Abstract
The counselor--the key staff member at therapeutic communities, outpatient drug-free treatment, and methadone maintenance--provides a wide range of services to clients. Crucial issues with respect to parity and other relationships between professional and ex-user counselors, counselor mobility, credentialing, role modeling, division of labor among counselors with different backgrounds, training, relations with alcoholism counselors, and changes linked to multiple drug use and funding shifts are discussed.