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Addiction counsellors provide the majority of treatment to individuals struggling with substance abuse and problem gambling behaviour and, therefore, compose an essential workforce for providing effective treatment to individuals with addictive behaviours. Given the growing body of research highlighting the effects of counsellors on client outcomes this study is among the first to use a mixed methods approach to study the job-related beliefs of addiction counsellors from Alberta, Canada. In Study 1, a quantitative survey was used to discover and describe 110 counsellors self-appraisals of self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and burnout from three previously validated survey instruments. In Study 2, 10 individual interviews were conducted to add depth and support to the quantitative Study 1 findings and add details about counsellor job motivation. Results from Study 1 reveal that counsellors are less confident in their skills for treating clients with co-occurring disorders and providing group counsel, are more satisfied with the intrinsic aspects of their jobs, and occasionally experience a low level of burnout in the form of emotional exhaustion and negative work environment. Furthermore, results support that greater self-efficacy is associated with greater job satisfaction, which are both associated with lower levels of burnout. Results from mediation analysis indicate self-efficacy mediates the relationship between job satisfaction and incompetence. Results from Study 2 highlight the importance of clients, learning opportunities, and organizational factors on counsellors job-related beliefs. / Psychological Studies in Education

Individanpassat missbruksarbete är grundläggande inom svensk missbruk- och beroendevård. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur missbrukshandläggare inom socialtjänsten arbetar med personer som har intellektuell funktionsnedsättning i kombination med alkoholmissbruk. Sex kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med missbrukshandläggare inom socialtjänsten. Intervjuerna analyserades genom en tematisk analys. Studien visade att missbrukshandläggare upplever arbetet med målgruppen som svårt och utmanande då de inte har stöd i de nationella riktlinjerna samt att bedömningsinstrument och insatser inte är anpassade för denna målgrupp. Bristerna gör att missbrukshandläggares egna erfarenheter samt individuella kunskaper om målgruppen avgör hur utformade insatserna blir för den enskilde klienten. Resultatet har diskuterats i relation till tidigare forskning, systemteori och stigmateorin. Studien indikerar att det finns behov av ytterligare forskning kring denna målgrupp. / Individualized addiction work is fundamental in Swedish addiction treatment. The purpose of the study was to investigate how addiction counsellors in the social services work with people with intellectual disabilities in combination with alcohol abuse. Six qualitative interviews were conducted with addiction counsellors in the social service. The interviews were analysed through a thematic analysis. The study showed that addiction counsellors experience working with the target group as difficult and challenging as they don´t have support in the national guidelines and that assessment instruments and interventions are not adapted for this target group. The shortcomings mean that addiction counsellors own experiences as well as individual knowledge of the target group determine how the interventions are designed for the individual client. The results have been discussed in relation to previous research, system theory and stigma theory. The study indicates that there is a need for further research on this target group.

Little is known about the prevalence of substance use and abuse among individuals with intellectual disabilities. However, studies show that individuals with intellectual disabilities are at greater risk of developing substance abuse problems. Furthermore, traditional drug abuse treatment programs may be insufficient in order to tackle the individual needs of the users with intellectual disabilities. This study focuses on addiction counsellors, and aims to give insight into how they experience their work with individuals who are suffering from intellectual disabilities and substance abuse. In this study, qualitative interviews were conducted with five counsellors from two different municipal organizations. Subsequently, the analysis of the results has been categorized thematically, supported by Lipsky’s theory of street-level bureaucrats and Polanyi’s notion of tacit knowledge. The results suggest that the professionals are experiencing several challenges in their work with the target group. The lack of knowledge and insufficient national guidelines regarding the work with the target group, in combination with treatment methods that are not adapted to the needs and the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities, leave the professionals in a situation where their experiences and tacit knowledge is used to design and conduct the target group’s treatment.