Introduction to Workforce Competencies

Competencies are the measurable knowledge, skills and values a worker needs to perform effectively in a defined function or role. Understanding competencies helps people to identify what is needed to do their job well and to continuously improve their practice. We have identified competencies for the substance use workforce across four levels of proficiency.

Using competencies for the substance use workforce is an evidence-informed way to ensure workers provide consistent care across the wide range of backgrounds and settings in the substance use field, including among allied professionals who support this work.

What’s New

Workforce Competencies Surveys

CCSA has developed two surveys to help us understand the needs of the people who use the competencies and individuals thinking about using them in their organizations. The goal is to learn from people’s experiences, so we can support them in their efforts and to share what’s working well for others who may be interested in using the tools as well. The feedback from these surveys will help the competencies team improve our resources and plan for new ones.

The Workforce Competencies Implementation Feedback Survey explores your organization's experience with implementing the competencies and any challenges you may have faced during the process. This survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.

The Workforce Competencies Pre-Implementation Feedback Survey asks questions about what your organization needs to successfully implement the competencies. Upon completion, we will email you a link to a pre-recorded how-to webinar to help get you started implementing the competencies in your organization. This survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions or encounter any difficulty completing the survey, please email competencies@ccsa.ca.

Substance Use Health Competencies for All Prescribers

Substance Use Health Competencies for All Prescribers supports physicians, nurse practitioners and other prescribers who do not specialize in substance use health, so they can be better able to provide substance use health care.

These resources outline the technical and behavioural competencies most relevant for healthcare professionals in a range of sectors and settings. They provide the knowledge, skills and behaviours that are fundamental to delivering the evidence-based, compassionate care that everyone deserves. They help improve the experiences and care for people who use substances.

Introduction to Competencies: Factsheet for Leaders

The Introduction to Competencies: Factsheet for Leaders is a tool for healthcare leaders. It introduces them to the competencies and describes the tangible impact that the competencies can have on an organization by providing the foundation for various workforce management activities. The factsheet defines the difference between the technical and behavioural competencies in the context of substance use health and mental health, offers an example of a multi-level technical competency and highlights specific examples of how organizations across various sectors can benefit from the competencies.

CCSA’s Workforce Competencies Implementation Quick-Start Guide

CCSA’s Workforce Competencies Implementation Quick-Start Guide provides an easy, step-by-step approach to integrating the workforce competencies in your organization. It is designed to help individuals get a jump-start on implementing the competency initiatives by showcasing best practices from those who are already using the competencies framework.

This guide is meant for people working in human resources, organizational leaders, team leaders and people who would have a direct role in implementation.

Supporting workers in the substance use field to provide constant care

In addition, our competencies for the substance use workforce support employers and service providers to embed competencies specific to the field into programs, practices, training and curriculum development.  Across the site, you will find definitions of the Technical and Behavioural Competencies and resources and tools to help you develop a competency-based approach to Hiring and Performance Management.