Key messages
- Data on the Victorian alcohol and other drug workforce provides for evidence-based planning by the Department of Health & Human Services and service providers to ensure that the workforce has the size, skills mix and distribution to meet projected population growth and need.
- Existing data on the profile and composition of the workforce will be updated in 2016.
- The 2016 Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Survey will provide aggregate and area-based data to enable monitoring of changes in the workforce and inform long-term, evidence-based planning.
An ongoing objective of the Victorian Department of Health & Human Services is to plan for an alcohol and other drug workforce that has the size, skills mix and distribution to meet projected population growth and need.
Data from surveys on the composition and profile of the alcohol and other drug workforce provides an evidence base to map trends over time and to inform workforce planning and key policy and strategy frameworks.
This data also gives organisations, services and workers a greater understanding of the workforce and assists with area-based workforce planning.
Sources of alcohol and other drug data for workforce planning
2016 Alcohol and other drug workforce survey
The Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Survey commencing in late 2016 continues data collection on the alcohol and other drug workforce.
The department has worked with sector experts to design and validate the service provider and worker surveys. Sector representatives have participated in a reference group to interpret the data and identify themes.
The 2016 report and aggregate data will be available in 2017. Data for each catchment will also be available on request to assist service providers with area-based planning.
2013 Alcohol and other drug workforce survey
The 2013 baseline survey provides a snapshot of 81 Victorian government-funded alcohol and other drug agencies and 815 workers. The survey identifies workforce issues and challenges impacting on the sector and provides information about the demographic, geographic, professional and clinical profile of respondents. It also offers information about workers’ backgrounds, professional experiences and future employment intentions.
The survey was conducted as part of the workforce planning program, prior to the recommissioning of non-residential alcohol and other drug treatment services. The department conducted the survey in partnership with the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association, Turning Point and an advisory group including key sector representatives.
2009 Victorian alcohol and other drug workforce census
The report provides a profile of 669 respondents to the 2009 Victorian Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Census. The findings offer information about the demographic, educational and clinical profile of individuals, including managers and supervisors, delivering government-funded Victorian alcohol and clinical services in late November 2009.
Reviewed 28 February 2022