Staff attitudes and services provided by community-based organizations for alcohol and other drug users in Cape Town, South Africa: Implications for training and education

Abstract

Aims: The aims of this study were: (i) to describe the nature of and the extent to which community-based organizations (CBOs) in Cape Town provide services to people who have alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems; (ii) to examine the relationship between CBOs’ attitudes towards individuals with AOD problems and the types of services provided; and (iii) to compare CBOs’ attitudes towards alcohol- and drug-using clients. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 51 health and social welfare CBOs in Cape Town, South Africa. Results: A high proportion of clients served at CBOs have alcohol- and drug-related problems. Findings suggest that CBOs may be more accessible to poor black South Africans and women than traditional AOD treatment centres. CBOs that hold more positive attitudes towards AOD-using clients tend to provide more AOD-related services and serve more clients with AOD-related problems. Findings also indicate that CBOs’ attitudes are more positive towards alcohol users than towards drug users. Conclusions: This study highlights the important role that CBOs play in the delivery of services for people with AOD-related problems in South Africa. It also reveals the need to increase capacity among the agencies via training and education.

Notes

Notes

[1] The terms ‘White, Black/African, Asian/Indian, and Coloured’ refer to demographic markers and do not signify inherent characteristics. These markers were chosen for their historical significance. These markers are important as accurate user profiles assist in identifying vulnerable sections of the population and in planning effective intervention programmes.

[2] ZAR1 = $7.

[3] Alcohol-specific services include assessment for alcohol problems, individual and group counselling for alcohol problems, family services focused on alcohol problems, and harm-reduction interventions related to alcohol use.

[4] Support services include post-treatment support for AOD users, psycho-educational services for AOD users, and life skills training services.

[5] Drug-specific services include assessment for drug problems, individual and group counselling for drug problems, family services focused on drug problems, harm-reduction interventions related to drug use and early intervention services.