This document discusses social support for people with problematic substance use. It outlines that substance use problems can be changed with the right support and motivation. All health and social care practitioners have a responsibility to provide advice, assessment, and facilitate access to treatment. There are three key roles for practitioners: to engage with substance users and their families in a non-judgmental way, to motivate people to consider changing by helping them identify their own reasons for change, and to support people as they make and maintain changes through encouragement and linking them to other support systems. Practitioners providing social support for substance use issues should have awareness of potential effects on individuals and families, show non-judgmental and person-centered care, identify clients' strengths, and

1. Social support for
people with problematic
substance use

2. Why intervene?
(Galvani, 2015)
• Evidence shows that problematic substance use is a behaviour that
can be changed. With the right support and motivation people can,
and do, change their use.
• Health and social care practitioners can support people to identify their
motivation for change.
• Everyone in contact with people at risk of problematic substance use
can provide advice and support, and/or brief assessment during
opportunistic contacts (H.M. Govt. 2012).
• Therefore, it is everyone’s responsibility to have some knowledge and
skills in order to advise, assess and facilitate people to access
interventions or treatment of some sort and to reduce risk of harm.

3. Key roles for health and social care
practitioners
• Galvani (2015) identifies three key roles for health and social care
practitioners in helping people to change:
1. To engage with substance use to support service users, their
families and dependants.
2. To motivate people to consider changing their problematic
substance use.
3. To support people to make and maintain changes in their
substance use.

4. Engagement
Engagement is most effective when practitioners adopt a person
centred approach (NICE, 2011).
• People with substance problems are often
alienated from sources of help because of the
stigma attached to the behaviour. They need
to know they are understood and not judged.
• ‘One of the most important elements of a person changing their
substance using behaviour is the relationship with their professional
and their willingness to listen and not judge’ (Galvani, 2015).

5. Motivation
• People are almost always ambivalent about change. The
practitioner’s role is to help people identify motivation for positive
change.
• You will find more on motivation and giving brief advice in the
learning resource Brief intervention and harm reduction

6. Support
• The role here is to provide encouragement, reflect the person’s
achievements and strengths, provide practical support and links to
supportive activities and others.
• This applies to the individual themselves, their children and their
family members.
• In order to give support, brief intervention, motivation or harm
reduction advice, the professional needs at least basic knowledge
and skills, regardless of their role.
Advice

7. Key requirements
Some key requirements of the practitioner delivering social harm
support are to:
• Have an awareness of the range of effects substances might have
on a person or others around them, including children and other
dependents.
• Show non-judgemental practice and person-centred care.
• Be able to identify strengths and positive support in the person’s life.
• Be able to take action on any risks identified including safeguarding
or harm reduction advice.

8. References
Galvani (2015) Alcohol and other Drug Use: The Roles and Capabilities of Social
Workers. MMU. Manchester.
HM Govt (2012) The Government’s Alcohol Strategy. Cm 8336.
Barnard (2007) Drug Addiction and Families. London. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.