An Evaluation of the Michigan Mental Health Workforce: Addiction Training and Competence

Mental health professionals frequently work with individuals who have addiction concerns; however, limited training is occurring in their educational programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate counselors, psychologists, and social workers and investigate aspects of their addiction training and perceived addiction-related competency. The majority of the 1596 mental health professionals who participated in the study identified as White, non-Hispanic/Latino, heterosexual, women with a master's degree in social work. Over one-third had an addiction credential (35.81%) and worked in the addiction field (35.48%); 60.82% were counselors, 45.44% worked in an outpatient setting, and 24.51% worked in private practice. Half of the workforce felt unprepared in the area of addiction upon graduation, and over two-thirds wished they had taken more addiction coursework. Over nine out of 10 mental health professionals reported that addiction training is necessary in degree preparation programs, and almost three-fourths recommended that students complete one or more addiction-specific courses. The highest perceived competence among the participants was in the areas of motivational interviewing and diagnosis, and the lowest was in diversity aspects and drug policy. Despite being the largest group of mental health professionals within the USA, the social workers in the study reported the lowest overall perceived confidence. Results support the need for more addiction training in mental health professional preparation programs.