Professional Certificate

Addiction Professionals and Adfam have jointly developed a competence-based certification for practitioners supporting families affected by alcohol and other drugs. Adfam brings years of experience of working with families and Addiction Professionals bring their expertise as the professional body and membership organisation for the sector.

Addiction Professionals/Adfam Drug and Alcohol Family Worker Professional Certification is specifically designed for practitioners working with families affected by alcohol and other drug use, and outlines a unique role profile. It provides practitioners with a number of benefits:

  • A professional competency-based certification mapped to National Occupational Standards (NOS).
  • A role profile and commitment to the Addiction Professionals Standards of Conduct and Ethics.

How to Register:

  • The practitioners’ employers assess their competence in each of the NOS units outlined in the role profile. Practitioners will be required to develop a portfolio of proof of competence which may be asked for as part of random sampling and which will allow them to demonstrate continued professional development in order to become re-accredited at the end of the 3 years.
  • Practitioners will be asked to write a 1000 word reflective piece, addressing what is important in work with adult family members affected by a loved one’s substance use. Applicants will be asked to cover areas such as attitude and approach; adapting skills or knowledge from other fields to this area of work, and what models are used in work with family members. You should make clear how you have adapted your approach to the family member as the primary beneficiary, and how you may have changed or learned from experience. Please also give us a sense of the kind of topics that you would typically cover with family members and what needs you find yourself supporting them with.

Role Profile:

  1. Promote effective communication and information sharing. SCDCPC311
  2. Promote, monitor and maintain health, safety and security in the workplace. SFHSS03
  3. Either: Reflect on, develop and maintain your practice (young people). SCDLDSS6. Or: Reflect on, develop and maintain your practice. SCDHSC0033
  4. Develop practices which promote choice, well-being and protection of all individuals. ASTH416
  5. Contribute to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. CCSCCS17
  6. Either: Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance users. SFHAB5. Or: Work with children and young people with additional requirements to meet their personal support needs
  7. Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects. SFHAD1
  8. Work with families, carers and individuals during times of relapse or crisis. SFHMH13
  9. Assess the needs of carers and families. SCDHSC0427

How to apply:

  1. Make sure that you have Practitioner Membership or Advanced Practitioner Membership. This can be as an individual, or as an associate member of an organisation affiliated to Addiction Professionals.
  2. Fill out the application form.
  3. Make sure you provide a Workplace Assessment Report.
  4. Make sure you have included a Senior Manager Approval Form with your Workplace assessment report.
  5. Make a payment

Recertification:

Certification is valid for three years. To be eligible for re-certification, a practitioner must provide up-to-date evidence of their on-going competence in the units concerned.

Costs:

£75 Certification for 3 years.

Special Offer:

1 year’s free Addiction Professionals membership for those who apply for the Drug and Alcohol Professional Certificate. NB applications must submit their application for the certificate within 3 months of joining.

APPLY VIA ADDICTION PROFESSIONALS WEBSITE