Session 3
The right connections
The afternoon session focused on
reaching out to connect with people
in need, wherever they happen to be
‘W
e tend to provide support for people almost everywhere,
except in education,’ Dot Turton of the Middlesbrough-
based peer-led Recovery Connections charity told
delegates. Shame, stigma and a traditionally hedonistic
culture meant that higher education could be a high-risk
environment for people in recovery, she said. ‘Studying is
stressful and the environment can be “recovery-hostile”, which means that students
in recovery may keep their status a secret. If they do choose to disclose, their peer
group might look at them differently.’
While the social scene in higher education inevitably revolved around alcohol,
and there was also significant drug use, universities were not geared up to offer
specialist, meaningful support, she said, which had led to the development of the
‘collegiate recovery’ model – a support structure and peer community in a college or
university setting.
She’d had a chance to study collegiate recovery first hand on a six-week placement
in the US, she told the conference. Typical components included physical facilities like
drop-in spaces, full-time dedicated staff and
professional counselling by treatment
specialists, she explained, alongside on-campus
meetings, 12-step provision and substance-free
social events. ‘But the big thing that students
really valued was sober housing. That was a real
safety net – they weren’t in halls where their
peers were coming in under the influence, and it
allowed them to create that safe space.’
The university or college benefited through
‘improved student performance, retention of
students, peer support for students who are
struggling and a positive community of role
models,’ she said, while the community became
more ‘recovery-ready’, helping to reduce stigma
and increase awareness. ‘Bringing real, long-term
recovery capital together with young people in
early recovery is really beautiful and powerful to
watch,’ she stated, and on her return from the US
dot turton
she’d set about trying to replicate the model in the
‘sober housing is
a real safety net.’
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North East. ‘I was determined that we should be doing more for young people in
universities, because they often drop out through lack of support.’
Her organisation was now working closely with Texas Tech and Virginia
Commonwealth universities in the US to try to replicate the model, she said. There
was an early development of a collegiate recovery pilot, as well as a sober society at
Teesside University, and she’d also helped to develop a young person’s recovery
forum along with recovery support and aftercare for people under 25 who were
leaving treatment. ‘But these things don’t happen overnight,’ she said. ‘Some of the
US facilities have been in place for 30 years.
‘For us as a recovery movement in the UK, let’s look broader and try to do
something a little bit different,’ she continued. ‘There are lots of collegiate recovery
resources and papers online if you’re interested. Think about your local area and if
there’s something that could work for you.’
N
ext up were Ben Parker and Chris Campbell from London-based Arch,
on the importance of making the connection with people in their own
homes. The organisation’s Emerald Pathway initiative was a targeted
approach to support older alcohol users to make positive changes to
their lives, delegates heard, as drinking at increasing levels of risk was
most common in the 55-64 age range.
‘People are often presenting at A&E with alcohol-related injuries and conditions,
but they’re reluctant to engage with treatment,’ said Chris Campbell. ‘We developed
an offer of a fixed number of interventions, delivered in the home, for people over
55 or with poor mobility.’
The project had deliberately been given a name that didn’t include any
reference to age, he said, so as not to put people off, while the referral pathway
came from A&E alcohol liaison as well as housing, GPs, adult social services and
some self-referrals. The aim was to provide a set number of motivational brief
interventions, explained Ben Parker, along with education, goal setting and
encouraging clients to keep an alcohol diary. ‘We can also work closely with family
members or carers,’ he said.
The initiative also included regular liaison with other healthcare professionals,
and the use of wellbeing goals such as reconnecting with family, being more active
and encouraging people to become more mindful of simple things that gave them
pleasure. Good links with A&E were key, he stressed – ‘we couldn’t have done it
without them. We also learned that these things take a long time and that it’s very
important to make that investment in family and carers.’
The first year had seen ‘fantastic’ outcomes, said Campbell, with a successful
completion rate of 77 per cent compared to a national average of around 40 per cent.
‘When dealing with the older generation there can be a bit of ambivalence
there,’ said Parker. ‘People will sometimes say things like “there’s no point in
stopping drinking – I’ll be gone in a couple of years anyway”.’ You just need to say
“but I want to improve your quality of life”. Having patience is key.’ DDN
March 2018 | drinkanddrugsnews | 13