Drug and alcohol addiction counsellor to substance misuse worker
A drug and alcohol addiction counsellor already meets 47% of what the substance misuse worker role asks for. The move turns on 37 required skills not yet in the profile.
69.1/ 100
1 How much of what a substance misuse worker is expected to do is already part of a drug and alcohol addiction counsellor’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the substance misuse worker role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A substance misuse worker role treats 33 of its required skills as things a drug and alcohol addiction counsellor already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- accept own accountability
- adolescent psychological development
- apply quality standards in social services
- apply socially just working principles
- assess clients' drug and alcohol addictions
- assess social service users' situation
What stands in the way is 37 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 33 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A substance misuse worker role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a drug and alcohol addiction counsellor background worth leading with.
- already held dependency on drugs health and welfare
- already held inform on the risks of substance and alcohol abuse communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held assess clients' drug and alcohol addictions communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held adolescent psychological development social sciences, journalism and information
- already held refer social service users assisting and caring
- already held cooperate at inter-professional level communication, collaboration and creativity
All 33 carried skills, including the 33 the substance misuse worker role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 37 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn advocate for social service users required
- still to learn apply case management required
- still to learn apply crisis intervention required
- still to learn apply problem solving in social service required
- still to learn conduct interview in social service required
- still to learn develop professional identity in social work required
- still to learn empower social service users required
- still to learn make legislation transparent for users of social services required
- still to learn negotiate with social service users required
- still to learn promote service users' rights required
- still to learn address problems critically required
- still to learn develop professional network required
- still to learn negotiate with social service stakeholders required
- still to learn work in a multicultural environment in health care required
- still to learn apply anti-oppressive practices required
- still to learn apply person-centred care required
- still to learn contribute to protecting individuals from harm required
- still to learn meet standards of practice in social services required
- still to learn prevent social problems required
- still to learn protect vulnerable social service users required
- still to learn adhere to organisational guidelines required
- still to learn manage ethical issues within social services required
- still to learn provide support to social services users required
- still to learn apply decision making within social work required
- still to learn consider social impact of actions on service users required
- still to learn organise social work packages required
- still to learn tolerate stress required
- still to learn apply organisational techniques required
- still to learn involve service users and carers in care planning required
- still to learn plan social service process required
- still to learn work within communities required
- still to learn apply holistic approach within social services required
- still to learn review social service plan required
- still to learn company policies required
- still to learn social work theory required
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a substance misuse worker role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 advocate for social service users practise this
- 02 apply anti-oppressive practices practise this
- 03 apply case management practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 33 skills that carry over
- already held accept own accountability skill
- already held adolescent psychological development knowledge
- already held apply quality standards in social services skill
- already held apply socially just working principles skill
- already held assess clients' drug and alcohol addictions skill
- already held assess social service users' situation skill
- already held assess the development of youth skill
- already held build helping relationship with social service users skill
- already held communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields skill
- already held communicate with social service users skill
- already held cooperate at inter-professional level skill
- already held deliver social services in diverse cultural communities skill
- already held demonstrate leadership in social service cases skill
- already held dependency on drugs knowledge
- already held follow health and safety precautions in social care practices skill
- already held inform on the risks of substance and alcohol abuse skill
- already held legal requirements in the social sector knowledge
- already held listen actively skill
- already held maintain records of work with service users skill
- already held manage social crisis skill
- already held manage stress in the work place skill
- already held prepare youths for adulthood skill
- already held promote inclusion skill
- already held promote social change skill
- already held promote the safeguarding of young people skill
- already held provide social counselling skill
- already held refer social service users skill
- already held relate empathetically skill
- already held report on social development skill
- already held social justice knowledge
- already held social sciences knowledge
- already held support the positiveness of youths skill
- already held undertake continuous professional development in social work skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn illegal substances required
- still to learn have computer literacy required
0 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
21 held skills the substance misuse worker role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role behavioural therapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role client-centred counselling knowledge
- not needed by the target role clinical social work knowledge
- not needed by the target role cognitive behavioural therapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role counselling methods knowledge
- not needed by the target role encourage counselled clients to examine themselves skill
- not needed by the target role have emotional intelligence skill
- not needed by the target role help clients make decisions during counselling sessions skill
- not needed by the target role human psychological development knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain a non-emotional involvement skill
- not needed by the target role maintain the trust of service users skill
- not needed by the target role organise relapse prevention skill
- not needed by the target role perform therapy sessions skill
- not needed by the target role promote human rights skill
- not needed by the target role psychological theories knowledge
- not needed by the target role psychology knowledge
- not needed by the target role reflexion knowledge
- not needed by the target role respond to individuals' extreme emotions skill
- not needed by the target role sophrology knowledge
- not needed by the target role supervision of persons knowledge
- not needed by the target role use motivational incentives in addiction counselling skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn company policies required
- still to learn illegal substances required
- still to learn social work theory required
Other moves recorded from drug and alcohol addiction counsellor
- social counsellor 74% covered · moderate
- social pedagogue 61% covered · moderate
- community health worker 50% covered · moderate
- residential home young people care worker 45% covered · substantial
Full index of moves from drug and alcohol addiction counsellor
Common questions about this move
Can a drug and alcohol addiction counsellor become a substance misuse worker?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A drug and alcohol addiction counsellor already covers 47% of what a substance misuse worker is expected to do: 33 skills carry over, 33 of which the substance misuse worker role treats as required.
What skills does a drug and alcohol addiction counsellor need to become a substance misuse worker?
37 required skills are missing, plus 0 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is advocate for social service users.
How hard is the move from drug and alcohol addiction counsellor to substance misuse worker?
Its learning distance is 69.1 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.