News
Online help in the fight against drug and alcohol addiction - August 2010
A new e-learning programme for Birmingham residents has been developed for people to learn more about drugs and alcohol at just a click of a finger!
The Birmingham Drug and Alcohol Action Team (BDAAT) have developed a new e-learning package to enable individuals to increase their knowledge and awareness of substance use and related issues. The e-learning is ideal for anyone who would like to increase their knowledge of legal and illegal drugs and how to access drug and alcohol treatment services.
The resource will be suitable for all members of the public including drug and alcohol users and carers, professionals working in or out of the field or people with a general interest who want to know more about substance use. The e-learning package is available in 54 different languages to meet the needs of Birmingham’s multicultural population.
Ben who attends a drug treatment service in Birmingham said “I think this is a great idea, if I had been given more information about the effects of drugs I may have been able to make a more educated decision about my drug use. There’s so much information on the internet these days which can seem over whelming but this easy to use e-learning resource is a simple and interesting way to get the clear facts about drugs and alcohol and learn more about what is available locally in Birmingham to help people who need it.
The e-learning course comprises of ten modules allowing people to undertake study at their own pace. Collectively they support individuals to explore attitudes and values, increase awareness and develop knowledge and understanding. It is anticipated that the e-learning course will encourage people who are concerned for their own or someone else’s drug or alcohol use to come forward and seek help.
Parveen Akhtar BDAAT’s Strategic Lead said "e-learning was recognised as the way forward. We aim for it to help us to reach more people than we could ever hope to have done through face-to-face learning, for which there continues to be a need.
"These e-learning courses can help everyone who comes into contact with substance users to have a better understanding of the effects and risks associated with legal and illegal drugs aiming to better support those affected by substance use in Birmingham.
Brand New Residential Rehab Centre of Excellence Opens in Birmingham - May 2010
The Birmingham Drug and Alcohol Action team (BDAAT) have opened a brand new Residential Rehab Centre of Excellence. The Centre is named Park House and will be where drug and alcohol users will become medically detoxified and stabilised and begin a programme of planned and structured activities to support their long term recovery needs. The 18 bed Centre will be situated in Hockley, Birmingham with the maximum length of stay being 12 weeks.
Park House will target those with the most severe and entrenched drug and alcohol problems and those ready to make long term changes to their lifestyle. To support them do this, the new service will provide detoxification, stabilisation and rehabilitation to drug and alcohol users on a residential basis where this is appropriate, and will provide ongoing community rehabilitation to other users.
The programme will be fully integrated within the Birmingham Drug and Alcohol treatment system. Once service users leave the centre their care will be continued within the community. This will be in Partnership with the Birmingham City Councils Social Care and Health Vulnerable Adults Team. The programme will work closely with other relevant organisations and agencies such as housing, employment, health care providers and other drug and alcohol services to provide a holistic service to meet the needs of its users.
Park House is an essential element in meeting the needs of substance users in Birmingham, but will also help us to achieve wider aims of the city in improving overall levels of health and wellbeing and in reducing risks from offending behaviour and drug use, by improving the effectiveness of the treatment system.
BDAAT Supports International World Hepatitis Day - 19th May
International World Hepatitis day 19 May 2010. One in twelve people have Hepatitis and it can be easily spread through sharing injecting equipment. Both Hepatitis B and C can be contracted through blood to blood contact. Hep B is easily contracted through many bodily fluids like saliva, semen, and vaginal liquid however it has a vaccination. Hep C can only be contracted through blood contact. It has no vaccination to prevent it. So you can appreciate the need to not share needles and undertake safer injecting.
To mark World Hepatitis Day Birmingham Drug and Alcohol Action Team have developed a Needle Exchange Newsletter which will be circulated out to staff to raise awareness to professionals and service users about the Needle Exchange Scheme including information and advice around harm reduction. The newsletter also signposts people where to go for their Hepatitis Vaccinations free of charge.
We asked Sharon Wain, Addaction Service Manager her thoughts on World Hepatitis Day
1. What does hepatitis mean to you?
Hepatitis B & C is a viral infection that can be contracted via various routes including injecting drug use; Once contracted the virus can have serious health effects. Early testing and diagnosis of Hepatitis C and vaccination against Hepatitis B is essential that is why we offer this at our service. We need to constantly raise awareness of Hepatitis to ensure more and more people know about the issue in order to make informed choices when using substances.
2. How can the World Hep Day help service users?
World Hep Day gives us an opportunity to promote other support and information initiatives such as the World Hepatitis Alliance. We can also highlight that vaccination, testing and onward referral for treatment of Hepatitis is available at Addaction Birmingham’s project base and satellite locations across the city.
3. What are your plans for May 19 2010?
We are planning to raise awareness with a poster campaign using materials provided by the WHA and Addaction. We will be giving away a "Goodie Mug" which contains a toothbrush, soap, condoms, Hep Literature/booklet, Keying, Pen, HEP info DVD all contained in a plastic Addaction Mug.
