Addiction career and education pathways
Want to work in addiction services?
These webpages provide information about the different ways people, including those with lived experience of addiction and recovery, can enter and develop within the addiction workforce.
The information is presented in two main sections:
- entry level training and education pathways that enable people to get started and develop within addiction practice
- the different roles that people can work in; including person-to-person, system-based, and leadership roles.
These webpages focus on services and workers supporting recovery from alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction. Some information may broadly apply to services and workers focused on other addictions such as problem gambling.
The whakapapa of this information is the collective knowledge and lived experiences of those who have worked within the addiction sector and who have shaped its development over time. We acknowledge the significant contributions of those who have journeyed through addictions career pathways, who bring invaluable perspectives to the field and enhance the services and support offered to whānau and communities. This information also draws from a range of resources and websites including national professional associations and organisations, education providers, and Te Pou.
We also thank the people who reviewed and contributed to developing these webpages.
Introduction
The addiction sector is made up of a diverse and passionate workforce with a range of knowledge and experience supporting tāngata who experience behavioural and substance addiction. This includes the significant number of kaimahi with their own lived experience of behavioural and substance addictions and recovery journeys, who are a core part of the addiction workforce and support other tāngata whai ora and whānau through paid and unpaid work. Addiction sector kaimahi provide support for tāngata whai ora in a wide range of services and settings including, but not limited to:
Key values, attitudes, and skills underpin addiction sector mahi to ensure tāngata whai ora and whānau have positive experiences and outcomes when seeking support for addiction harm. These are outlined in Keeping it Real | Kia Pono te Tika which applies to all kaimahi working in any addiction and other health services.
Additional key approaches in addiction sector mahi include human rights, social justice, harm reduction, mutual (peer) support, and holistic recovery and wellbeing.
The addiction workforce supports the wellbeing and recovery of tāngata whai ora and whānau accessing services in several ways including:
- addressing stigma and discrimination around the use of drugs, including advocating for people, whānau, and communities who have experienced marginalisation
- addressing the health, social, legal, and other harms caused by substance use
- providing support for different areas of hauora such as mental, physical, whānau, spiritual, and cultural wellbeing
- elevating the knowledge, experiences, and voices of people with lived experience of addiction and recovery and their whānau.
Resources
Te Pou has a wide range of evidence-based resources and tools to help the addiction and mental health workforce.
Learn MoreOur work
Te Pou works alongside addiction and mental health services to understand their priorities and workforce challenges.
Learn More