WHAT IS A DRUGS WORKER?
You may have come across many definitions for the role of Drug worker, and you will have noticed that it isn't exactly easy to define what a Drug worker does, as the role can be so varied.
A Drug worker can be defined as an employee whose core role is to assess, support, counsel and treat substance users. This list is neither exhaustive nor static; the Drug worker role and what it incorporates will be dependent upon the organisation.
Some examples of specific roles under the heading of Drug worker':
- Arrest Referral worker
- Outreach worker
- Drug treatment practitioner
- Project administrator
- GP liaison officer
- Many drug workers are nurses or community psychiatric nurses
Listed below are some of the typical tasks that a Drug worker may do on a day to day basis:
- Managing a caseload of clients
- Giving advice to clients
- Providing information to clients
- Assessing a clients treatment needs
- Referring clients to the appropriate agency, health service, or GP where necessary
- Motivational interviewing
- One to one sessions
- Risk assessment
- Care planning
- General administration
- Community engagement
As you can see the roles are wide ranging - you could be doing anything from background work to front line working with clients, in the community or even managing a service!
Salaries
The salaries vary according to the organisation and job role, but are generally around the region of £16,000 - £20,000
- The salaries listed above are approximations and may be less or more according to the organisation, sector (e.g. voluntary, private, public) and type of job role
- Some salaries are negotiable
- The salary may be location dependent, for example, a higher salary for a job based in London (or other major cities)
- Volunteering placements will be unpaid, but will provide you with basic skills to then go onto applying for paid roles
A day in the life of…
Want to know what it's really like to be a drug worker? Take a look at our case studies to find out what real people think about their job.
Case Study page