Currently in Canada there is no national association or professional college dealing exclusively with the field of substance abuse. This said, many professionals working in the field enjoy membership in professional colleges and/or associations specific to other disciplines that are represented in the field of substance abuse, such as social work, psychology, nursing, counselling and health service executive management. While membership in these professional organizations supports the field and, in some cases, is a requirement for licensure or registration, the question remains as to whether this field, comprising professionals from a variety of educational and experiential backgrounds, could benefit from the formation of a national organization with a mandate to enhance professionalism specific to substance abuse.
In 2004, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) conducted the first national survey of professionals working in the substance abuse field. One of the 10 recommendations arising from this survey specifically identified the need for a national professional organization that would support the development and application of recognized standards of practice while supporting effective knowledge translation and uptake of best and promising practices. The National Advisory Group on Workforce Development, which was formed in 2006 for the purpose of guiding a pan-Canadian Workforce Development strategy, endorsed this recommendation and tasked CCSA’s Workforce Development division with investigating which “model” of professional organization would be most appropriate to the needs of the substance abuse field.
To this end, two possible models were identified: the professional college and the professional association. In fall, 2007, a survey of professional colleges and associations currently operating in Canada at either the national or provincial/territorial level was undertaken. The report, Models of Professionalism, compiles the results of this survey, and draws conclusions about which model is best suited to the substance abuse field.
Following are links to national associations and professional colleges that currently support many of the professionals working in the field of substance abuse, including some of the organizations that participated in the 2007 survey.
*Indicates they participated in the Models of Professionalism survey