Drink and Drugs News is published by CJ Wellings Ltd , Romney House , School Road , Ashford , Kent TN27 0LT t : 0845 299 3429
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IN THIS ISSUE
ON THE COVER : Back to life 18
Criminal
justice failures
6
Defending diamorphioneassisted treatment
INSIDE
4 NEWS ‘ Met should carry naloxone ’; Suspected Scottish drugs deaths fall
6 EVERY STEP Support on leaving prison
8 THE RIGHT PLACE The vital role of paid employment
10 BRIDGING THE GAP Addressing complex needs and housing
12 OPENING DOORS The Medway peers in action
16 LETTERS & REVIEWS
20 DOING THEM JUSTICE The journey from prison to rehab
21 PEER POWER LEROs challenge stigma
Workforce challenges
22 14
STAYING STRONG IN PARTNERSHIP
‘ Being a front-line recovery worker isn ’ t easy . It requires a unique skill set which is often misunderstood .’
Robin Pollard from With You in our Partner Updates at www . drinkanddrugsnews . com
DDN is a self-funded independent publication . Our bespoke partnership packages provide an opportunity to work closely with the magazine . Please get in touch to find out more .
Our challenge in turning experience into expertise
Time and again we hear of people failing to cope with the transition from prison to the community and heading back through the revolving door . Why ? Because they haven ’ t been equipped , physically or mentally , for their onward journey . The Departure Lounge ( p6 ) is a coordinated approach in action , from making sure prisoners leave with the essentials to connecting them to tailored onward support .
Often problems are so complex that people need immediate intensive support on discharge from prison or hospital , and we can see what a vital difference this makes ( p10 and p20 ).
The other essential element is , of course , meaningful employment ( p8 ) – vital to treatment outcomes and recovery , transformative in building self-worth , and providing socialisation and structure . Visiting the Medway peers this month gave us the opportunity to see this process in action ( p12 ) with a team who have turned lived experience into expertise and ambition .
Of course all of this throws up many issues for our workforce ( p14 ) and prescribing regimes ( p22 ), and it ’ s important we examine and debate the challenges ahead .
Send us your feedback ! We ’ d love to hear from you . Claire Brown , editor Keep in touch at www . drinkanddrugsnews . com and @ DDNmagazine
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