The Effects on Facilitators of a Substance Abuse Education Program

Abstract

This retrospective-anecdotal study was conducted to determine if involvement in a learner-centered continuing education program in substance abuse prevention would influence the careers and work-related activities of thefacilitators. A questionnaire was sent to 33 individuals who served as facilitators of a large substance abuse prevention education project. Of the 31 who responded, 21 (67.7%) indicated that serving as a facilitator resulted in either "major changes" or "some changes" to their careers, and 25 (80.6%) felt that they were "much more likely" or "more likely" to incorporate substance abuse prevention activities into their work. Teaching in substance abuse education programs may cause changes in the career paths and work-related activities of the facilitators. Investigators may need to incorporate evaluations of the effects of a particular program on the intended learners as well as the facilitators.

Faculty development in tobacco cessation: Training health professionals and promoting tobacco control in developing countries

“…Research has shown that lack of training and confidence in counseling skills is a major barrier to physicians engaging in tobacco cessation counseling with patients [42–46]. Tobacco cessation education is lacking in the curriculum of most medical schools as well as schools of other health‐care professions [47–58]. Richmond's worldwide survey of education in medical schools identified three barriers to tobacco education that are directly related to the faculty: lack of sufficient knowledge and training, lack of enthusiasm by faculty, and faculty who are smokers [49].…”

“…Thus, medical faculty are a strategic audience to target for adoption of new behaviors, such as quitting smoking, advising patients to quit, teaching cessation to students and becoming advocates for tobacco control. Research on the impact of faculty development in substance abuse suggests that teachers of tobacco cessation would also be more likely to incorporate cessation into clinical and research activities [57].…”