ARE WE READY YET? SOCIAL WORKERS’ PREPAREDNESS TO RENDER SOCIAL SUPPORT TO PERSONS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE CHALLENGES

Chemical substance abuse remains a major health and social problem globally in South Africa. Considering the drug-use-related challenges faced by Africa’s youth, there is need to design implement robust interventions mitigate impact of chemical use. Social workers are not prepared enough provide drug-dependency treatment persons with challenges. To address this issue, qualitative research approach was adopted seven participants who were selected using non-probability technique purposive sampling. Data analysed Tesch’s eight steps verified Guba Lincoln’s model test trustworthiness data. Ethical considerations adhered throughout study. The findings highlight that urgent intensive training resources execute their tasks effectively field abuse. Keywords: worker, adolescents, abuse, support