The Effects on Facilitators of a Substance Abuse Education Program

This retrospective-anecdotal study was conducted to determine if involvement in a learner-centered continuing education program in substance abuse prevention would influence the careers and work-related activities of thefacilitators. A questionnaire was sent to 33 individuals who served as facilitators of a large substance abuse prevention education project. Of the 31 who responded, 21 (67.7%) indicated that serving as a facilitator resulted in either "major changes" or "some changes" to their careers, and 25 (80.6%) felt that they were "much more likely" or "more likely" to incorporate substance abuse prevention activities into their work. Teaching in substance abuse education programs may cause changes in the career paths and work-related activities of the facilitators. Investigators may need to incorporate evaluations of the effects of a particular program on the intended learners as well as the facilitators.