Quality Standards and Competencies for University and Higher Education Addiction Study Programs

BACKGROUND: Exponential growth of addiction specific services accelerated the need and pressure on professionalizing workforce. It is followed by the increasing number of university and higher education programs specifically focused on substance use, hand in hand with curricula development. In such fast condition changes, emphasis on quality assurance is key. The aim of the paper is to describe and reflect the development process of international quality standards and a competency model for clinically oriented university programs in addictions.

METHODS: The study is based on a process evaluation reflecting internal process of developing quality standards and a competency model for tertiary education programs specifically focused on addictions. It was facilitated and led by a working group (2020-2023) established by ICUDDR and NAADAC/NASAC. The process of development has been described, the final documents presented and the main challenges identified. 

RESULTS: The working group has created the final output represented by international quality standards dedicated to educators and curricula developers and evaluators for relatively narrow profile of study programs: addiction counselling, treatment and rehabilitation. Authors reflected on the process of standards development and focused on broader context of emerging educational programs and formulating a roadmap for continual work where prevention, harm reduction and recovery perspectives are still missing.

CONCLUSIONS: There is a global need to continue developing quality standards for tertiary education on substance use and a need to intensify the dialogue between service providers, professional societies, governmental structures and university and higher education providers in maintaining and improving quality of addiction care.