Training Master of Social Work Students In Substance Use Interventions to Work In Integrated Behavioral Health Care Settings

Background and Purpose: Social workers are among the practitioners most likely to encounter clients with unhealthy substance use. Yet, many social work programs lack substance use intervention curricula, or if curriculum is offered, its focus is on the counseling of individuals with substance use disorders in specialized treatment settings. The past two decades have seen notable movement, prompted by groups like the Institute of Medicine, to expand substance use services within integrated behavioral health care in attempts to intervene early. Thus, the present study explores the education and training of MSW students in substance use and trauma-focused interventions to work in integrated behavioral health care settings.

Methods: A subset of MSW students were recruited from the larger student body at a public Midwestern university between the years 2021 and 2025. Eligible students (N = 118) were competitively selected to participate in the federally funded Youth-Oriented Substance Abuse and Trauma Counseling II (YOSAT II) program. As part of YOSAT II, students were expected to complete both the Substance Abuse Counseling (SAC) state-certified curriculum and the Trauma-Informed Care Certificate (TIC) offered within the larger MSW program. Students also received a $10,000 stipend during their last two semesters of training while completing a specialized YOSAT II field placement.

At the time of field placement, YOSAT II students completed pre-test and post-test surveys assessing training and clinical competencies relevant to integrated behavioral health care, plus provided up to one year follow-up data on post-graduation employment. Pre- and post-measures included Mental Health Literacy, Interprofessional Socialization Scale, Multicultural Counseling Knowledge and Awareness Scale, and Attitudes Towards Health Care Teams. Data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: YOSAT II students were predominantly female (90%) and on average 30 years old (SD=7). They were predominantly Non-Hispanic White (71.6%), followed by Non-Hispanic Black (13.8%), Hispanic (10.3%), and other racial/ethnic groups (4.3%); 19% were from rural backgrounds and 47% reported an economically disadvantaged background. Based on paired t-tests, all standardized measures showed statistically significant increases except the Attitudes Towards Health Care Teams, most likely due to a ceiling effect. Among the 95 students who provided follow-up data, almost half (45%) were providing substance use services post-graduation.

Conclusions and Implications: The movement toward integrated behavioral health care offers an opportunity to expand access to substance use care and to intervene early. Although YOSAT II students were trained in SAC, one quarter of the curriculum was devoted to early intervention models such as Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment. In the YOSAT II program, students increased their mental health literacy and competency in multicultural counseling. In addition, they became more socialized to working in interprofessional teams—a hallmark of working in integrated behavioral health care. Furthermore, upon graduation, almost half of former YOSAT II students were providing substance use services to clients. YOSAT II can serve as an example for other MSW programs training students in the delivery of trauma-informed substance use care, especially in the expanding integrated behavioral health care sector.