Alcoholism Curricula: How Professionals Are Trained

Einstein, Stanley; Wolfson, Edward A.

doi:10.3109/10826087009056997

Cited by 16 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Though the majority of the subjects sampled reported that the social work schools they attended offered a substance abuse course, only two subjects reported the course to be mandatory. This finding supports the research of Elinstien and Wolfson (1970 ) and Schlesinger and Brag (1986) who reviewed social work curricula at schools of social work throughout the United States and found that courses on alcohol and substance abuse, if offered, where typically offered only as electives. Little more than a quarter of the sample reported completing an alcohol-related field placement.…”

Section: The Dependent Variables Alcohol-related Knowledge Fifteen Qsupporting

confidence: 85%

Social Work Education: The Availability of Alcohol‐related Course Curriculum and Social Workers' Ability to Work With Problem Drinkers

Richardson¹

2008

Journal of Social Work Practice

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Section: The Dependent Variables Alcohol-related Knowledge Fifteen Qsupporting

confidence: 85%

Social Work Education: The Availability of Alcohol‐related Course Curriculum and Social Workers' Ability to Work With Problem Drinkers

Richardson¹

2008

Journal of Social Work Practice

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“…Approximately two thirds of the programs responding reported current research projects in this area. In contrast to this modest research emphasis, the findings on training would support earlier indications (e.g., Einstein & Wolfson, 1970;Rivers & Cole, 1976) that clinical psychology graduate programs have weak clinical emphasis in the area of substance abuse. These results indicate that most students receive minimal course work and infrequent direct clinical experience with persons who have problems with substance abuse.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Alcoholism and substance abuse training: A survey of graduate programs in clinical psychology.

Selin¹,

Svanum²

1981

Professional Psychology

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Although alcoholism and abuse of other mood-altering substances are major health and mental health problems in the United States, psychology's investment in these areas has been described as indifferent and sparse. This study surveyed the American Psychological Association 's approved clinical training programs in an attempt to quantify the extent of research activity, clinical course work, and clinical training offered or required of graduate students in these areas. Although results indicated a modest level of research activity, clinical training and course work were found to be minimal. This low level of training in the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of substances abuse was viewed as disproportionately low relative to the magnitude of these problems.Substance abuse in the form of alcoholism and other drug-related problems has become a major U.S. health problem (Califano, 1979). These problems permeate a broad range of social services, including medical, legal, and psychological, and exact an enormous cost to society. Changes at the federal level, namely the creation of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration, have suggested a rough equivalence of the magnitude and importance of substance abuse problems relative to traditional mental health (Goldberg, 1976). Such a national structure is not surprising, considering that an estimated one fourth of all Veterans Administration (VA) hospital patients have alcohol-related problems (Califano, 1979), and studies on medical hospital wards have indicated that in some hospitals as many as 60% of all male patients were alcoholic (Baekeland & Lundwall, 1977). Research has suggested that at least a quarter of all admissions to psychiatric hospitals are individuals experiencing alcohol-related problems (e.g., Crowley, Chesluck, Dilts, & Hart, 1974). Recent surveys by Cummings (1979) revealed that perhaps as many as 40% of all outpatients seeking psychotherapy are exibiting alcohol or other drug abuse problems, which are either the primary presenting problem or are significantly exacerbating other emotional problems. These and other similar findings suggest that substance abuse problems pervade the entire health care system at a total direct and indirect cost to society that exceeds $40 billion a year (Califano, 1979).This pervasiveness of drug-related problems means that mental health care professionals should have a basic understanding of the evaluation and treatment of alcoholism and drug-related problems. However, Cummings (1979) found that most drug and alcohol problems identified in his surveys of outpatient mental health centers went undetected by the clinic staff. Other researchers have reported similar findings that led Baekeland and Lundwall (1977) to conlude that the detection and treatment of alcoholism by professional health workers "must be one of the most dismal failures ... known to the field of public health" (p. 162).Such a surprising lack of recognition of these problems may partially reflect the inadequacy of training. Several resea...

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“…These perceptions are, in part, a direct consequence of the general lack of training in alcohol problems that is characteristic of most psychology graduate programs. Einstein and Wolfson (1970) indicate that for most psychology students alcoholism is "either a special topic or a sign of psychopathology" (p. 310), and although students may receive some clinical experience with alcoholics, there is little awareness of the medical, family, and consulting complexities of the problem.…”

Section: The Alcohol Training Specialty In Community-clinical Psychologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The alcohol training specialty in community-clinical psychology.

Rivers¹,

Cole²

1976

Professional Psychology

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Alcoholism Curricula: How Professionals Are Trained

Cited by 16 publications

References 4 publications

Social Work Education: The Availability of Alcohol‐related Course Curriculum and Social Workers' Ability to Work With Problem Drinkers

Social Work Education: The Availability of Alcohol‐related Course Curriculum and Social Workers' Ability to Work With Problem Drinkers

Alcoholism and substance abuse training: A survey of graduate programs in clinical psychology.

The alcohol training specialty in community-clinical psychology.

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