UPFRONT
Drink and Drugs News is published by CJ Wellings Ltd, Romney House, School Road, Ashford, Kent TN27 0LT
Editor: Claire Brown e: claire @ cjwellings. com
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IN THIS ISSUE
COVER STORY: YOUNG PEOPLE’ S RECOVERY
Homelessness and access to treatment
6
INSIDE
4 NEWS OST cuts prison leaver death risk; Scotland drugs casualties rise
12 CLEARER CONVERSATIONS Our new series on dialogues in treatment
18 MENTAL HEALTH Community model 20 DRUG CHECKING Getting to grips 22 RECOVERY New Manchester network 24 ALCOHOL Challenging our culture
8 10 16
Interview: Lord John Bird
Excercise and mental health
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Can we create spaces to move forward?
We all want to feel like we belong and for young people peer influence can be intense. This month’ s cover story shows how supported accommodation – such as hostels and shared housing – can multiply risks, but also provide many opportunities. The challenge is where and how to intervene, and that’ s not about trying to dismantle peer networks( unrealistic!) but about reshaping the places in which they operate – something we do have influence over. Can we create spaces where young people are not just supported to cope, but to move forward?
It’ s all about catching the moment, and quality of interaction is never more important than when entering treatment – at whatever age. This issue we begin our‘ Clearer Conversations’ series( p12) and with your help we’ ll look at experiences of entering services: Were there choices? Were they explained? Was it a positive, listening – and ongoing – therapeutic relationship? What can we do better? We’ re setting the scene and want your input to examine how we can have better, warmer, and more productive interactions around treatment. We hope to build a resource to learn from, so please get in touch! Claire Brown, editor www. drinkanddrugsnews. com and @ DDNmagazine
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