Social Workers Being Trained With Sufficient Coursework

¶ … social workers being trained with sufficient coursework and field-level research assignments as regards the alcohol-related issues some of their future clients will be challenged with? Are college and university faculty -- those instructors that train and prepare social workers -- including pertinent coursework in the curricula that adequately prepares social workers vis-a-vis the alcohol-related problems they will invariably encounter in the future? Is there a gap between what social workers are learning in masters-level classes (MSW) and what they will actually need to know in terms of their ability to achieve success with problem drinkers? The answer to the first two questions -- based on the literature -- is a solid "no"; and the answer to the third question in this introduction is "yes" (Richardson, 2008).

The Literature and Relevance to Social Work Practice

In the Journal of Social Work the author reports on a 2005 study of 89 masters-level social work practitioners in New York State; all 89 were members of the New York State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. When surveyed as to whether they were required to take alcohol-related coursework during their masters degree programs, less than 3% reported that they had taken a mandatory course on alcohol abuse as it relates to client interaction. In addition, only 29.5% reported that they had completed a "…alcohol-related field placement" (Richardson, 119).

Moreover, Richardson's research reveals that among the 19 New York State universities that offer social work curriculum, just 57% offer a Masters program (MSW); and 89% of those universities that do offer MSW do not mandate that social work students take any classes on alcohol or substance abuse (120). Just 42% of the universities in New York that offer MSW offer alcohol or substance abuse course as an elective (Richardson, 120).

Why is this issue important? What is the relevance to social work practice?

As Richardson explains, alcohol "…is a global problem"; the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that "Twenty-five percent of adults in the U.S." are either alcoholics or are abusing alcohol to harmful degrees. Empirical research referenced by Richardson points out that the "…lack of the skills necessary to diagnose and treat clients who have alcohol problems" leads MSWs to have "…subsequent feelings of inadequacy with regards to their level of alcohol-related knowledge" (120). The lack of knowledge of alcohol-related problems causes MSWs to often misdiagnose the symptoms, Richardson continues. The misdiagnosis can lead MSWs to believe that a client is suffering from depression, mania, anxiety disorders, antisocial personality, and psychosis -- when in fact the client has an alcohol abuse problem (120).

What are possible implications for social work practice?

A peer-reviewed article in the American Journal of Alcohol Abuse reports that social workers have tended to "stereotype" alcoholics, and have "avoided working with them" due to a lack of training in this field (Amodeo, et al., 2000). On the other hand, trained social workers view substance abuse vis-a-vis alcohol as "…a legitimate part of social work practice and believed they had the necessary skills to respond to it" (Amodeo, 630).