MSW students and AOD: personal & professional reflections on practice

Awareness of personal limitations and areas for growth is an ethical consideration for social work students to be able to practice with clients effectively in their respective fields. The purpose of this study was to explore what formal education and experience graduate social work students have about alcohol and other drugs (AOD), and identify the perceptions that students have regarding clients with substance use issues. This quantitative exploratory study used non-probability convenience sampling of 60 individuals participating in the survey design, with demographic questions and a Likert scale to measure beliefs about a variety of topics related to AOD. The study found that a majority of MSW students are under considerable stress since entering the graduate program, with some students reporting higher alcohol use during this same period, and that there is limited education and experience working with AOD issues among students.