Drug counselors (college, salary, vs)

[Addww]

Do you think children are safe with those drug court substancee abuse counselors?

I know, don't do the crime....etc.

But still, some of them sure seem a little odd.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by Addww

Do you think children are safe with those drug court substance abuse counselors?

I know, don't do the crime....etc.

But still, some of them sure seem a little odd.

Odd in what way?

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by Addww

Do you think children are safe with those drug court substancee abuse counselors?

I know, don't do the crime....etc.

But still, some of them sure seem a little odd.

How many people on CD have enough first hand knowledge of this to respond?

[Colt AZ]

My understanding is that some if not all of these SA counselors used to have addictions themselves, and they were able to pull themselves out of those situations with proper counseling and support. Maybe they don't seem as professional to the OP? Could that be what the OP finds as a little odd?

[Addww]

Originally Posted by Burning Madolf

How many people on CD have enough first hand knowledge of this to respond?

Many, I would guess.

[Addww]

Originally Posted by Colt AZ

Odd in what way?

To begin with as noted in this very forum.
https://www.city-data.com/forum/curre...overdoses.html

But odd as in, man, I would rather my kid was not around this guy, kind of way.

No, I think they have a variety of backgrounds.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by Addww

Do you think children are safe with those drug court substancee abuse counselors?

I know, don't do the crime....etc.

But still, some of them sure seem a little odd.

Almost as odd as this thread.

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by Addww

Many, I would guess.

Based on what?

[Addww]

Originally Posted by Burning Madolf

Based on what?

Simple reasoning and general knowledge?

[KO Stradivarius]

My wife has worked in this field for over 25 yrs, and she most certainly is not a recovered addict of any type. She got her Master's degree in Social Work, got licensed and certified by the State by passing a board examination, must stay current on yearly training to maintain her MCSW license, and this is what she does. There is always a doctor who oversees the prescribing of any medication, etc.

Not sure what you mean by "drug court substance abuse counselors"...but she in 25 years she has worked in state/fed prisons, jails, hospitals, county mental health services, private clinics, and even had her own private practice for a while...

They are professional college-educated, credentialed counselors. So if a counselor is a former addict, that would only be the case if they had earned at least a bachelor degree and were licensed for the position - it's not just some dude off of the street. Look for BSW, MSW, LCSW, MCSW credentials, etc.

It's a thankless job, really, she deals with a lot of hassles for relatively low salary for someone with a master's degree. This is due to the lack of public funding and/or not emphasizing the importance of mental health treatment. Mental health has a fraction of the funding vs physical medicine.

Surely it's like any other field of work, there are good ones and bad ones...however, depending on the employer/institution they will conduct background checks. But you surely have certain rights as a parent. Not 100% sure but I believe that you could demand to be present if you're not OK with your child being alone with someone. They can't kick you out until the child turns 18. This is no different that any doctor, dentist, etc. I would not trust anyone who did not recognize this right.

Are you "just curious", "asking for a friend", or is your child actually in this situation?