Alcohol and Other Drugs Counsellor

An Alcohol and Other Drugs Counsellor provides individual and group counselling to people with substance use disorders in health services, community organisations, or correctional settings. They assess clients' needs, develop treatment plans aligned with evidence-based practice, and deliver therapeutic interventions to support recovery and harm reduction. They work within Australia's regulated health framework, collaborating with medical teams and referral pathways across the NDIS, primary health networks, and justice systems.

Conduct comprehensive intake assessments to evaluate clients' substance use history, mental health status, social circumstances, and readiness for change using validated screening tools such as ASSIST or AUDIT. Develop individualised treatment and recovery plans based on assessment findings, client goals, and evidence-based practice guidelines from bodies such as the National Drug Strategy. Deliver individual counselling using motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and other therapeutic modalities to address substance use triggers and build coping strategies. Facilitate group counselling and peer support sessions, creating a safe environment for shared experiences and collective problem-solving. Monitor client progress against treatment goals, adjusting interventions based on engagement and outcomes. Provide crisis support and intervention when clients present with acute intoxication, withdrawal, overdose risk, or mental health emergencies. Liaise with general practitioners, addiction medicine specialists, mental health services, and other health providers to coordinate care and access pharmacological interventions such as opioid substitution therapy. Prepare and maintain detailed clinical case notes and progress documentation in accordance with privacy legislation and health records standards.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The emotional toll is real: clients relapse, overdose, or don't engage despite your best work. You'll manage crises, hear traumatic histories daily, and face vicarious trauma. Burnout is common in this field. Most positions require shift work or on-call availability.

Jobs concentrate in capital cities within public health services, NGOs like Salvation Army and Odyssey House, and correctional facilities. Rural and regional areas have severe shortages. Remote work is uncommon; you need face-to-face client contact. Community services sector dominates employment, not hospitals.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2721, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Case Note Documentationcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Inclusive Practicecore
• Participant or Client Advocacycore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Professional Boundaries Maintenancecore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Service Navigation and Referralcore
• Trauma-Informed Communicationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Accept own accountability
• Conflict De-escalation
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Group Facilitation
• Health Terminology Literacy
• Incident Reporting
• Referral Coordination
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Report Writing
• Workload Self-Management
• Written Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026