Historique
Rapport
The substance use prevention workforce: Results of a national assessment. Report to Congress
Auteur(s) :
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Année
2025
Page(s) :
79 p.
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Éditeur(s) :
Rockville, MD : U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
, PEP26-03-004
Refs biblio. :
28
Domaine :
Plusieurs produits
Thésaurus géographique
ETATS-UNIS
Thésaurus mots-clés
PREVENTION
;
EVALUATION
;
ENQUETE
;
MOTIVATION
;
INTERVENANT
Résumé :
Delivering substance use prevention via a skilled workforce offers a cost-effective, life-saving way to avoid the devastating, costly consequences of substance misuse. The report is the first national assessment of the substance use prevention workforce - and offers key findings and implications to address challenges. [Editor's abstract]
Findings and implications:
- Composition of the workforce:
1. Fifty-one percent of respondents were middle-aged or older, which reinforces the need to recruit younger individuals into the prevention workforce.
2. The workforce is predominantly female, with only 18.5 percent of the workforce being male. This composition identifies an opportunity to recruit more males into the field.
- Characteristics that define the labor force:
3. Ninety percent of respondents work full-time in prevention, and forty-seven percent often juggle both direct service and supervisory roles, indicating the need for professional development related to providing direct services and supervision.
4. Staff reported a wide range of job functions, suggesting areas for continued training, including time management.
- Motivators and challenges that impact staff recruitment:
5. Seventy-eight percent of respondents joined the prevention field to help others and are often driven by personal or family experiences with substance use, providing insights into individuals who may be attracted to working in the field.
6. Respondents often (over 76%) worked in other occupations before working in prevention, e.g., education, suggesting possible additional avenues to attract prevention professionals.
7. The mean salary of $45,000 a year for prevention professionals is significantly below similar occupations, creating a disincentive to enter and remain in prevention positions.
- Motivators and challenges that impact staff turnover and retention:
8. A significant percentage of respondents (37 %) plan to leave their positions or the field in the next 3 years, creating a high level of staff turnover that is destabilizing to organizations and expensive to manage.
9. Respondents identified several workplace characteristics not aligned between respondents' stated importance and the benefits their employers offered or paid for, such as a career ladder, credentialing reimbursement, and continuing education credits. This lack of alignment indicates areas where employers can enhance incentives to work in the prevention field.
- Professional development:
10. The workforce is well-educated, with 87 percent holding a college degree; however, there is limited access to prevention-specific degree programs.
11. Sixty percent of prevention workers are not certified, and while many want credentials, they often lack the support or incentives to pursue them.
12. Ninety percent of employers provide professional development, but high turnover and ongoing changes in prevention science call for continuous training.
Findings and implications:
- Composition of the workforce:
1. Fifty-one percent of respondents were middle-aged or older, which reinforces the need to recruit younger individuals into the prevention workforce.
2. The workforce is predominantly female, with only 18.5 percent of the workforce being male. This composition identifies an opportunity to recruit more males into the field.
- Characteristics that define the labor force:
3. Ninety percent of respondents work full-time in prevention, and forty-seven percent often juggle both direct service and supervisory roles, indicating the need for professional development related to providing direct services and supervision.
4. Staff reported a wide range of job functions, suggesting areas for continued training, including time management.
- Motivators and challenges that impact staff recruitment:
5. Seventy-eight percent of respondents joined the prevention field to help others and are often driven by personal or family experiences with substance use, providing insights into individuals who may be attracted to working in the field.
6. Respondents often (over 76%) worked in other occupations before working in prevention, e.g., education, suggesting possible additional avenues to attract prevention professionals.
7. The mean salary of $45,000 a year for prevention professionals is significantly below similar occupations, creating a disincentive to enter and remain in prevention positions.
- Motivators and challenges that impact staff turnover and retention:
8. A significant percentage of respondents (37 %) plan to leave their positions or the field in the next 3 years, creating a high level of staff turnover that is destabilizing to organizations and expensive to manage.
9. Respondents identified several workplace characteristics not aligned between respondents' stated importance and the benefits their employers offered or paid for, such as a career ladder, credentialing reimbursement, and continuing education credits. This lack of alignment indicates areas where employers can enhance incentives to work in the prevention field.
- Professional development:
10. The workforce is well-educated, with 87 percent holding a college degree; however, there is limited access to prevention-specific degree programs.
11. Sixty percent of prevention workers are not certified, and while many want credentials, they often lack the support or incentives to pursue them.
12. Ninety percent of employers provide professional development, but high turnover and ongoing changes in prevention science call for continuous training.
Affiliation :
USA