Here are some examples of key roles in the sector with information on what qualifications you need and personal accounts from people in position.
Volunteer
Many people begin their role in addiction services by volunteering, and volunteering opportunities are often available in agencies such as local peer support or treatment services. Services will often advertise locally or on their websites and an interview is usually part of the process. Volunteering activities can be wide-ranging, from support groups and recreational activities to helping local treatment agencies to deliver their services. Volunteering can be hugely rewarding and a great way to get experience, and can help people to decide whether they want to go on to work in the field, and in what role. For many people their experience in mutual aid groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or SMART Recovery motivates them to go on to volunteer in addiction services.
Training requirements
Many services require volunteers to complete in-house training but will not require additional qualifications, although some may ask for training qualifications for specific roles such as volunteer counsellors.
Further development
Some organisations support volunteers by providing training in specific areas of interest, allowing them to specialise – for example in peer support or harm reduction services. Many volunteers go on to apply for work in the sector or a vocational course that supports them to work in the field, for example nursing or social work.
Case study
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Recovery/key worker
This role exists across many treatment settings in the UK, although the names of the role can vary. The keyworker acts as the main point of contact for a client, often in a multidisciplinary team. Their focus is on building a good relationship with the client, supporting person-centred care planning, and liaising with other professionals both internal and external to their team – including medical, housing, social services and educational – to support individuals to meet their goals.
Training requirements
Currently there are no nationally recognised training requirements for this role. However some services may ask for certain levels of educational achievement, or ask that people work towards this level once they start the role. Level 3 vocational courses such as diplomas in adult health/social care are commonly asked for in community settings and the care certificate is often required in residential settings, but other health and social care educational courses may be accepted and/ or asked for. Some recovery/keyworkers will already have professional qualifications, such as in nursing, social work, psychology, counselling, youth work or probation, although this is not usually a requirement for the role.
Further development
There is currently no recognised accreditation for recovery/support workers. Addiction Professionals provides accreditation aimed at recovery workers in the drug and alcohol sector and there is also accreditation, developed with Adfam, which is aimed at family workers. Other further development routes include progression to managerial qualifications or vocational degrees, and some employers may support workers through these qualifications. Some recovery/keyworkers choose to study addictions at a Masters level and/or are supported in work to develop specialisms, for example in hepatitis C.
Case study
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Counsellor/therapist
Some people choose to develop their skills in counselling in order to pursue a career in addictions. There are also counsellors who become interested in specialising in addictions as a result of coming into contact with people with addictions in their work role.
Training requirements
Counselling is an unregulated profession in the UK and practitioners are not required to have a qualification in order to advertise counselling services, although the UK government encourages voluntary registration for counsellors/therapists/psychotherapists. There are a number of voluntary registers in the UK, including Addiction Professionals, that practitioners can register with, and most voluntary registers require counsellors/ psychotherapists to have completed a degree level course with specified hours of supervised practice and learning.
Further development
Addiction Professionals is the only regulatory body that provides accreditation for addictions counsellors. Some practitioners choose to study addictions at a Masters level and/or to specialise in areas of interest, for example EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).
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Psychologist
Studying as a psychologist is another route to pursuing a career in addictions, while there are also psychologists who become interested in specialising in addictions as a result of coming into contact with people with drug or alcohol issues in their working lives. In order to practice as a psychologist in the UK you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a practitioner psychologist.
Training requirements
Practitioner psychologists must complete a recognised degree and meet the HCPC standards in order to practice.
Further development
There is currently no formal accreditation for psychologists working in addictions. Some psychologists choose to study at Masters level and/or are supported at work to specialise in an area of special interest.
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Nurse
Some people choose to qualify as a nurse in order to pursue a career in addictions, and there are also nurses who become interested in specialising in addictions as a result of coming into contact with people with addictions in their working lives. In order to practice as a nurse in the UK you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Training requirements
Nurses are required to have a nursing degree or equivalent in order to register with the NMC. There is no externally recognised addictions accreditation.
Further development
Some nurses study to become nurse independent/supplementary prescribers. Some practitioners choose to study addictions at a Masters level and/or are supported at work to specialise in an area of special interest.
Case study
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Pharmacist
Pharmacists in the UK must register with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Training requirements
Pharmacists can undertake a specialisation in substance misuse and alcohol dependency. There is also additional training in as non-medical prescribers meeting the GPhC competency framework supported by a practice based portfolio.
Further development
Some pharmacists study to become independent/supplementary prescribers, while some practitioners choose to study addictions at a Masters level and/or are supported at work to specialise in an area of special interest.
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