Sara Wirkkala opens private mental health counseling service
ASTORIA — Sara Wirkkala, MSW, recently set up shop in Astoria, offering a variety of counseling services, including mental health and addiction services. Wirkkala is a licensed clinical social worker and certified alcohol and drug counselor. “Mostly I … Read more on Daily Astorian

'Helping a brother'
He hooks up those in crisis with counseling services, too. His fledgling organization is a work … Over the next decade and a half, Torres would at times battle demons — alcohol and drugs, flying off the handle and getting into scrapes. One of those … Read more on Eagle-Tribune

Sturgis police officer charged with being 'super drunk,' given 2-week suspension
sheriffcarnew.jpg An off-duty Sturgis police officer involved in a crash on South 44th Street in Kalamazoo County is facing charges of operating a motor vehicle with a high blood-alcohol content of 0.17 percent or higher and operating a motor vehicle … Read more on MLive.com

UMF announces five-year master's program in partnership with USM
Graduates of the five-year program can qualify for state licensing for counseling and national certification for rehabilitation counseling, making them highly employable in many settings, including at alcohol and drug treatment facilities, counseling … Read more on Lewiston Sun Journal

Ex-Player Charged in Sale of Pills to Derek Boogaard
Two weeks before he died of an overdose in 2011, Derek Boogaard of the Rangers was excused from his substance-abuse rehabilitation in California and returned to New York. He drove to Long Island, as he had done many times in the months … After five … Read more on New York Times

Recovery Month speaker tells of journey from addiction to social work
It wasn't until she lost custody of her son and faced her second felony conviction that she entered recovery. McKenna, now a licensed social worker at the Rogers Memorial Hospital campus in West Allis and alcohol and drug abuse counselor, has been … Read more on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Kenton leaders: We must move faster to fight heroin
The greatest needs are for more in-patient beds and continued care for people in recovery, said Bonnie Hedrick, co-chair of the task force and coordinator for the NKY Agency for Substance Abuse Policy/Prevention Alliance. “In-patient programs in … Read more on Cincinnati.com

Resources scarce for teen addicts
Editor's note: This is the second in a Sunday series on the spread of drug addiction, including prescription pills, heroin and other opiates in Coweta County. The series takes a look at drug use, treatment programs – or the lack thereof – as well as … Read more on Newnan Times-Herald

What Goes on Inside an Intervention?
John Lloyd is a certified addiction specialist, interventionist, and certified in anger management and domestic violence intervention. John has worked in the drug and alcohol treatment field for over eleven years and is in long term recovery himself … Read more on PsychCentral.com (blog)

Drug–addicted mothers an 'epidemic' in W.Va.
Jordan, a behavioral health counselor, and Kosa, a social worker, both deal with drug-addicted mothers on a weekly basis at FamilyCare Health Centers in Putnam, Boone and Kanawha counties. They provide weekly programs for women … “We started treating … Read more on Charleston Gazette

State to test telehealth drug treatment program
PIERRE, S.D. — In an effort to get more treatment services to rural South Dakota, the Department of Social Services is exploring using telemedicine to help drug and alcohol abusers in remote parts of the state stay sober and out of prison, state … Read more on Centre Daily Times

Question by Green: AODA counselor degree advice?
Hi there. I want to become an AODA counselor, I was wondering, hopefully for some advice from real AODA counselors, how is the schooling money/studying-wise? Is it worth the job? (Im sure I will find the job more than worthwhile no matter what, I don’t care for money, I want to help people more than anything)

What does the school consist of and how many years should I plan on going?

thanks in advance.

Best answer:

Answer by jannsody
If by AODA counselor, you’re referring to an “alcohol and other drug abuse” counselor, which is most likely similar to the credentials of CAC (certified addiction counselor) or CADC (certified alcohol and drug counselor), then obtaining a master’s degree can make a person more marketable in the field.

It’s great that you’re not considering “addiction counseling” for the money as most don’t enter the field for the salary 🙂 A lot of addiction counselors are “in recovery” (from addiction) themselves, but it’s not a prerequisite.

The substance abuse counseling student needs to get a passing score while completing several clinical fieldwork hours under the supervision of a clinical supervisor and having an actual patient caseload.

This site has more general info re: certification in addiction counseling: http://www.naadac.org/certification

Just an fyi that the social work/counseling (and nursing) field is supposed to have a high burn-out rate.

With regard to schooling, please do *avoid* those private For-profit schools, such as devry, ITT tech, strayer, U of P, capella, regis, argosy, walden, grand canyon, ashworth, full sail, ashford, pima medical, Stratford career, keiser, Everest, penn foster, icdc, Kaplan, art institute, concorde career and others. Their course credits usually do ** NOT ** transfer to other schools, even if the for-profit school is regionally accredited as opposed to only nationally accredited.

General career info: http://www.bls.gov/ooh and can search “substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors”, “social workers”, “counselors” or such.

For U.S. colleges (though, please still forgo those for-profit schools): http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ

This government site has more general info re: “functional qualities and helping skills for AODA counselors and therapists”: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/substabuse/docs/reports/Helpingskills3.pdf

You may want to consider volunteering at a “crisis helpline” of which the volunteer engages in “active listening” (including reflecting feelings) of the caller as opposed to providing counseling or giving advice.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Substance counselor gets prison in DUI death
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A substance-abuse counselor who struck a pedestrian with her car and drove through a Los Angeles suburb with the dying man on her windshield was sentenced Thursday to 55 years to life in prison. Sherri Lynn Wilkins, 53, was … Read more on 7Online WSVN-TV

Woman who drove with dying man on car gets prison – KOAM TV 7
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A substance-abuse counselor was sentenced Thursday to 55 years to life in prison for hitting a pedestrian with her car and driving through a Los Angeles suburb with the dying man on her windshield. A jury earlier this year convicted … Read more on KOAM-TV

