The role of social workers in addiction treatment

¶ … Role of Social Workers in the Treatment of Addictions

Straussner provides an excellent overview of the evolution of the social worker's role in the treatment of addiction. I was particularly interested in the information provided about Mary Richmond, who as early as 1917 recognized alcoholism as a disease rather than a sin. Richmond essentially laid the groundwork the modern medical view of alcoholism that is most often attributed to E.M. Jellinek. The fact that it was not until almost 50 years after Richmond published her book Social Diagnosis that alcoholism became "officially" considered a disease makes me wonder if the fact that Richmond was a woman, or the fact that she was a social worker (as opposed to a doctor or a psychologist) somehow trivialized her assessments.

In Social Diagnosis, Richmond makes a compelling case for the perception of alcoholism as a "disability" instead of a moral choice. She is acutely aware of the difference between a social drinker and one can only drink to excess. She is also aware of the importance of the social worker's role in diagnosis treatment and ongoing recovery. She states, "social work has an important part to play, first in gathering the pertinent social data, and later in rallying to the patient's aid every tonic influence which can supplement the medical means employed. Social work must be continued too during the long period of after-care which is usually necessary" (p. 429).

Another particularly intriguing aspect of Straussner's article is the manner in which the role of the social worker has changed over the years. Originally, there was virtually no training in addiction for social workers, even though they often worked with addicts and their families. Today, addiction has become a more integral part of the social work student's curriculum, although there is still some more work to be done in this arena. In addition to the amount of attention given to addiction, social workers have also expanded the realm of addictions with which they deal. While the term "addiction" used to relate primarily to chemical addictions (i.e. drugs and alcohol), Straussner reports that social workers now also deal with "process addictions" such as gambling and anorexia. Furthermore, the responsibilities of the social worker toward addicts and their families have become expanded to the point where social workers are now involved in program and policy development, administration and scientific research. I believe that all of these expanding roles and responsibilities will help to solidify addiction as a significant part of the social worker's job description.