INTERVIEW OF AN ADDICTION COUNSELOR WHO IS CURRENTLY WORKING IN THE FIELD

 What motivated you on addiction counseling?

At first, I studied Community Health and Development. After completion, I started working as a health worker in analyzing health problems and implementing solutions in the community. While interacting with community members, I learned the health behaviors of individuals and found that adolescents and young adults in the community had mental health issues due to substance use. Young people between the ages of 16-24 were suffering from depression and anxiety yet they could not seek professional help. Since these young people were from a rural population, they raised concerns about transportation, confidentiality, stigma, and others believed that the treatment won't help. As a community health worker, I realized that young people need social encouragement, trusted relationships, and a positive attitude for them to seek help. That said, I realized I need to take an active role to eliminate the barriers to accessing help. This motivated me to specialize in addiction counseling and specifically focus on drug and alcohol issues and help individuals recover from addiction. In the community, young people had developed repetitive behaviors that contributed to pain and suffering. I also realized that young people were not aware of the impact the drugs and alcohol have on their lives. I felt that these people need support since they could not control addiction on their own. Changing my career from community health workers to a substance abuse counselor has made a difference in individuals' lives. Young people are now able to cope with addiction, and they have also changed their destructive behaviors. I have a personal passion for making a real difference in people's lives.  I interact with young people from diverse backgrounds and this means that I have a firm understanding of multicultural issues.

What is your educational background?

 I graduated with a bachelor's degree in addiction counseling.  A degree requires a time commitment to get rewarding employment opportunities. As I had said, people are motivated by different factors to study additional counseling. Some might have struggled with their addiction and are willing to help their fellows and others like me have a deep commitment to helping community members who struggle with addiction. That said, for an additional counselor to help young people reduce their destructive behaviors, he or she must have a good entry-level.  I did not pursue this degree for a paycheck but I did a research to ensure that I acquire the needed education and experience that will enable me to assist individuals to modify behaviors and recover from addiction. As adolescents and young adults struggle with addiction, counselors play a significant role in serving them with competence and compassion. I am a qualified addiction counselor and I would say that this degree had helped me develop necessary skills such as computer skills, organizational skills, customer service skills, and teamwork skills.  Since the cornerstone of the CT CLEARINGHOUSE is to promote wellness and recovery, this course has enabled me to do my best in treating substance use disorder. My bachelor's degree has helped me interact with people from diverse populations by showing critical thinking and empathy. I have a foundational knowledge that helps me control addiction and provide effective therapy. Education also plays a significant role in helping me face challenges that come on the way.  I employ situation-appropriate strategies to promote personal connections.

Tell me about your work experience

  I have a 10-year experience in working as a community health worker, and I have assisted community members to access community-based services. I provided community members with clinical services such as understanding patients' health and assessing vital signs. I also ensured that community members get access to literacy support and vocational training.  Finally, I provided health education through motivational interviewing and health coaches to promote care coordination. Then, I furthered my education to become an addiction counselor and I worked as a resource specialist where I welcomed the general public to the CT CLEARINGHOUSE and provided them with resources and information online and in Plainville, Connecticut.

Currently, I work as an addiction counselor at CT CLEARINGHOUSE and my role is to develop knowledge and understanding about alcohol and drug addiction among the general public. I accommodate families and young people and share information related to mental health disorders. In particular, I attend conferences and community events where I talk about drug awareness and prevention program. Membership who visits CT Clearinghouse has the added benefits of not only taking information materials but also educate them about mental health since I have an understanding of mental health. As I said above that stigma is a barrier to accessing mental health services, I ensure that I talk about mental health issues to people attending the library. I have realized that sharing information is a strategy that is providing individuals with an opportunity to discuss struggles. As an addiction counselor, I provide individuals with materials and information that would help them address frustrations. I would say that I have a positive work experience since I have helped young people deal with disruptive behaviors and practice self-care.

What would you advise people who are entering into the field of addiction counseling

 First, drug and alcohol addiction is a devastating disease. Thus, an addiction counselor should be confident to be able to cope with the new challenges and create meaningful connections. From my work experience, I have realized that drug and alcohol addiction require a therapeutic alliance. This means that the counselor should be aware of the biases that may arise and manage the feelings. While working with clients, I have always ensured a strong therapeutic alliance to ensure that clients change behaviors. One thing I have noted is that society does not empathize with people who struggle with mental illness. They perceive them as weak and indolent. The truth is that these people need support and addiction. Counselors should create and maintain a constructive rapport.  Another advice that I would like to give to the addiction counselors is that counselors who are motivated by their own experience have a narrow focus while addressing individual needs. They do not virtually meet the client's needs simply because they do not put an effort to explore other theories. Counselors who are motivated to enter into the field due to the experience of others lack connection of what the addicts have experienced in life and therefore they use their theoretical framework. What I would advise in addressing mental problems is that addiction counselors should act in the best interest by understanding all theoretical frameworks. They should apply the theories to a particular client.  They should also be willing to consider different theoretical perspective and the broadly based framework which is thoughtfully and respectfully assessed will yield positive results.