Purpose: In order to inform MSW educational program development, a comprehensive survey of LCSW's concerning graduate level and continuing education training needs in addictions was conducted in the large rural state of Montana, U.S.A.

Methods: A direct multi-piece mail survey was used based on Dillman's Tailored Design Method (Dillman, 2003). The survey included original questions as well as the 20 item Index of Training Needs (Vander Bilt, Hall & Schaefer, 1997). All data was captured in an SPSS data file for analysis.

Results: 76.9% of all LCSW's in the state responded (N=294). They averaged 17.14 years (SD = 9.77) of post masters experience. 72.1% were female and 26.3 % were male; 1.6 % did not indicate gender. LCSW's specializing in addiction comprised 11.0 % of respondents. 59.0% of all respondents feel that their MSW training did not adequately prepare them for work with addictions; 81.1% perceive that the MSW did not adequately prepare them for work with clients with co-occurring substance abuse/mental health disorders. 95.8 % strongly or somewhat agreed that addiction material should be integrated into the MSW curriculum. Also, 88.1% agreed that a specific course in addictions should be required of all MSW students. As a scale, the Index of Training Need exhibited excellent internal consistency reliability (Chronbach's alpha .94, N=259); Exploratory Factor Analysis failed to support factorial validity of the scales hypothesized constructs. Areas of highest continuing training need were dual diagnosis clients (e.g., assessment and treatment of co-occurring substance abuse/mental health diagnosed clients), providing marriage and family therapy to members of this population, specific intervention skills (e.g., intervening in life crisis situations, managing drug seeking behavior), and learning specific treatment techniques (e.g., working with ambivalence).

Implications for practice or policy: Rural social workers with graduate degrees and practice licenses clearly do not feel that their training prepared them to work with clients afflicted with addictions and/or co-occurring chemical dependency/mental disorders. Recommendations to require inclusion of addiction material in graduate level social work curriculum are endorsed nearly unanimously by this practice community and should be implemented. Social work educators should be responsive to the ground level input from the practice community concerning the knowledge base required for preparation for direct service in the profession.

Dillman D.A. (2000). Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Vander Bilt, J., Hall, M., Schaffer, H., (1997). Measuring substance abuse treatment for provider training needs: developing an index of training need. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 14 (6). 593-606.