title: The toughest job you'll ever love: a Pacific Northwest Treatment Workforce Survey.
abstract: The training, recruitment, and retention of the most qualified professionals for the substance abuse treatment workforce is a crucial underlying strategy in the improvement of client care. Conducted in the year 2000, this survey of substance abuse treatment agency directors and clinical staff in the Pacific Northwest of the United States provides the first empirical estimates of issues surrounding these goals and points to the need for more aggressive strategies if a quality workforce is to be maintained and improved. Results of the survey indicate that there is an average of 25% turnover per year among treatment agency staff, and that the vast majority of this turnover is voluntary and stays within the treatment profession. Agency management and direct service staff differ in their perceptions of the recruitment and retention approaches currently in place in their agencies.
authors.affiliation: Northwest Frontier Addiction Technology Transfer Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, 3414 Cherry Avenue, Suite 100, Salem, OR 97303-4984, USA.
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gallon
authors.forename: Roy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: Jeffrey R W
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Knudsen
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D015205:Northwestern United States; D010560:Personnel Selection; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013192:Staff Development; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000191:economics; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce