Paraprofessional Versus Professional Drug Counselors: Diverse Routes to the Same Role

Abstract

The backgrounds and roles of ex-addict ( EXA ) and non-ex-addict (NEA) paraprofessional methadone maintenance and drug-free out-patient counselors were contrasted with those of degreed professional counselors (PRO). There was no evidence of differential assignment of clients to counselors based on drug use, drug treatment, criminal, educational, and employment histories. The three counselor groups were remarkably similar in their participation in 11 areas of job activities ranging from counseling duties per se through administrative support functions. The only reliable difference was the greater involvement of EXAs in counseling and community education activities which took them outside the program.

Addiction Counselors in Recovery: Perceived Barriers in the Workplace

“…A common theme throughout the literature is that the counselor in recovery usually enters the field at an older age and has less formal education than the non-recovering counsellor [4,5,7]. The academic credentials that a non-recovering staff presents with when entering the field can sometimes feel threatening to the recovering counsellor whose education is less impressive and compromised of on the job training.…”

“…Current research is needed to see if recovering counsellors still enter the field at a late age and if they are entering the field with higher learning due Another observation noted by Brown and Thompson [22] is that since the counselor in recovery usually enters the field with less education than the non-recovering counsellor, it would be fiscally wise to hire the ex-addict who will give the greater return in dollars expended. Aiken et al [4] believes that the lack of acceptance outside the drug treatment community and positive pressure from within the drug treatment community may be why ex-addicts counsellors have not been more widely employed.…”

“…One of the common areas quantitatively researched was the education status of the paraprofessional, with studies reporting that the person in recovery enters the field at an older age and has less education than the non-recovering counsellor [3,[4][5][6][7]. Other quantitative studies have found that compared to the non-recovering counsellor, recovering counsellors are resistant to new learning [8,9], are overcommitted to one treatment modality due a personal loyalty to the 12 -step approach [7,10,11], and operate from a limited frame of reference because they view all clients in terms of being addicted or not, which might lead to over diagnosis [12].…”

“…The leading data analysis instruments used in these studies are analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression and vary in methodology from interview based surveys, which are predominantly agency located, to questionnaires across various substance abuse treatment agencies [4][5][6]10,11,18,20,21,26,27]. There is however two studies that implement qualitative methodology in their research design.…”

“…Even the substance abuse treatment sector has historically wielded power over the recovering addict working in the addiction field when compared to the non-recovering counsellor. When comparing jobrelated activities [4], and [7] found that the counsellor in recovery had less decision influence than non-recovering counsellors in money, staffing, policy and clinical matters of the agency they were employed with. In a qualitative study exploring the recovering counsellor's perception of their supervisor's attitude, [39] discovered that respondents felt that their supervisor's "commitment to the relationship was one of authority and power over me" (p. 349).…”