The Addiction Social Work Fellowship program strives for excellence in clinical training, scholarship, research, and advocacy. The program includes specialty training in inpatient and outpatient addiction services, as well as related concurrent disorders training. The program prepares Fellows to work clinically in the field of addictions and take leadership roles in academic and/or research settings.

OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY    FELLOWSHIP CORE ROTATIONS    APPLY    CURRENT FELLOWS

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP    SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY

New social work trainees are accepted into the program each year from a range of backgrounds. The program runs one year part-time from July 1 to June 30, or may be completed over six months full-time.

Fellowship Overview

  • The program encourages learning experiences in a variety of settings, including inpatient, outpatient, withdrawal management, recovery oriented systems of care, concurrent disorders, specific populations (e.g. women, youth, First Nations, HIV), innovative practice, harm reduction, and research.
  • There is flexibility in rotations based on experience and individual learning objectives.
  • The program also encourages didactic learning experiences through a two-week academic block, journal clubs, research and presentation skills development, clinical and research skills workshops, and lectures with interdisciplinary trainees (e.g., medicine, nursing, nurse practitioner).
  • Each Fellow’s rotations are tailored to learning objectives that are set with the Program Director. Practice competencies include: understanding substance use, assessment, treatment and intervention planning, counseling, referral, service coordination, education, group work, documentation, and inter-professional work.
  • A description of the training rotations can be found below.

Eligibility
Fellows must hold a minimum of a Master of Social Work degree and be registered and in good standing with the British Columbia College of Social Work.

FELLOWSHIP CORE ROTATIONS

Inpatient Care
Addiction Social Work Fellows will gain experience providing addiction care in hospital settings. Social work within these settings involves conducting assessments, motivational interviewing, counseling, liaising with nurses and physicians regarding addiction treatment coordination, connection to community supports, and follow-up treatment recommendations.
Withdrawal Management
Addiction Social Work Fellows will spend time working in inpatient and outpatient detoxification services. Within these settings social workers will be exposed to a full spectrum of withdrawal management. This will include provision of counseling, facilitating groups, service coordination, and treatment planning, as well as connection to follow-up treatment and supports.
Outpatient Clinics
Addiction Social Work Fellows will have the opportunity to work in primary care settings providing assessment and treatment to clients with substance use disorders. Social workers will work within interdisciplinary care teams in these clinics to provide one-on-one and group counseling, facilitate education with clients and staff, assist in treatment planning, and coordinate referrals and connections to other services and supports in the community.
Recovery Oriented Systems of Care
Addiction Social Work Fellows will be exposed to residential treatment centres, second stage recovery housing, and therapeutic communities. Social workers will gain an understanding of differing models of residential treatment and what is involved in social work practice in these settings. Within these, fellows will gain experience with one-on-one and group counseling, facilitating educational sessions, and aftercare planning.
Concurrent Disorders
Addiction Social Work Fellows will gain experience working in settings that specifically serve clients with concurrent disorders. This may involve inpatient and/or outpatient experiences working within an interdisciplinary care team. Within these settings social workers will conduct assessments, provide counseling, engage in intervention and treatment planning, and coordinate connection to other services and supports in the community.
Specific Populations
Addiction Social Work Fellows will spend time working within organizations that provide care and services to specific population groups such as women, youth, First Nations people, and people living with HIV. These opportunities will be chosen based on the experience and interest of individual fellows and may include a wide range of practice experiences.
Innovative Practice & Harm Reduction
Addiction Social Work Fellows will have the opportunity to gain exposure to a range of community organizations providing service to people who use drugs. This includes supervised injection facilities and overdose prevention sites, managed alcohol programs, clinics supervising the administration of injectable opioids, shelters, supportive housing facilities, and outreach teams. These opportunities will be chosen based on the experience and interest of individual fellows and may include a wide range of practice experiences.

APPLY

Application Timeline for the 2019-2020 Addiction Social Work Fellowship:

  • December 3, 2018: Application process opens
  • January 31, 2019: Application Deadline
  • February 11 to March 4, 2019: Interview period
  • March 18, 2019: Acceptance notification
  • March 29, 2019: Deadline for acceptance
  • July 2, 2019: Fellowship begins

Please note: While the Fellowship is envisioned to begin July 2, there may be some flexibility with the start date, particularly for applicants who bring their own funding.


