Substance Abuse Education: Perceived Competence of Field Instructors on Substance Abuse

Substance use is an undeniable problem in the United States. Field instructors are called on to supervise social work students on how to help address substance abuse issues. This exploratory study seeks to understand the perceived competence field instructors have in their ability to supervise students on the knowledge, skills, and values needed to work with individuals with substance abuse problems. Results indicate that a greater proportion of field instructors feel competent in their ability to supervise students around value-based substance abuse issues, rather than knowledge- or skill-based issues.