Our Project Nurse will be on hand to give out advice and offer appointments. We are also offering incentives for Service Users to commence with Hep Vaccination and screening by offering a £5 voucher upon commencement of treatment and a £5 voucher upon completion of treatment.
BDAAT Competition Winner Announced - May 2010
BDAAT launched a competition last month to name the new Residential Centre of Excellence which is due to open later in May. The competition was open to all drug and alcohol service users and friends and family of service users.
After reading through many entries the judging panel decided on the winning name. We would like to congratulate Darren Surman from Holly Road Supported Accommodation for thinking up with the name ‘Park House’. Park House will now be the official name given to the Tier 4 Residential Treatment Centre of Excellence.
BDAAT would like to thank all of the people who entered the competition.
Mephedrone - Class B drug - 16th April 2010
Mephedrone became controlled as a Class B drug on the 16th April 2010 meaning it is illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to five years in jail. Supplying someone else, including your friends, can get you up to fourteen years in jail and an unlimited fine. Mephedrone is a white or yellowish powder which is snorted or it can come in a pill form. The affects are very similar to ecstasy and cocaine. More research is yet to be done into the drug and the full extent of its damage.
Treatment Planning Process
The treatment planning process for 2010/11 has commenced. As usual deadlines are tight and the drafted plans have to be returned to the NTA by the 15th January 2010. Revised guidance for 2010/11 is currently available on the NTA website.
The annual needs assessment based on NDTMS data for the Treatment Plan has been carried out but will be extended as part of the re-design process. Consultation with Providers, Service Users and other stakeholders has been built into our schedule and will take place, where possible, through existing groups such as the Joint Commissioning Group; PCT Commissioning Group; Treatment Function Group; Drug Interventions Executive, Senior and Operational Managers; Service User forum; Shared Care Monitoring Group as well as running alongside consultation on Treatment Redesign.
Treatment Redesign
The first year of the BDAAT Treatment Redesign process began in April 2009. The focus of year one is to review and map existing resources. An update of progress will be issued at the beginning of November 2010.
Consultation events for Service Providers, Service Users and other Stakeholders are being scheduled for the coming months and we will be making use of the existing meetings structure to ensure we get feedback from all those interested parties including the Local Delivery groups.
Service user involvement is an essential part of the review and restructure. The treatment system walk-through and focus groups will provide service user feedback, and extensive work with the service user forum and service user leads will help to inform the overall picture.
Birmingham Alcohol Arrest Referral Scheme
As part of Birmingham City Council's (BCC) and Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) strategic priorities to effectively and sustainably tackle alcohol misuse, the Birmingham Drug and Alcohol Action Team (BDAAT) is delivering a 2 year pilot designed to achieve better integration across alcohol and DIP drug arrest referral schemes. The Alcohol Arrest Referral scheme was launched in September 2009 and is intended to support the Councils Local Area Agreement indicators on alcohol related admissions (NI39), perceptions of drunk or rowdy behaviour within the most deprived neighbourhoods (NI41) and Reduction in Alcohol Related crime (NI 15)
The Alcohol Arrest Referral Scheme will have three key components - 'In cell' screening and intervention, community based treatment and court based provision for alcohol related offenders. For incidences of one off anti social behaviour, a cell based alcohol brief intervention will be delivered with an option of self referral to treatment and a fixed penalty fine. Offences within this category will include drunk and disorderly, criminal damage and harassment.
The second stage of the programme will be the development of a range of community based treatment interventions based upon the identified needs of the individual in relation to alcohol and the severity of the offence. Integral to the success of this stage of the Alcohol Arrest Referral Pilot will be the development of referral pathways by treatment providers into a broader range of services including housing, employment and where necessary Children’s Services and Adult Social Care. As the AAR scheme develops initiatives and pathways will be developed to address alcohol and cocaine, drink driving, recurrent incidences of anti-social behaviour and to ensure effective offender management of those committing violent crime and Domestic Violence linked to alcohol misuse.
The final stage of Court based provision should be seen as the 'safety net' for alcohol related offend-ers who have not been picked up through the custody suite. This element of the pilot programme will be developed in close partnership with the National Probation Service in order to ensure that repeat offenders receive the correct support and intervention that relates to their offence.
The Alcohol Arrest Referral Scheme is now 'live' at Police Operational Command Units (Steelhouse Lane, Kings Heath and Sutton Coldfield) and will go 'live' across the city from January 2010. The Alcohol Arrest Referral Scheme is expected to support the work of the Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) by utilising the existing structure of a single point of contact whilst also providing additional funding and staffing to support both programmes. By
January 2010, Birmingham DAAT expects to have 6 'in cell' Alcohol Arrest Referral Workers in place supported by specialist AAR workers in des-ignated community alcohol agencies.
Practitioners looking for more information about the Birmingham Alcohol Arrest Referral scheme should contact Mike Quinn at Mike.Quinn@birmingham.gov.uk.
Service users, parents or carers who would like to find out more should phone 0800-073-0817.
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