The Association of Social Workers in Special Services for Substance Abusers

The Association of Social Workers in Special Services for Substance Abusers is a member organisation of the Union of Professional Social Workers, a trade organisation for professionals having an academic degree in social work. The Union has 20 regional and 12 professional member organisations and a membership of over 13 000. The majority of the members work in municipal social and health care administration in management-level jobs and client work.

The Association of Social Workers in Special Services for Substance Abusers has about 150 members. Over 60% of the members are employed in municipal services, while the rest work in the private sector. The members work in substance abuse services, in other specialized services or in training institutions. 24% have a Master of  Social Work degree, and 76% have completed the Bachelor’s degree.

The aims of the Association are:

• To pull together the professionals in services for substance abusers.
• To protect the interests of the membership and to advocate for economic and social issues.
• To promote professional skills and training.
• To strengthen members’ professional identity.
• To act as an adviser in substance abuse-related issues.

In collaboration with the A-Clinic Foundation, the Association organises a yearly training seminar on current issues in the substance abuse field.