Workforce Development

Workforce issues are complex and linked to almost every challenge facing the addictions treatment and recovery field. Like other health care professions, the field has encountered many barriers to effective staff recruitment and retention, and to maintaining competencies. In addition to these common workforce challenges, the treatment and recovery field frequently experiences stigma, lack of public support, under-funding, and misconceptions about treatment and recovery.

Partners for Recovery supported the development of two reports on workforce development in the areas of retention and recruiting of the addiction workforce. The first report, "Addictions Treatment and Recovery Workforce Retention and Promising Practices Pilot Study" (35pp, PDF, 240KB) explores retention strategies among facilities with low turnover rates. The second report, "Informing Marketing Strategies for Recruitment into the Addictions Treatment Workforce" (44pp, PDF, 383KB) summarizes the findings from the seven focus groups convened to respond to a need to develop recruitment and marketing messages for the addictions treatment recovery field .

Partners for Recovery has identified workforce development as a critical issue and has sought input from many groups, including professional associations, colleges and universities, recovery support providers, State directors, treatment providers, Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs), Federal agencies, clinical supervisors, human resource managers, and key leaders. The input from the field has been gathered and synthesized in a report entitled, "Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce." (93pp, PDF, 780KB)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), House Committee on Appropriations requested in its (FY) 2006 committee report that SAMHSA develop a report on the recruitment, retention and skill development needs of substance abuse treatment professionals. The field report entitled "Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce" (93pp, PDF, 780KB) informed the development of the "Report to Congress: Addictions Treatment Workforce Development." (50pp, PDF, 392KB) The information and actions outlines in these two reports serve as a basis for CSAT's workforce development programming. For more information on the Report to Congress see attached article, SAMHSA Submits Report to Congress: "Addictions Treatment Workforce Development." (3pp, PDF, 116KB)

In response to the recommendations presented in the “Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce” report, Partners for Recovery (PFR) and State Association of Addiction Services (SAAS) developed a report illustrating strategies for strengthening the addictions treatment provider system. “Strategies for Strengthening Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Systems: Provider Networks and Impact on the Workforce” (91pp, PDF, 2.1MB) describes nine successful alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction provider networks that are highly diverse in size, scope, complexity, and service array. The report describes formation and structure of provider networks, range of services offered, collaborative efforts, and impact on the workforce. Strengths and challenges of the networks and considerations in forming the networks are identified.

Workforce development is also an important issue in the field of substance abuse prevention. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention has established a Prevention Fellowship program to advance the field of prevention nationally. The Prevention Fellows hone their skills with State Substance Abuse Directors and Prevention Network personnel across all levels of State activities with emphasis on the Strategic Prevention Framework, SAMHSA's Prevention National Outcome Measures, and the use of data for decision making regarding prevention programming. This program also enhances the skill level of prevention professionals and develops future workers in the field. Many of these fellows will become the Prevention Specialists of the future.

Read about Resources on Workforce Development.

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