ATTC White Paper: Preparing Students to Work in Integrated Health Care Systems
Submitted by Ally
- 9 May 2017
A recently published White Paper by the Addiction Technology Transfer Centre Newtork (ATTC) starts with the premise that the substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, treatment and recovery workforce is currently undergoing an evolution as a result of changes to health care laws and advances in science.
One key development is that mental and physical healthcare is now more integrated with SUD services. In light of this, the paper assesses the need for a re-evaluation of pre-service educational programmes that look to prepare students for a career in healthcare.
Among the conclusions reached, notable are:
- The integration of mental health, SUD, and primary care services requires a workforce that is knowledgeable about SUDs and prepared to work in integrated care settings.
- Existing pre-service educational programmes provide limited training on the prevention of SUDs.
- Pre-service educational programmes should address the core knowledge, skills and attitudes required for health professionals to care for those with, or at risk of developing, SUDs.
Click below to download the White Paper.