Addictions
Chair: Natasha Mendoza (Arizona State University)
APM Assignment: 2023–2025
Co-Chair: Jeffrey Steen (Simmons University)
APM Assignment: 2024–2026
Addictions are complex phenomena that are often interrelated with other social and psychological problems. They affect and are affected by individuals, families, and broad social systems. People can become addicted to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs as well as to processes such as gambling, eating, and so forth. Given the ubiquitous effects of the various addiction-related issues, it is important for social workers to be familiar with them. Therefore, social work educators need to be able to incorporate content on the addictions into their courses to adequately prepare students for practice. The addictions track is a forum that fosters the exchange of ideas and knowledge related to the addictions. This track welcomes proposals that address the etiology, prevention, or treatment of addictive behaviors as well as those that address ways of teaching this material across the curriculum.