Education is Important for Non Counselors Too

Training and education is a critically important part of counseling, to be sure. That said, a grasp and understanding of addiction and addiction treatment is critical to the effectiveness of other employees in a treatment facility. Admissions specialists, administrative personnel and anyone who communicates with clients should all understand the ins and outs of the treatment process.

Clients, their families and their friends will undoubtedly have many questions that need to be answered. Having a staff trained to answer these questions fully and insightfully can be the difference between a client that comes to your facility or the one down the street. A high level of knowledge center-wide can also instill confidence in the client, allowing them to more fully receive the benefits of treatment. Further, many legal issues can be avoided or mitigated with a staff that understands boundaries and what is legal and ethical in the treatment setting.

Today, there are more addiction recovery centers than ever and success is based on the ability of these centers to differentiate themselves from the rest. Certifying not only counselors, but also other employees who communicate with clients is a significant differentiating factor.

Some treatment centers place an emphasis on hiring recovering addicts to increase the level of empathy in the organization. While this may help, there is no guarantee that a recovering addict will have the acumen and knowledge to satisfy the needs those considering treatment – there are clinical and scientific reasons behind many of the principles of effective treatment.

Ultimately, a professional certification as administered by the Florida Certification Board or your local certifying body is a path toward knowledge, which in turn breeds success in the treatment field. The benefits of certification are clear, not just for counselors, but many other positions as well.