How Well Prepared are Newly Qualified Social Workers for Working with Substance Use Issues? Findings from a National Survey in England

US Social Work Students' Attitudes Shift Favorably Towards a Harm Reduction Approach to Alcohol and Other Drugs Practice: The Effectiveness of Consequence Analysis

“…The situation in the United Kingdom parallels that of the United States with no required undergraduate preparation in terms of AOD knowledge and/or practice skills. Findings from a national survey regarding preparation of newly qualified social workers (Galvani & Forrester, 2011) demonstrate that most respondents were 'only too aware of their gaps in knowledge and skills around substance use' (p. 435) and generally did not feel ready for working with people with AOD issues. A more recent study (Galvani, Dance, & Hutchinson, 2013) of UK social workers' substance use training experiences and needs identified more than a third of social workers had not received any training and an additional fifth only received between one and four hours.…”

Guest Editorial

“…While evidence shows that problematic substance use is often present on the caseloads of social workers working with children, young people and families (Cleaver et al 2007; Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)/Home Office/Department of Health 2008; Forrester and Harwin 2006;Fuller and Sanchez 2010;Galvani and Forrester 2011b;Hayden 2004), there is evidence of high rates of substance use among people experiencing mental distress (Manning et al 2002;Weaver et al 2003), and increasing concerns about substance use among older people and people with disabilities (Gossop 2008;McLaughlin et al 2007;Shaw and Palattiyil 2008;West, Graham, and Cifu 2009).…”

The Development of Employment-Based Education on Substance use for Social Workers in England: Embedding Substance use Training in Frameworks of Continuing Professional Development

“…Coverage by social work qualifying programmes (at bachelor and masters level) in England of working with substance use is poor and at best variable as discussed widely in other articles (Galvani & Allnock, 2013;Galvani & Forrester, 2011;Harrison, 1992), making post-qualifying training even more important. Yet limited research evidence indicates that specialist education on substance use is also limited for qualified social workers in employment (Adamson, Templeton, & Clifton, 2012).…”

“…Some have argued that social workers already have many of the skills needed to effectively engage with substance use (Wylie, 2010) and that the generic principles of supporting services users to be active citizens through practices which empower and enable are more relevant than ever in the context of substance use and the recovery agenda (Forrester & Hutchinson, 2012). However, practitioners themselves have said they need more specialised guidance and reflection when putting these skills into practice in the context of addiction, chaotic lifestyles, high and unpredictable risks, ambivalence towards behaviour change and resistance to engaging with specialist services Galvani & Forrester, 2011).…”