Khary K Rigg, Steven L Proctor, Lindi K Rigg, Kayleigh B Faber, Leona M Pusey-Rigg
{"title":"Why All Behavioral Health Providers Need Addiction Training.","authors":"Khary K Rigg, Steven L Proctor, Lindi K Rigg, Kayleigh B Faber, Leona M Pusey-Rigg","doi":"10.1007/s11414-025-09977-9","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a major public health concern in the USA. In 2023, over 167 million Americans reported substance use, and more than 48 million met the DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosable SUD. Due to this high prevalence, behavioral health providers (i.e., psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists) regularly encounter clients affected by these disorders. However, many of these providers report receiving limited training in the assessment and treatment of SUDs. This gap in training is especially concerning given how widespread SUDs are and how frequently they co-occur with mental health conditions. To address this issue, this commentary will (1) examine research on SUD training gaps in graduate programs, (2) highlight the risks associated with inadequate SUD training, and (3) propose actionable strategies to enhance SUD-focused training across the behavioral health workforce.</p>","PeriodicalId":49040,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-025-09977-9","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a major public health concern in the USA. In 2023, over 167 million Americans reported substance use, and more than 48 million met the DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosable SUD. Due to this high prevalence, behavioral health providers (i.e., psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists) regularly encounter clients affected by these disorders. However, many of these providers report receiving limited training in the assessment and treatment of SUDs. This gap in training is especially concerning given how widespread SUDs are and how frequently they co-occur with mental health conditions. To address this issue, this commentary will (1) examine research on SUD training gaps in graduate programs, (2) highlight the risks associated with inadequate SUD training, and (3) propose actionable strategies to enhance SUD-focused training across the behavioral health workforce.
期刊介绍:
This journal examines the organization, financing, delivery and outcomes of behavioral health services (i.e., alcohol, drug abuse, and mental disorders), providing practical and empirical contributions to and explaining the implications for the broader behavioral health field. Each issue includes an overview of contemporary concerns and recent developments in behavioral health policy and management through research articles, policy perspectives, commentaries, brief reports, and book reviews.
This journal is the official publication of the National Council for Behavioral Health.