Mentoring

Changes in the Field

However, as the field of substance abuse has developed into a mainstream public health concern with regular budget allocations from the federal, state, and county governments, concomitant requirements for treatment service elements have increasingly begun to shape, monitor, and circumscribe the demands of substance abuse treatment provision. In addition, the rise of substance abuse research and clinical outcome trials in the quest for evidence-based treatment practices has also intensified the regulations placed on treatment providers in order to obtain funding from governmental block grants.

As a result of these new external demands, the specificity and nature of skills needed for successful leadership in substance abuse treatment in the 21st century is radically different from what was necessary a few short decades earlier. Not only must newly emerging substance abuse leaders be well versed in the diagnosis and treatment of addiction, but also stakeholders need to understand the interaction effects of addiction as it relates to trauma, mental illness, criminal justice, and child welfare domains. In addition, as substance abuse treatment has increasingly become corporate big business, leaders increasingly need to develop specific management skills, including but not limited to contract management; development of financial revenue from multiple and divergent funding streams; data collection, outcome monitoring, and participation in research; large property acquisition and buildings management; public policy development; and political advocacy efforts with various governmental agencies. As the culture of substance abuse codevelops from the avenues of recovery as well as from research, clinical service, and corporate business expertise, the development of new leaders via specific mentoring opportunities is crucial.

This need for mentorship is necessary not only to develop effective leaders for single-agency substance abuse prevention and treatment providers but also to mentor and grow key public health, public policy, and state and national leadership positions. Furthermore, it is essential that current field leaders, particularly those in national stakeholder positions, recognize that emergent trailblazers will be developing new models for prevention and treatment and will need to provide and allow opportunities for these new leaders to succeed.

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