I had an associate write me the other day and they said, "My best friend passed on from using drugs recently, and I've always had a calling to become a Substance Abuse Counselor, but after yesterday, it is something that I'm really bent on doing now. What are the basic qualifications to become one? Is an associates or bachelors degree required? Any advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance for your time."

Here's what I told them. This depends on where you want to seek employment. Most places will require a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology. But if you wanted to work as a Mental Health Worker in a Psychiatric Hospital for example you'd only need a B.S. in Psychology. These jobs currently pay about 42k yearly. As a general rule, jobs pay a lot more in Metropolitan areas than they do in rural areas, but then again the cost of living in rural areas is usually much lower so don't restrict where you want to live.

Many of the larger cities will have a higher demand for Substance Abuse Counselors. More people are messed up these days not just because of the economy, but because the government is losing the war on drugs. For every drug bust they make, 25 shipments get through and proliferated all throughout the United States. What this means is many more Drug Addicts and a rising need for physical and mental health care. This is where your skills are needed.

And if you have a B.S. in Psychology and you get turned down for a government job, you'll find that this degree will automatically qualify you for a variety of government office jobs. And you can use your degree to serve in the military and go to Officers Candidate School (OCS). When you graduate from OCS you will become a fully commissioned officer instead of an enlisted personnel. You can even check into becoming a Civilian Government Employee as these jobs pay great. So you have other options. That being said I'd recommend pressing forward with your education so someday you'll be right where you want to be.