Substance Abuse Workforce Development

substance abuse workforce developement

CHL currently partners with the Vermont Department of Health (VDH), Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs (ADAP) to provide support to its Substance Abuse Workforce Development Initiative.

The mission of the VDH/ADAP Workforce Development initiative is to improve Vermont’s workforce capacity through recruitment, retention, education, training and development in the areas of substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment, continuing care/recovery and enforcement. Goals include:

  • Develop recommendations for statewide workforce development strategies which address quality education and training, recruitment, retention and compensation, public awareness and legislative priorities for addiction professionals in Vermont.
  • Assess current status of the substance abuse field in order to develop comprehensive workforce development strategies at all educational levels of entry.

There is an identified need for prevention, intervention, and treatment and recovery providers to work together more seamlessly at the community level and to be more visible in how they work together. ADAP’s objective is to increase opportunities for professionals in the substance abuse field to: (1) build collaboration skills and a common understanding of how one level of the continuum needs to work with the other to be effective and (2) identify common skill development needs.

CHL is supporting ADAP in the following areas:

  • Conducting a Needs Assessment of key constituents for the purpose of identifying strategies for serving, maintaining and growing a workforce prepared to address substance abuse prevention. The survey will address issues such as professional development needs across the continuum of care. It will also assess ways to connect to existing and related initiatives and health care reform in Vermont.
  • Assisting with the planning, convening, and facilitating a Stakeholder Engagement Meeting designed to engage key substance abuse prevention stakeholders in a discussion about workforce development that aims to strengthen the professional workforce addressing substance abuse. The meeting will be designed to provide an opportunity to exchange perspectives, gather valuable insights, and strengthen important relationships.

For more information about CHL’s work in the area of substance abuse prevention training, needs assessments, and stakeholder meeting design and facilitation, please contact info@healthandlearning.org[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]