Workforce Development

Workforce Development is an essential piece of the ATTC Network's approach to achieving its goal of improving addictions treatment and recovery outcomes for all people who need treatment. The 2012 "Vital Signs" National Workforce Study conducted by the Network found that:

1. More SUD treatment professionals will be needed in the next five years. While there is limited data to track the projected growth, retraction, and composition of the SUD workforce over the next five years, it is anticipated that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2014 will result in a significant increase in the need for professionals who are able to care for individuals with SUDs in a variety of managed healthcare settings.
2. Applicants for open positions in SUD treatment facilities need to be better qualified. Clinical directors reported that their facilities face significant challenges in filling open positions due to a lack of qualified applicants.
3. The workforce needs to be diversified. The current workforce is predominantly white, female, and over the age of 45. Younger professionals from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds who are able to work in integrated settings will be needed.

During this process, the Network seeks to prepare professionals to enter the field, build their skills as supervisors and develop their own leadership style to help guide the field in the future. While you will find many resources throughout our site, we have highlighted a few below.

Addiction Counseling Competencies

SAMHSA, in cooperation with the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network, originally published Addiction Counseling Competencies: The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Professional Practice as a Technical Assistance Publication (TAP 21) in 1988. In the years since, TAP 21 has become a standard for the development of addiction counseling curricula and the assessment of counseling proficiency. In 2005 the document underwent a thorough review and revision to align with evolving developments in the field. The revision was published in 2006 and reprinted in 2007, 2008 and 2009 (CSAT, 2006).

TAP 21 identifies 123 competencies essential to the effective practice of counseling for individuals and families experiencing psychoactive substance use disorders. The Performance Assessment Rubrics for the Addiction Counseling Competencies is a companion product to TAP 21. It describes counselor/clinician proficiency along a continuum marked by four distinct benchmark descriptions of counselor ability for each of the competencies.

The Clinical Supervision Foundations course was developed by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network as an introduction to the essential elements of supervisory practice. In response to the need for an educational program which helps supervisors qualify for credentialing, the course presents participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to assure quality of care and promote the professional development of addictions counselors.

Knowing it is difficult for supervisors to be away from the worksite for extended periods, the course was intentionally designed utilizing a combination of online, face-to-face, and worksite formats to make up this 30-hour course. The 14-hour, ten module online course is self-paced, and can be taken as a standalone. It is intended to introduce basic concepts and resources, while providing a conceptual overview of the work of a clinical supervisor. The face-to-face segment, which requires the online course as a prerequisite, delves further into some of the more practical aspects of supervision and builds in opportunities for skills practice, offering a worksite aspect giving supervisors an opportunity to self-assess their knowledge and skills, as well as create a plan for continuing their professional development. Upon satisfactory completion of the worksite assignment, 16 contact hours of continuing education are issued.