Question by Danyel: What type of education would I need to become an RN at a substance abuse detox facility?
I am currently going to school for pre-health with a nursing concentration, until I have the requirements to apply for nursing. I would like to be able to work as an RN in a substance abuse facility. I was wondering if anyone could give me any advise as to how to go about doing this? I do not know if I will need to specialize in a certain area in order to do so or not? If anyone could help me out in regards to what to do education wise I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by MeMeMe
Hi,

First off, good for you for wanting to work in addiction treatment! I’m an addictions counselor and have been working in mental health (mostly suicide prevention) for 7 years and we certainly need more qualified RNs in the field. So I think you will have an easy time finding work once you’re finished with school.

As for your question… To become an RN, you need to go to nursing school. Although I’m sure you already know this. As for specializing in addiction treatment, I don’t believe there are any additional requirements, but it would be good if you have experience working with addicts or at least a greater knowledge of treating clients with addiction. So I would suggest trying to get an internship of some sort with a treatment center in your area. They may not let you do much while you’re in school, but you will be able to put it on your resume. You can learn a lot from observing how things work in treatment. The other suggestion I have would be to take some extra classes that focus on substance abuse. Drug addicts and alcoholics face a variety of special issues separate from the “normal” population you would be working with in a hospital. Most community colleges and some universities now offer programs where you can learn more about these issues. I don’t know where you live, but you may want to start looking for college programs titled “Addictions Counseling” or “Addictions Studies.” Classes you may want to take would be any type of pharmacology, a bloodborne pathogens/infectious disease class, and even alternative treatments to addiction classes. It could also help to take a few classes for addictions counselors like group therapy, individual therapy, or something similar. These will definitely help you in the future in terms of communicating with your clients.

The most important thing I would think an RN working in addiction should have to be educated about is prescription drugs of abuse. Normally when I do an intake on a client coming into treatment, they have been medically prescribed multiple addictive drugs that only contribute to and exacerbate their disease (addiction). Usually these include opiate painkillers, benzodiazepines, and other sedatives and tranquilizers. I had a client once who was on NINE different benzos which she had been on for years, all prescribed by doctors for things like insomnia, anxiety, and even hypothyroidism. This is so egregious and disgusting to me! They were killing her. She obviously had to be medically detoxed for risk of seizures and death from her meds. And needless to say, after being evaluated by our MD, she didn’t NEED any of the pills.

Anyway, I’m rambling. Just excited to see someone wanting to help in the field of addiction treatment. It is rare these days, it seems. But what a satisfying and rewarding job. Good luck to you!!!

Add your own answer in the comments!

Question by Dan W: Can i become a councilor with a GED?
Well i am wondering if you can become a councilor for drug abuse if you only have a GED, because i was addicted to methamphetamine, marijuana, inhalants, and alcohol for about five years of my life and luckily i got myself help and have been clean for about 2 years now and i would really like to help people overcome the demons i also faced trying to become clean, any help would be wonderful. Thanks for any feed back.

Best answer:

Answer by jannsody
Congratulations on having almost two years of sobriety! With regard to becoming a substance abuse counselor, I believe that most with a Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) have a master’s degree which takes about six years of college, if attending on a full-time basis. There are different levels of training for addictions counseling, but most jobs prefer those with a master’s degree.

Please also be aware that in order to get one’s certification as a CAC (or similar credentials), the person needs A LOT of clinical experience which includes having an actual patient caseload of those with addiction.

With regard to schooling, please AVOID those private overly priced For-profit schools such as kaplan, ashworth, capella, university of phoenix, devry, ITT tech, strayer, everest, brown mackie, american public university, keiser, argosy, penn foster, ashford, grand canyon, westwood, stratford career, pima medical institute, colorado tech and others as they are merely out to “make a profit” (** and their course credits usually do NOT transfer to other schools).

These consumer sites have a lot of negative posts by former students about those for-profit schools, and please heed the students’ warnings:

– http://www.ripoffreport.com

– http://www.pissedconsumer.com

– http://www.complaintsboard.com and can search.

Please instead consider the more affordable community college and/or public/state university as long as the program is accredited within the industry.

For U.S. colleges: http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ

This site is supposed to have more info re: (regarding) getting certified in addictions counseling: http://www.naadac.org/certification and can scroll down a bit.

General career info: http://www.bls.gov/oco and can search “counselors”, “social workers” or such.

Regarding inhalants or “huffing” (fumes or chemical vapors), my friend actually has a Brain Injury from inhalant use at the age of 12, now in her 30s.

Other risks of huffing include sight loss/blindness, heart/liver/kidney damage, seizures, limb spasms, hearing loss and even death, all of which can happen after the very FIRST time of use.

For anyone, this site has more info about the dangers of huffing – National Inhalant Prevention Coalition: http://www.inhalants.org

Wishing you continued recovery and wellness and that you continue making good, HEALTHY choices in life 🙂

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

http://drugrehabcenter.com – Soma Addiction and Soma Abuse – Call our Toll-Free Recovery Hotline at 1-800-839-1682. Discover the best substance abuse and add…
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Advice on Addiction in Boomers, Part 2
It's really important to treat co-occurring issues along with the addiction, and we know that if you don't treat depression, anxiety, pain, emotional eating and other types of diseases and conditions together, the patient is more likely to relapse. A …
Read more on New York Times

New Treatments Target Prescription Addiction at Alcohol Treatment Elizabeth
Offering yoga, art, exercise, and many more options helps aid in recovery from substance abuse while exposing patients to new, healthy hobbies. Alcohol Treatment Elizabeth's new treatment programs make recovering from all types of addiction possible.
Read more on PR Web (press release)

How the Brain Remembers Pleasure
The molecular events that form such "reward memories" appear to differ from those created by drug addiction, despite the popular theory that addiction hijacks normal reward pathways. … "We believe reward memory may serve as a good model for …
Read more on Science Daily (press release)

http://www.holisticdrugrehab.com/ Prozac Addiction & Prozac Abuse – We can help you discover the best addiction treatment options for you – call our 24-hour …

http://treatmentcentersdirectory.com/drug-treatment/ Viagra Addiction & Viagra Abuse – We can help you discover the best substance abuse & addiction treatmen…
Video Rating: 0 / 5

The Holistic Sanctuary Highlights the Dangers of Conventional Drug Rehab: US …
As a premier holistic drug rehab center, as a secluded paradise amidst the soothing, beautiful water of the Pacific Ocean, the healing environment of Mother Nature and the serenity – and personalized care – of a luxurious 5-star resort, amidst this …
Read more on PR Web (press release)

The Holistic Sanctuary Exposes the Failed Two-Pronged 'War on Drugs': The …
These reports confirm – conclusively and undeniably – the assertions made by The Holistic Sanctuary, about the failures of conventional drug rehab centers and the inherent ethical conflict in the War on Drugs. Indeed, this exposé is the most notable …
Read more on PR Web (press release)

Valiant Recovery Now Offers Holistic Treatment for Alcoholism
Valiant Recovery, a leading alcohol abuse treatment center in British Columbia, now offers patients a holistic approach to treating their addiction. Substance abuse treatment programs are all different and offer different methods to treat addiction …
Read more on San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

The Holistic Sanctuary Offers Lifeline to Mike Tyson: Former Boxer 'On the …
In a shocking announcement from the former heavyweight champion of the world, Mike Tyson, in the ultimate revelation concerning the toxic failures of conventional drug rehab centers, now says, according to USA Today, he is “on the verge of dying.
Read more on Watch List News (press release)