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Drug and alcohol workers help people tackle their drug, alcohol or solvent misuse problems.
You could work: on call; at short notice
Your day-to-day duties might include:
You could work at a health centre, at a school, in the community, in a prison or at an outreach centre.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You may be able to do an introductory course in substance misuse at a local college. You could then follow this up by doing a Level 1 or 2 Award in Substance Misuse Awareness.
You could start out by completing an adult care worker intermediate apprenticeship then move into support work.
You'll usually need:
You can be a support worker with few qualifications, as long as you have enough relevant experience and the qualities employers are looking for.
This is a job where volunteering is highly valued and can lead to paid work. You can find volunteering opportunities by contacting local substance misuse organisations listed on Frank.
Do-it has more information on general volunteering opportunities in your area.
You could apply directly to become a drug and alcohol worker. There are no formal entry requirements. You could have an advantage if you've got personal experience of addiction or dependency.
You may also come into this work from a variety of backgrounds, like nursing, criminal justice, social care, youth work or counselling. For example, you may have dealt with drug or alcohol-dependent patients as a nurse, or worked in the probation service, supporting offenders after their release.
You'll need to:
You can find out more about becoming a drug and alcohol worker from Turning Point.
With experience, you could become a volunteer coordinator, project team leader or service manager.