Worker wellbeing is receiving increasing attention. Both internationally, and more specifically in New Zealand, there are an increasing number of organisations and resources available to support wellness.

Reports are emerging that address the needs of particular workforce groups, however, little is known about the wellbeing status of the addiction workforce. Inspired by the work of David Best (Best, Savic & Daley, 2006) Matua Raki, in partnership with Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA), New South Wales (NSW); and National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, South Australia (SA) are examining addiction worker wellbeing, quality of life, resilience and associated contributory factors.

Wellbeing in the AOD sector has traditionally been measured by stress and burnout. These measures, as endpoints, can be associated with a range of health issues for clinicians, and organisational implications of absenteeism, performance and staff turnover. In recognising that workers do not function in isolation of the rest of life, we would like to explore the dynamic nature of work and its relationship to addiction worker wellbeing. We will be asking the workforce, (administrators, support workers, educators and practitioners alike) to participate in an online survey. The survey will contain questions regarding demographic characteristics, working conditions, work life balance, personal characteristics and organisation supports.

Findings from the study will be collated to improve our understanding of the factors that contribute to worker wellbeing and quality of life. This valuable information can be used to inform organisations, managers and workers about ways in which worker wellbeing can be enhanced and improvements made that will benefit services, addiction workers and clients.