Sheriff disappointed in drug program results
Although Cahill is not a substance abuse counselor, he was hoping the lessons his company teaches would also help the program's participants. Three of the men in the program have been sentenced to prison, one for committing another crime and two for … Read more on The Daily Standard

News anchor Bert Roselle: 1933-2014
Mr. Roselle, a former television anchor and drug abuse counselor, has died at age 80. Colleagues remember Bert Roselle as the first “face” of Channel 17 news. He was the veteran professional in a relatively young newsroom and a mentor with a sense of … Read more on Florida Times-Union

New Beginnings Adolescent Recovery Center CEO Johnny Patout to Speak at …
The conference is held by C4 Recovery Solutions and takes place in La Quinta, California from May 29 until June 1. Patout, a licensed clinical social worker, has worked in the field of addiction treatment for more than three decades. As a recovering … Read more on PR Web (press release)

Shreveport hopes to save bungalow
City Councilman Jeff Everson told The Times that the city plans to rehabilitate the 1890s cottage near Oakland Cemetery and move it to city-owned property on Elvis Presley Boulevard. "The idea is to renovate it and move it to a place where it will be … Read more on KATC Lafayette News

Lindsay Finale Shocker: Lohan Reveals She Had A Miscarriage
“It's learning to [find] a way to live so you can still have fun, but without drugs and alcohol in your life,” she told the camera, saying when she gets tempted, she flashes back to all the horrible things that came from her addiction, and that keeps … Read more on GossipCop

Swee'pea Daniels: "Too Beautiful To Be True"
His body looks old, and his game looks old: two-handed chest passes à la Bob Cousy; jump shots, with only the slightest lift, that he shoots off the glass like Jerry West; and old-fashioned lay-ups, from the side, never slamming. …. After listing … Read more on Deadspin

Question by ???: Child Abuse Hotline?
My friend is thinkin about calling the Child Abuse Hotline, all of her friends believe she is emotionally abused & neglected. She has already tried to kill herself, & now she’s changing drastically. Im worried she has started doing drugs. I believe her home life is causing all of these problems. & Everytime i bring it up she says how she doesnt want to leave this school or town… (If she calls the Child Abuse Hotline, & they take action, will she remain in the same area, what are the chances?)… She is also afriad that they will just “warn” her parents (like people she has told so many times, but they didnt take any serious action–which caused her parents kinda to hate her more)…. Will she get to pick her “foster” parents?? (She is a former foster child, her “family” that she lives with now adopted her… idk y, if they treat her this way.. but they treat their biological daughters nicely..) She’s almost 16, does she get to make any choices in where she ends up if she calls?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AolvYVcV58dUjhtaOKO46xzsy6IX?qid=20070424170114AAQVGj9

Teachers, friends, and others have offered to take her in…… will she get to choose??

If not, is there anyway to leave her home?? She turns 16 in June…. Can she get Emancipated from her home?? How can she get away, but stay close to the ones that she needs in this tough time in her life?
She lives in Nebraska.

She hasnt talked to a conselor, she hasn’t felt confortable…. but the principles, & conselors ALL know about her attempted suicide…. She was crying all day today b/c of her parents, & she went & talked for 50+ minutes with a teacher who she trusts, & even made the teacher cry with what she was saying

Also, another teacher, who has experience a some-what related experience has offered my friend her phone number, & address in any chance that they needed to talk.

It’s pretty much out in the open, she doesnt go into details about her parents with some people, but she’ll be the first to come right out and say “My parents dont love me.” Which from meeting her parents after ONE time, i can say for myself that i agree with that statement.
Im almost for sure she is being abused…. It’s been 2 years since i’ve known her… Ive talked to her mother–she talks with NO love for her daughter. She’s a sophmore && they dont allow her to go into the house (even on days like today, when its rainin, storming/lightening, windy && cold… or even when its cold & below 0)…. She HAS to wait until her parents get home from work… whether is in 30 min, or 2 hours…. I mean, they think she’ll break something

They wont allow her to get her permit or lisence, they told her she’ll never be able to lie

Never tell her they love her, or hug her… but the call her fat & ugly sometimes

Also, she’s 16 and still goes to a babysitter

walks/rides her bike miles & miles to the library, school, & practices, even though her parents drive in their car to MAKE SURE that’s where she went…..

*she has to ask to eat food, && shes an XC runner, && needs lots of calories, but they think she over-eats, but she doesnt.
She cant call her former social worker, b/c that was for one, b4 she was six && in North Dakota (she lives in Nebraska now), her “parents” were her foster parents that adopted her so they could move…

Best answer:

Answer by goldenrae9
It depends on what state you live in. Also, it does not matter how they treat one child as there are many cases of abuse wherein one child is treated worse than the others.

Has she talked to the school guidance couselor/social worker? They would be better trained and suited to deal with this.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Public attitudes and policy toward drug addiction shift
Patrick last week ordered an outright ban on prescribing and dispensing Zohydro until it is marketed in a form that is difficult to abuse. Zohydro belongs to a family of medicines known as opiates or opioids. Others include morphine, heroin and … Read more on MassLive.com

LI drug overdose victim's family testifies at pain doctor's trial
Prosecutors say Li knew about Kingsley's history of substance abuse, but ignored demeanor and other warning signs out of pure greed — drawing patients to his one-day-a-week clinic from more than 50 miles away, including more than 400 from Long Island. Read more on Newsday

Father Whose Teen Overdosed Pushes for CT Drug Test Law
“Having a child fall into drug abuse is a nightmare come true for any parent. When a family looks to get a drug test and help for their teen, they need the way to be cleared for them, without bureaucratic obstacles. That's the opposite of what the Cruz … Read more on Patch.com