Drug counselors will be needed in junior high and high schools to bend down the rising curve of teen substance abuse. Seems American teens have once again been "turning on" and "tuning out" after everal decades of declining drug abuse.
The career outlook for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors is good. Jobs in this field are expected to increase by 34 percent from 2006-2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You'll need at least a bachelor's degree from a 4-year college or university in psychology or similar discipline. Some states may even require a master's degree.
A three-year rise in marijuana and ecstasy use among teens seems to coincide with alarmingly lax attitudes toward alcohol use. A MetLife Foundation study revealed that between 2008 and 2010, teens who admitted using marijuana in the past year rose 39 percent from 32 percent. During the same period, teens who admitted using the "party" drug ecstasy rose to 10 percent from six percent.
The survey of roughly 2,500 high school students noted that 45 percent of teens regarded heavy daily drinking as a "great risk," while 31 percent strongly disapproved of their friends getting "stoned." Over two-thirds of teens surveyed admitted to having at least one drink in their lifetime, with the average age for that first drink being 14 years.
The Partnership at Drugfree.org expressed alarm over the normalization of drug use in social media, the proliferation of medical marijuana, and recent budget cuts to substance abuse prevention programs.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in teen drug counseling, Kaplan University offers a Master of Science in Psychology program with an addictions specialization.
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