Drug and Alcohol Worker
What is the work like?
Drug and alcohol workers, also known as substance misuse workers, help people to tackle substance abuse problems. Workers deal with people in three broad categories of substance misuse – drugs (illegal, prescription and over-the-counter), alcohol and solvents. The job can be extremely challenging but at the same time very rewarding.
As a drug and alcohol worker, you would help clients to access services such as counselling, healthcare and education. Your job could cover the following areas:
- outreach work – encouraging people with substance misuse problems to engage with support services
- counselling and rehabilitation – giving therapeutic support and dealing with the causes of substance misuse
- prison work (known as arrest referral work) – supporting clients arrested for drug-related offences
- education and training – supporting clients with reading, writing, maths, IT skills, job searching and CVs
- healthcare – working as a specialist nurse in an addiction clinic attached to a GP surgery or drop-in centre, prescribing drug treatments, supervising needle exchange programmes and other duties
- advocacy – helping clients to use housing, employment, healthcare and other services, and acting as a spokesperson for clients in the justice system
- advice and guidance – giving counselling, advice, and continuous support to clients in prisons and remand centres, including support with detox programmes (drug and alcohol workers in this field are sometimes known as CARAT workers).
You may work in more than one of these areas, especially in smaller organisations like charities.
You would also have other tasks, common to all fields, which include risk assessments, design and delivery of training and care programmes, and ongoing support for people while they deal with their substance misuse issues.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
You can get into this work with experience from a variety of backgrounds, but the main requirement for most jobs is an aptitude for work with vulnerable clients.
Organisations often ask for between six months and two years’ relevant experience. For example, you may have dealt with drug- or alcohol-dependent patients as a nurse, or worked in the probation service dealing with offenders after their release. If you have been through a treatment programme yourself, drug and alcohol organisations may be willing to consider you for this kind of work because of the insight and understanding you could bring to the role.
You will need an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check for most jobs. Your employer will usually apply for this as soon as they take you on. You may need a driving licence and access to a vehicle for jobs that involve outreach work or travel between project centres.
Voluntary experience
Volunteering is an excellent way to gain experience in this field, make contacts and eventually find paid work. It not only gives the employer a chance to see your skills and motivation, but it allows you to decide whether this is the career for you. Most drug and alcohol support organisations offer volunteering opportunities and training.
You can find contacts for substance misuse organisations in your local telephone directory or by visiting Talktofrank, where you can search for organisations by postcode or town.
Related qualifications
If you have college qualifications, you may be at an advantage for some of the main jobs in this field. The exact requirements will depend on the role you are interested in, but relevant qualifications may include:
- diploma in counselling
- degree or diploma social work
- degree or diploma in nursing
- teaching qualifications (PGCE, Cert Ed or adult teaching certificate).
See the related profiles for more details.
For more information about working in this field, see the websites for the Federation of Drug & Alcohol Professionals (FDAP), DrugScope and Alcohol Concern.
What further training and development can I do?
Most organisations will offer you on-the-job training whether you are volunteering or in paid employment.
Your training will be based around the skills and competencies required by your particular job. It may be short sessions on a particular aspect of your role or longer formal qualifications. For example, the NVQ levels 2, 3 and 4 in Health and Social Care contain optional units covering the substance misuse sector.
The Federation of Drug & Alcohol Professionals (FDAP) offers a range of awards and accreditation for practitioners, counsellors and managers in this area. For more information, see the FDAP website.
You could also take one of a number of university courses, ranging from foundation-degree level to postgraduate, covering this sector. Courses include:
- FdA Drug and Alcohol Counselling offered by Leicester University
- FdSc Addictions Counselling offered by Clouds (in partnership with the University of Bath)
- BSc Substance Misuse Management from Kent University
- MSc/PgDip Drug Use and Addiction Liverpool through John Moores University
- MSc Addictive Behaviours through the University of Liverpool.
Drug charities strongly recommend that you check that any academic training includes work-based placements to gain practical experience in this field.
For more details about training courses and providers, see the Training & Development section of www.DrinkandDrugs.net.
Where can I go for more information?
If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form
Alternatively, you can visit our website at: www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice
Related profiles...
What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- Employment officers, and outreach and drop-in centre workers earn between £20,000 and £25,000.
- Counsellors and specialist nursing staff can earn between £23,000 and £28,000.
- Team leaders and local service managers can earn between £24,000 and £35,000 a year.
Volunteers may receive expenses such as travel costs.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
In a full-time job you would work 35 to 40 hours a week. Your hours may be irregular and unsocial, and on-call duties could also form part of your job.
Your workplace would depend on your job. In the justice system, for example, you would be based in a prison or remand centre. In outreach work, you would travel around your district, visiting centres and schools. Alternatively, you might be based in a residential rehab centre.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- the ability to work with a range of different organisations
- an understanding of the importance of sharing knowledge and information
- an understanding of substance misuse issues and its impact on individuals and society
- the ability to reflect on and develop your own practice through professional development
- an understanding of how to support clients through life changes
- the skills to design, deliver and monitor care or training programmes
- the ability to communicate and engage with vulnerable groups, including young people and children in a non-judgemental way.
These are some of the broader skills and interests required to work in drug and alcohol support. Employers will be able to give you further job-specific requirements for each role.
What opportunities are there?
The drug and alcohol support sector is expanding all over the UK. Around 30,000 people work directly in the field and many more work in related roles.
With experience and training, you could move between the different areas. For example, you may become a drug and alcohol counsellor after doing outreach work in the community.
Other opportunities for progression include moving into support team supervision and management, local, regional or national services coordination and specialist intervention work.
You may be able to consider options like freelance training for charities and agencies if you are an experienced practitioner.
You may find the following links useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):
Jobs Go Public/Social Care Careers
LGjobs
Community Care
NHS Jobs
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
Contact an adviser
Email
Call back
or phone: 0800 100 900
Bilingual advisers available
Face-to-face advice
