Abstract

The purpose of this study is to review social work alcohol and drug treatment approaches used to treat substance-using clients. A content analysis of seventy-two articles were coded for social work alcohol and drug treatment approaches, which were published from 1887–2011. Findings indicated that the social work profession utilizes eclectic treatment approaches not generally published in the mainstream alcohol and drug journals. A gap was found between the types of approaches social work professionals use to provide treatment and those of traditional alcohol/drug researchers and practitioners. Instead of conventional alcohol/drug service profiles, social work interventions were primarily used to treat substance-using clients, such as ecological/systems approaches and strengths-based perspectives. The implications of these findings for the alcohol/drug field and the social work profession suggested that social work treatment approaches may play a major role in treatment. The author concluded with suggestions for bridging alcohol/drug research and treatment methods between the professions of social work and alcohol/drug field.