An Addiction counselor has a very important responsibility to carry out prevention techniques in the society. Because she has enough knowledge and skills that are seriously needed by society that has to deal with an ever rising cases of substance dependence, she is called upon to implement strategies that will prevent further spread of the young people getting into addiction. Addiction treatment being an expensive and time consuming exercise, it is easier to prevent our young people from getting into alcohol and substance use and abuse. Some of the roles of addiction counselor in community prevention include the following;
Enabler
In the enabler role, an addiction counselor helps communities become capable of coping with situations or stress of having members of the society battling substance use and abuse. Addiction counselor conveys hope, reducing resistance and ambivalence, recognizing and managing feelings, identifying and supporting personal strengths and social assets, breaking down problems into parts that can be solved more readily, and maintaining a focus on goals and the means of achieving them (Barker, 1995).
Mediator
The mediator role involves resolving arguments or conflicts micro, mezzo, or macro systems. At the macro level, the mediator helps various subsystems within a community, or a community and some other system, work out their differences. At the micro and mezzo levels, mediation helps in such areas as resolving divorce and child custody cases. A mediator remains neutral and does not side with either party in the dispute.
Integrator/Coordinator
Integration is the process of bringing together various parts to form a unified whole. Coordination involves bringing components together in some kind of organized manner. An addiction counselor can function as an integrator/coordinator in many ways, ranging from. Advocacy and identification of