Social work in addiction: opportunities and alliances

ABSTRACT

Addiction is a severe social and mental health problem that requires concerted interdisciplinary efforts to address. Social workers routinely encounter addiction in their practice and can play an important role in its prevention, intervention and policies. However, social workers’ competence in working with addiction is currently compromised by inadequate academic training and reliance on a dominant medical and individualistic paradigm that is at odds with the person-environment philosophy of social work. Based on a critical review of the literature, three addiction theories that feature ecological, relational and humanistic-systemic concepts and practice compatible with social work orientation are presented. Existing knowledge gaps in addiction, formation of interdisciplinary allies and action steps are identified for social work to contribute to addiction theory, research and practice more centrally.

KEYWORDS:

• addiction theory
• addiction treatment
• social work curriculum
• relational framework
• interdisciplinarity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abreham Mekonnen

Abreham Mekonnen, BA in Geography, BGIS, MSc in Demography, has a background in Social Work. He has worked as a data analyst and case manager in an addiction service agency. Currently, he is a doctoral student in Population Studies in Health, University of Lethbridge focusing on detoxification and addiction services. His professional and research interests include prevention and treatment of addiction, homelessness, reproductive health, program evaluation, mixed-method research, university-community partnership in addressing knowledge and practice gaps, and applying Geographic Information Systems to address social issues and improve practices.

Bonnie K. Lee

Bonnie K. Lee, MSW, PhD, is an Associate Professor in Health Sciences, Addictions Counselling, University of Lethbridge. She is a Registered Social Worker and a Clinical Fellow of the Canadian and American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Her research focuses on the impact of adverse childhood experience on couple relationship, addiction and mental health. She has completed two randomised trials on a systemic intervention Congruence Couple Therapy for these issues. She is an advocate for patient-engagement in research and has utilised innovative strategies for knowledge translation to bridge research and practice. [email: [email protected]]