Application Details
Interested candidates must submit an electronic copy of the following documentation:

  1. Two letters of reference
  2. A 700-word letter of intent describing:
    • The applicant’s background,
    • The applicant’s preparation for the Fellowship, and
    • Why they are interested in a career in addiction social work.
  3. A curriculum vitae


Note: It is the applicants responsibility ensure that their manager(s) and director(s) support their participation in the Addiction Social Work Fellowship.


Please send an electronic copy of all application materials to the Education Programs Assistant:
Nicole Fairbairn, Education Programs Assistant
Email: nicolefairbairn@cfenet.ubc.ca

The electronic application is required.

Interviews
Interviews may be conducted with top candidates from each discipline shortly after the application deadline. Interviews may be in person, on the phone, or via Skype.

General Inquiries
For further information about this fellowship program, please email Liz Yue, Addiction Fellowships Coordinator, at eyue@cfenet.ubc.ca.

CURRENT & PAST FELLOWS

View a list of current Addiction Social Work Fellows here.

Past Addiction Social Work Fellows are below.

2016-17

  • CODY CALLON

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP

Cody Callon, Director, BCCSU Addiction Social Work Fellowship; Research Coordinator with the BCCSU

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

providence-healthcare-logoSt. Paul’s Hospital at Providence Health Care is an acute care, academic, and research hospital located in downtown Vancouver. With over 500 acute care beds in use and home to many world-leading medical and surgical programs, the hospital serves both the local community and patients from across BC. Its downtown location brings many of Vancouver’s tourists and visitors to its doors. St. Paul’s also has a longstanding history of providing care to disadvantaged populations. For more information about St. Paul’s Hospital, please click here.


unc-division-aidsFrom its inception in 2007, the Division of AIDS at the University of British Columbia has worked collaboratively with the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (est. 1992) and the AIDS Research Program at St. Paul’s Hospital / UBC (est. 1988). Our divisional members are involved in various areas of research in the area of HIV treatment and prevention. The Division places considerable emphasis on treating and preventing HIV infection among intravenous drug users. For more information about the UBC Division of AIDS, please click here.


logo-webThe BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) is a provincially networked resource with a mandate to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and addiction. The BCCSU focuses on three strategic areas: research and evaluation, education and training, and clinical care guidance. With the support of the province of British Columbia, the BCCSU hosts the largest interdisciplinary addiction medicine training program in North America, building capacity in the healthcare system in BC to improve access to evidence-based care. Although physically located in Vancouver, the BCCSU is a provincially networked resource for researchers, educators, and care providers, as well as people who use substances, family advocates, support groups, and the recovery community. It is hosted at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and Providence Health Care. For more information about the BCCSU, please click here.


ubc-logo-fullThe University of British Columbia (UBC), established in 1908, is one of Canada’s leading research universities, consistently ranked among the top 40 in the world. The university attracts 54,000 students from across Canada and 140 countries around the world to two major campuses. For more information about UBC, please click here.


spf-logoSt. Paul’s Foundation raises funds to support compassionate world-class care, research, and teaching at St. Paul’s Hospital. The BCCSU Addiction Medicine Fellowship is a partnership between St. Paul’s Foundation, St. Paul’s Hospital, the BC Centre on Substance Use, and the UBC Division of AIDS. The program was launched with a $3 million landmark donation to St. Paul’s Foundation, gifted by Goldcorp, Inc. The Foundation continues to secure additional funding to support the program. For more information, or to donate, please click here.


vch-logoVancouver Coastal Health is a regional health authority providing direct and contracted health services including primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care; home and community care; mental health services; population and preventive health; and addictions services in part of Greater Vancouver and the Coast Garibaldi area. For more information, please click here.

Copyright © 2016, British Columbia Centre on Substance Use

400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9

E: bccsu@cfenet.ubc.ca | T: (778) 945-7616 | F: (604) 428-5183

Online Addiction Medicine Diploma: diploma@cfenet.ubc.ca.