Health Care Provider

As used here, "Health Care Provider" includes both physical and behavioral health providers. As the health care system moves to treat the whole individual, integrated physical and behavioral health care is the standard in many settings.

There are many types of health care providers who work with addictions, either as a specialty or as a matter of course in their work. Each title below will take you to the career path and information for that type of provider. Many of these providers have Assistants, but those "Assistants" may have very different roles, for example Nursing Assistants, who are more aides, and Physician Assistants, who can be licensed to prescribe medications.

Nurse Practitioner/Nurse

Physician

Alternative Health Provider

(Holistic Healer, Acupuncturist, Hypnotherapist, Massage Therapist, Chiropractor, Reiki Practitioner, Herbalist, and others)

Health Provider Assistants

(Physician Assistant, Medical Assistant, Nurse Assistant)