Social work with alcoholism and drug addiction

What competences do social workers who deal with addicts need to have? How can they take on this «front line» service, offering adequate, effective professional support? Their task is not easy. They deal with people who are often not willing to change, they have to fulfil their role of support and checking at the same time and they are faced with a complex, ever-changing framework of regulations. And we mustn’t forget that the actual concept of addiction is constantly evolving.

This practical guide is designed to help social workers operating in the field of addiction, considering all the factors that come into play: from legal aspects to networking; from knowledge of nature and the effects of narcotic substances to the assessment of individual risk factors; from group work to prevention and health awareness initiatives.

Particular emphasis is placed on nurturing the relationship between social worker and client, above all when the focus of the interaction is centred on behavioural change.