DDN Rehab Guide 2019 DDN REHAB DIR 2019_June | Page 5

Spotlight When making the right choice matters, consider Choices Rehabs. Hannah Shead, CEO of Trevi House and Chair of Choices Rehabs, talks about how to get help when sourcing residential treatment Considered ChoiCes If you are living with the pain and chaos of addiction, either your own or that of a loved one, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Family members often describe the enormous feat of trying to seek help will make them feel like they are being bounced from pillar to post. Many people just don't know where to start to find help to be drug and alcohol free. At a time when one most needs guidance and certainty, it can seem like you are wading through treacle in the dark with a blindfold on! However, I do not want to paint a picture of doom and gloom! I frequently witness first- hand the transformational power of getting the right help at the right time. There are many amazing services out there, staffed by wonderful people. Every day all across the country clients are leaving residential care feeling positive about their future. At this very moment, as you read this, there will be a graduation ceremony taking place in a treatment centre somewhere in the UK, celebrating the achievement of another person leaving treatment drug and alcohol free. I came to rehab a very angry person but since I have been here and worked through my issues, I am a different person…I now believe in myself again it’s also made me become a more caring and understanding person. I have a future now that’s full of excitement and a new journey has begun…I really do owe them my life. So, the perhaps the question is not “is there help out there?” but instead “how do I get the help I need?”. It is in response to this challenge, that Choices Rehabs was formed. Choices Rehabs is a collective of 15 independent rehabs who share the belief that treatment should be ethical, affordable and effective. Spanning the UK, with nearly 500 years’ experience between us, we came together over five years www.drinkanddrugsnews.com ‘I frequently witness first- hand the transforma- tional power "I found your website a very of getting welcome tonic having recently been turned away by our family the right GP who offered no information or hope that an alcoholic/addict help at the (let alone members of the right time. family) could be helped and informed me there weren't any There are rehab centres he could suggest." Mrs J of Berkshire many amazing ago to see if we could find a way to make the process of sourcing residential treatment that services little bit easier. Over the years, we have worked on a out there, number of projects together. The first one of these was a website, a powerful portal to all staffed by the Choices Rehabs services. The Choices Rehabs powerful online portal is transparent, wonderful trustworthy and free and gives: people.’ • Detailed suggestions on how to choose a rehab HannaH SHead • Comparison tables of all the services of each Choices Rehab • Advice for relatives (not there yet) • Direct access to the Choices Rehabs you want to talk to further. Whether you are a worried family member or looking for help yourself, www.addictionrehabuk.org is the perfect place to begin your search for help. Not only will you find details about a range of different rehabs, you will find other useful information to help you navigate through this journey. We are passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for the individuals we support. We meet regularly to drive up best practice by sharing information and experience across our members. One of the initiatives that has emerged from this sharing of ideas and practice, is a Treatment Loop, whereby we work together to retain people in treatment. Since the loop began, we have had a number of individuals complete treatment who might otherwise have been discharged early We also offer our wealth of knowledge and experience to advise others on treatment issues. We are, after all, a body with a collective respected voice that can be consulted to support or give feedback to policy makers, politicians or others working in this field. So, whether you are struggling with addiction, a family member, a commissioner, a frontline practitioner…or anyone with an interest in this sector, we believe that Choices Rehabs has something to offer. We would encourage you to check out our website and follow us on Social Media. ChoicesRehabs ChoicesRehabsUK Rehab Guide 2019 | drinkanddrugsnews | 5