Drug and alcohol addiction can impact just about anyone, regardless of who they are, where they live, or what their social status may be. This means that volunteer work in drug and alcohol rehabilitation in a general population can expose volunteers to people from all walks of life, and this is certainly the type of experience one can expect in many countries around the world.

However, because drug and alcohol abuse tend to go hand in hand with other issues related to health,as well as socioeconomic status, the opportunity for working with a specific subset of a nation’s population is very common as well. Within these more focused populations, issues that tend to accompany drug and alcohol abuse will likely be targeted simultaneously.

Rehabilitation volunteer programs in areas with high poverty rates will likely include efforts to empower local people and to create sustainable commerce among those being treated. Another major issue linked with substance abuse is HIV/AIDS. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation volunteer programs in Asia and Africa will likely focus heavily on approaches that impact both of these serious issues at the same time, meaning that volunteers will typically get a double dose of experience in combating these different but closely linked issues.

Day-to-day tasks and the required time committment for those that want to volunteer abroad in rehabilitation programs can vary pretty widely. Volunteer placements with smaller-scale organizations will tend to be more lenient with regards to total volunteering time, but with a shorter time frame will likely come less responsibility and simpler tasks as well.

Larger organizations tend to ask volunteers to stay for a minimum of several weeks and a maximum of 12 months, but with the extended time on site will often come more specialized tasks and more in-depth activities in the treatment of patients. Longer term volunteers can expect to work hands-on with patients in counseling or educational roles, providing valuable experience that could be applicable in a future career.