Exploring Social Work Student Education: The Effect of a Harm Reduction Curriculum on Student Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Opioid use Disorders

Abstract

Using a mixed-methods approach, data from 124 MSW students were collected between 2011 and 2015. Students completed a 3-hour course module that focused on harm reduction philosophy and interventions specifically for opioid use disorders. Students completed pre- and posttest of the Harm Reduction Attitude Scale. Students were also engaged in focus groups to gain a better understanding of how and if their knowledge and attitudes changed. Results: Overall, attitudes towards harm reduction approaches for opioid use disorder shifted favorably following the course module. Paired t-test results show a statistically significant difference in the mean scores for pretest attitudes (M = 2.64, SD = 0.16) and posttest attitudes (M = 2.86, SD = 0.12) among social work students. This trend remained consistent despite treatment orientation and having a family history of substance use. Conclusion: Given the increased capacity for social work students to encounter clients with opioid use disorders, it is important to ensure that students are provided with relevant and accurate information related to client-centered approaches such as the harm reduction model to address opioid use disorders. Moreover, given the dearth of social work programs that have and required substance use disorder courses, it is imperative for schools of social work to ensure that students are provided with more than practical information, which is often gained during field placement.

Is cleanliness next to abstinence? The effect of cleanliness priming on attitudes towards harm reduction strategies for people with substance use disorders

“…For example, social work students' attitudes towards HRS changed from less favourable to more favourable after Consequence Analysis, which consisted of having students analyse the consequences of making statements to clients with SUDs that were consistent with either an abstinence‐orientation or a harm reduction‐orientation (Moore & Mattaini, 2014). Social work students' attitudes also changed favourably after completion of a 3‐hour course module on HRS for opioid use disorders (Estreet, Archibald, Tirmazi, Goodman, & Cudjoe, 2017). Our research demonstrates that a brief 15‐minute presentation on the efficacy of HRS also shifts attitudes more favourably towards HRS.…”

“…Considering the negative stigma surrounding individuals who have SUDs (Boekel et al, 2013), and research demonstrating the efficacy of education in shifting attitudes towards support for HRS (Estreet et al, 2017; Fenster & Monti, 2017; Goddard, 2003; Moore & Mattaini, 2014; Mrazovac et al, 2019), brief targeted messages can be used effectively to increase support for implementing HRS in addressing the international opioid crisis to save lives and improve community well‐being. Our findings suggest that patients like Jesse and Toby should not be overly concerned about cleanliness practices affecting Dr. Smith's moral judgement of their drug use and that the type and quality of care provided to them is more likely to be influenced by messages emphasising the individual and social benefits of harm reduction.…”

The Alcohol and Other Drugs Education Program for Social Work Faculty: A Model for Immersion Training

“…To be certain, we are well aware that our program is part of a broader effort to improve the quality of social work instruction in AOD use disorder identification and treatment, and to advance the skill development of social workers. Such efforts include programs designed to provide social work faculty with ready-made materials for teaching on an array of AOD-related topics (Begun, 2005), to stimulate interest in AOD-related training and research among future social work practitioners and educators (Truncali et al, 2012), and to train students and professional social workers in topics such as motivational interviewing (Hohman, 2015), Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (Carlson et al, 2017; Sacco et al, 2017; Putney, O’Brien, Collin, Levine, 2017; Senreich, Ogden, & Greenberg, 2017), harm reduction (Estreet, Archibald, Tirmazi, Goodman, & Cudjoe, 2017) and other AOD identification and treatment methods (McNeece & DiNitto, 2011).…”

Introduction to the Special Issue: Educating Social Workers about Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders

“…For instance, with grant support from NIAAA, Audrey Begun (2005) worked with social work educators across the country to develop easy-to-use materials that faculty could draw from in integrating AOD-related content into their coursework. More recently we have also seen efforts to stimulate interest in AOD research and teaching among graduate students in social work and other professional disciplines (Truncali et al ., 2012), as well as targeted efforts to develop student clinical skills in motivational interviewing, brief intervention, and harm reduction for work with AOD (Begun & Clapp, 2016; Begun & DiNitto, 2017; Estreet, Archibald, Tirmazi, Goodman, & Cudjoe, 2017). The ADEP program marks the most recent effort to increase the AOD knowledge and clinical skills of social workers.…”