Running head: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1
SOWK 6103 Week 3 Assignment
Racquel Walsh
Walden University
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2
It is very essential for professionals providing services in the area of addiction must be
competent when it comes to evaluating and providing substance abuse treatment to individuals
battling substance abuse addiction. Addiction professionals hold and lead group and individual
sessions in order to provide support to his/her client during their recovery as well as providing
support to assist the client with maintaining sobriety. Continued and ongoing education and
training are very vital in developing the various competencies that an addiction professional
needs in order to provide effective treatment to substance addicts as well as seeking out ongoing
professional development opportunities. Having knowledge of and a clear understanding of the
various competencies that are required in order to provide substance treatment is very important
in order to provide care that is skilled, effective, and comprehensive.
According to DHHS, there is a comprehensive list consisting of 123 various
competencies in which addiction professionals providing treatment to substance addicts should
have mastered in order to be able to effectively provide substance abuse treatment to their clients
(DHHS 2018). Three different competencies in which a professional providing substance abuse
treatment should possess are counseling, assessment and screening, and service coordination.
Having a clear understanding of assessment and screening will allow the professional to gain an
understanding of the client’s problem and in order to be able to connect to the appropriate
services that will align with the client’s needs.
