on intervention, which includes counseling and other duties.
Total employment exceeds 20,000. Federal law mandates that states allocate funds for the employment of one school psychologist for every two thousand students. Current employment approaches that goal, according to several studies. Little growth is expected. However, even slight growth coupled with normal turnover will result in numerous openings per year. Shortages exist in medium-size cities as well as in large urban and small rural districts. The job market is good now and expected to get even better.
The median wage is about $75,090—with the lowest ten percent earning $42,460 and the highest ten percent earning $123,920.
A fully qualified school psychologist has a master's degree plus about 72 graduate school credits in school psychology, as well as supervised experience in the field. Such an education program leads to an educational specialist degree, which requires roughly twice the number of credits that a master's degree does. Doctorate programs are also available. In recent years, the number of students proceeding to a doctorate has increased, in part because of the status of the doctorate as the entry-level degree for other psychology specialties. Master’s and doctorate programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education; it publishes a list of programs annually. School psychologists must be certified by their state's department of education or department of public instruction. Certification as a school psychologist is not a license to practice psychology.
PSYCHIATRIST
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Although they may use counseling or psychological techniques, they may also prescribe drugs or electroshock therapy. They are the only mental health professionals authorized to prescribe drugs.
Psychiatrists may have a general practice or they may specialize in a field such as industrial psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, or psychoanalysis. Child psychiatry is considered a separate specialty by the American Medical Association.
About half of psychiatrists have full-time private practices. Administrating community mental health centers, teaching in medical school, and conducting research are among the duties of other psychiatrists, often in combination with a part-time private practice.
The median net earnings for psychiatrists is $216,090, however this number fluctuates slightly, depending on the industry the psychiatrists are employed by.
Psychiatrists must be licensed to practice medicine, which means that they must graduate from an accredited medical school and pass the appropriate examinations. Entrance into medical school is extremely competitive. Generally, psychiatrists spend four years in residency programs after medical school and then take exams administered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Physicians have enjoyed a very favorable job market for the past generation. In the future, physicians starting a practice are expected to face somewhat more competition. Psychiatry, which is entered by so few medical school graduates, should be less competitive.
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