Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors Butte and Glenn Counties Research Brief, April 2013 Prepared By: Theresa Milan Center of Excellence Los Rios Community College District
Table of Contents Introduction...3 Industry Overview...3 Occupation Overview...4 Supply-Demand Gap Analysis...6 Summary & Recommendation...6 Appendix A: Related Training Programs in California...7 Important Disclaimer All representations included in this report have been produced from secondary review of publicly and/or privately available data and/or research reports. Efforts have been made to qualify and validate the accuracy of the data and the reported findings; however, neither the Centers of Excellence, host District, nor California Community Colleges Chancellor s Office are responsible for applications or decisions made by recipient community colleges or their representatives based upon components or recommendations contained in this study. 2013 Chancellor's Office California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program Please consider the environment before printing. This document is designed for double-sided printing. Northern California Center of Excellence 2
Introduction Substance abuse counseling is an important field in the healthcare sector. Substance abuse counselors provide critical services to help individuals address and overcome addiction issues. The purpose of this research brief is to assess if there is sufficient ongoing demand for a substance abuse program in the Butte/Glenn area (Butte and Glenn Counties). This research brief includes data and information on substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, as information at a more detailed level is unavailable. Industry Overview In the Butte/Glenn area, one-fifth of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors are employed by local government establishments, 15 percent work at residential mental health and substance abuse facilities, 11 percent work at general hospitals, 10 percent at outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, 10 percent at child and youth services, and nine percent at other individual and family services. Within these industries, residential mental health and substance abuse facilities, and outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers employ the greatest percentage of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors relative to total employment in the field. 1 As shown in Exhibit 2, there are 132 regional establishments that may employ substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors. The largest industry is local government with 104 establishments, followed by child and youth services (23) and other individual and family services (12). 1 According to Burning Glass, a system that aggregates online job posting data, there was only one job announcement for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors over the last three months in the Butte/Glenn area. During this same time period, there were 150 job postings for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors in California overall. California employers with the most job postings include: Geo Group, Prototypes, and California Department of Veterans Affairs. 2 Exhibit 1: Industry Staffing Patterns, Butte and Glenn Counties (2012) 1 Exhibit 2: No. of Establishments by Industry, Butte and Glenn Counties (2012) 1 Other Individual and Family Services 9% Child and Youth Services 10% Other 26% Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals 19% General Hospitals 11% Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities 15% Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers 10% Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals Child and Youth Services Other Individual and Family Services Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (Private) Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers 23 12 5 5 4 0 20 40 60 80 100 104 1 EMSI Complete Employment - 2013.1 2 Burning Glass, job posting data for 01/26/2013-04/25/2013. Northern California Center of Excellence 3
Occupation Overview Substance abuse counselors advise and help individuals overcome their alcohol, tobacco, or drug dependency problems. They may counsel individuals, families, or groups. Common job titles include: Substance Abuse Counselor (SA Counselor), Chemical Dependency Counselor (CD Counselor), Addictions Counselor, Case Manager, Clinical Counselor, Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist (DATS), Chemical Dependency Professional, Assessment Specialist, and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADAC). Main responsibilities include: Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information. Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes. Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories. Conduct chemical dependency program orientation sessions. Coordinate counseling efforts with mental health professionals or other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or social workers. Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs. 3 In California, alcohol and substance abuse counselors are require to obtain certification from an accredited organization approved by the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP). 4 To qualify for certification, the applicant must complete 155 hours of classroom instruction as well as participate in supervised training and work experience providing counseling services in an alcohol and drug program. 5 Although a degree is not required to practice as an alcohol and substance abuse counselor, many employers in California prefer or require applicants to have a Bachelor s degree or higher (based on job posting data). 6 The following table displays the percentile hourly earnings for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors in the Butte/Glenn area and California. Percentile wages are helpful in understanding the range of wages an entrant to the workforce could potentially earn. For example, a new entrant might begin their career in the lower percentiles, such as the 10 th percentile wage, where 90% of workers in the occupation earn above, and 10% earn below this wage. As experience is gained, the same worker may earn up to the 90 th percentile or higher. As shown, alcohol and substance abuse counselors earn median hourly earnings of $20 per hour in the Butte/Glenn area, which is above average for the region. 7 Entry-level wages are about $14 per hour. Table 1: Hourly, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors, 2012 8 Pct 10 Hourly Pct 25 Hourly Pct 50 (Median) Hourly Pct 75 Hourly Pct 90 Hourly Butte and Glenn Counties $13.93 $16.58 $20.00 $24.00 $26.86 California $12.29 $14.21 $16.87 $21.28 $26.23 3 ONET Online, http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1011.00, Accessed 4/25/2013. 4 Counselor Certification Regulations, Title 9, Division 4, Chapter 8 5 California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, http://www.adp.ca.gov/licensing/lcbhome.shtml, Accessed 4/25/2013. 6 Burning Glass, job posting data for 01/26/2013-04/25/2013. Fifty percent (50%) of employers that advertised education requirements indicated a preference for a Bachelor s degree and 15 percent indicated a preference for a Master s degree or higher. 7 Median hourly earnings across all occupations in Butte and Glenn Counties is $17.81 per hour. EMSI Complete Employment 2013.1 8 EMSI Complete Employment - 2013.1 Northern California Center of Excellence 4
