TRAUMA
IT ’ S AS SIMPLE AS ...
The ABC of substance use is taking a fully trauma-informed approach to transforming prison-based drug treatment , say Alana Diamond , Deborah Franks , Danny Pearson and Steve Hartlands
T he ABC of substance use was developed to bridge the gap between substance use and prison treatment . We wanted to develop a compassionate and evidencedbased approach for people who use substances , and in May 2020 we carried out a gap analysis and explored what was available within Nottingham , Lowdham and Ranby prisons .
From this , we found that the treatment available was costly and identified that a treatment course was needed that incorporated accessible language and a person-centred approach with a compassionate facilitation style . At the heart of it should be a focus on shame , ACEs and trauma .
TRAUMA-INFORMED In June 2020 we began to explore what was needed for service users as an addition to the pre-existing psychoeducation-based brief interventions around keeping safe and substance awareness . We found that for relapse prevention work to be more meaningful , we needed to combine trauma-informed treatment to address the root cause of substance use .
During 2023 the ABC of substance use underwent a national panel under the PSO4350 quality assurance criteria and the course was validated in Nottingham Prison . The PSO ( Prison Service Order ) 4350 is a policy which sets out the process by which rehabilitative interventions aimed at people in prisons and on probation are endorsed by HMPPS – this is a Ministry of Justice ( MoJ ) national framework for interventions .
Recovery is a complex problem . We felt that the difficulty is often not the substance itself but our relationship with it . So we wanted to create a safe and contained space in which our clients can start to build relationships , increase their self-awareness , develop skills for wellbeing and start to face the fear of change . We wanted to explore solutions to emotional difficulties by developing skills for life . We already know that recovery is a long and unstable road . The journey begins by understanding the difference between thoughts and stories , developing self-compassion and working with the past so we can live in the here and now .
NO QUICK FIX The ABC of substance use is not a quick fix and is the start of the journey for our clients . Substance use is a life-threatening difficulty and requires many tools – a combination of support , psychoeducation , counselling , groupwork , trauma work and mutual aid – to regain a greater sense of freedom and power over our lives .
The course has 12 sessions , which are developed from a biopsychosocial model that includes Dr Albert Ellis ’ s ABC model . Also included are elements that have been used djmilic / iStock
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