In the Butte/Glenn area, the demand for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors is expected to grow by 10 percent from 166 jobs in 2012 to 182 jobs in 2017. It is estimated that employers will need to replace approximately 18 workers over this five-year period due to retirements and those leaving the field for other reasons. With both growth and replacements considered, this could result in about seven open positions annually. In California, this occupation is expected to grow at a similar rate (11%) from 10,491 jobs in 2012 to 11,662 jobs in 2017. Employers will need to replace about 1,125 workers over the five-year period due to retirements and those leaving the field for other reasons. Including growth and replacements, California employers will need to hire about 459 substance abuse and behavior disorder counselor annually. Exhibit 3: Five-Year Project Growth, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors 9 No. of Jobs 185 180 175 170 165 160 155 11,662 11,500 Butte and Glenn Counties 11,292 California 11,062 10,803 182 10,491 180 177 174 171 166 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Year 11,800 11,600 11,400 11,200 11,000 10,800 10,600 10,400 10,200 10,000 9,800 Table 1: Projected Growth, Replacements and Annual Openings, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors 9 2012 Jobs 2017 Jobs Change % Change Replacements Annual Openings* Butte and Glenn Counties 166 182 16 10% 18 7 California 10,491 11,662 1,171 11% 1,125 459 *Annual openings = change + replacements/# of years. Education Programs In the Butte/Glenn area there is one training program for substance abuse counselors. Butte College offers an AS Degree and a Certificate in Achievement in Addiction Studies. Based on a five year average, Butte College confers about 20 degrees and certificates in Addiction Studies annually. In California, there are 49 education institutions that offer training programs related to substance abuse counseling. Most of these programs offer Associate degrees and certificates. Based on a five year average, these education institutions confer about 1,381 degrees and certificates annually. 10 9 EMSI Complete Employment - 2013.1 10 IPED Data, Compiled by EMSI Northern California Center of Excellence 5
Supply-Demand Gap Analysis Table 2 provides an estimate of the gap between the supply of newly trained workers and the projected number of job openings in the next 12 months. The total job openings in the next 12 months include growth and replacement estimates, but not turnover. Turnover does not create demand for new workers but instead is a measure of activity within the existing occupational workforce. Based on the available information, there is a projected oversupply of substance abuse training in the Butte/Glenn area and California overall. Table 2: Supply-Demand Gap Analysis, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors 11,12 Region Annual Openings Annual Completes Gap / Surplus Butte and Glenn Counties 7 20 13 California 459 1,381 922 Summary & Recommendation Substance abuse counselors is a small occupation with only about 165 jobs in the Butte/Glenn Area. Over the next five years, regional employers are projected to hire about 35 workers to accommodate growth and replace workers that are retiring or leaving for other reasons. This equates to about 7 positions annually. In California, substance abuse counselors are required to obtain certification from an accredited organization approved by the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. To qualify for the certification, counselors must have completed 150 hours of training and obtained experience practicing in the field. While a degree is not required, many employers prefer a bachelor s degree or higher. Given these preferences, community college addiction study programs support the workforce pipeline at two levels: 1. Training professionals (such as counselors and social workers who have a Bachelor s degree or higher) in the field of substance abuse, giving them specialized expertise and a competitive advantage in the job market for substance abuse counseling positions; and, 2. Preparing workers for entry-level jobs not requiring a four year degree (based on job posting data, this is about 35 percent of open substance abuse counseling positions). The supply-demand analysis indicates an oversupply of substance abuse counselors. This oversupply may be higher than shown in Table 2 due to a possible mismatch among students in the program and employer hiring preferences (i.e. the mix of professionals and students looking for entry-level jobs). At the state level, there is also an overall oversupply of trained workers. As such, it would be difficult for graduates from the Butte College program to relocate to other areas of the state for employment. Given the labor market demand for substance abuse counselors in the Butte/Glenn Area and across the state, there is insufficient evidence to warrant ongoing investment in a training program. 11 EMSI, 2013. 12 IPED Data, Compiled by EMSI Northern California Center of Excellence 6
Appendix A: Addiction Studies and Related Training Programs in California Below is a list of the private and public colleges that offer addiction study or related training programs in California. 13 Allan Hancock College Long Beach City College American River College Los Angeles City College Butte College Los Angeles Pierce College Charles R Drew Unv. of Medicine and Science Los Angeles Southwest College City College of San Francisco Mendocino College College of San Mateo Merced College College of the Desert Merritt College College of the Redwoods Mt. San Antonio College Cypress College Mt. San Jacinto CCD Diablo Valley College Oxnard College East Los Angeles College Palo Verde College Fresno City College Palomar College Glendale Community College Porterville College ICDC College Rio Hondo College Imperial Valley College Saddleback College InterCoast Colleges-Burbank San Bernardino Valley College InterCoast Colleges-Carson San Diego City College InterCoast Colleges-Orange San Joaquin Delta College InterCoast Colleges-Riverside San Jose City College InterCoast Colleges-Roseville Santa Barbara City College InterCoast Colleges-Sacramento Santa Rosa Junior College InterCoast Colleges-West Covina West Los Angeles College Lake Tahoe Community College Woodland Community College Lassen Community College Yuba College Loma Linda University 13 IPED Data, Compiled by EMSI Northern California Center of Excellence 7