| These services are known as Tier 4 services and go from a 2 week detox off alcohol or drug with added support afterwards in the community, to a full detox and rehabilitation which can be up to 10 months.
The latter is usually away from your immediate area so that you avoid many relapse triggers. The former can be in your area or as near as possible.
To access either of these services you must have been a client of your area alcohol or drug misuse team for at least 6 months.
The tier 4 worker that assesses you is actually a social worker seconded to tier 4 services. They access the funding needed from the council for the detox/rehab.
Before you will normally be considered for detox/rehab you will have to show positive changes in your life and have become stable with at least one negative urine test.
Different detox/rehab centres offer differing regimes.E.g Pierpoint House based in St.Annes, Lancashire offers a 12 step treatment plan which some clients find too severe for them whilst some find they need that level of severity to get them through. Other places are more relaxed in their treatment. Kenyon House is based at Prestwich, Trust HQ, and is therefore the nearest detox unit to Bolton. However they will detox you and you can stay for up to 6 weeks but they do not offer long-term rehab. Because of this a lot of clients detox there and go on elsewhere for rehab e.g., phoenix futures, Pierpoint or one of a few single settings.
The only rehab that will take children or couples is in Sheffield and called Phoenix Families [part of the phoenix futures rehabs].
Other factors like housing, family etc effect the decision to attend a tier 4 service and if you rent your property it will still be paid for whilst you are in tier 4 treatment for up to 13 weeks. A peer support system for instances like going into detox/rehab has been set up in Bolton so you can talk to someone before entering into a final decision.
The alternative option to residential detox/rehab is to do a home detox. This is offered by the Higher Bridge Project and their details are listed in the useful links section of this website. Home detox takes away many problems of everyday life upheaval but also leaves many triggers for relapse in place also. It is a very individual decision and much support is given throughout and after. |
There are certain offences called trigger offences which are mainly the crimes addicts tend to use to fund their addictions. If you commit one of these trigger offences then certain things will occur.
The trigger offences are:
- THEFT
- ROBBERY
- BURGLARY
- AGGRAVATED BURGLARY
- TWOC [taking a vehicle without the owners consent]
- AGGRAVATED TWOC
- OBTAINING PROPERTY BY DECEPTION
- HANDLING STOLEN GOODS
- GOING EQUIPT FOR THEFT
- SUPPLYING CONTROLLED DRUGS
- POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO SUPPLY
- POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED DRUGS
- VAGRANCY
- BEGGING
- PERSISTANT BEGGING
If you are arrested for one of these offences you will be tested by a TOA [test on arrest] worker in the police station for class A drugs. This is done by a simple mouth swab.If the test is positive then you will be urged to engage in treatment if not already doing so. This can be done by placing restrictions or conditions on your bail that you are required to attend drug services appointments and engage in treatment.
If you are classed as a prolific offender [constant offending] then the court may give you a community sentence requiring you to engage in various treatments for your drug abuse e.g., DTTO, DRO. If you do not comply with these then you will face a custodial sentence. (YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL AGAINST A POSITIVE TEST RESULT)
WHAT HAPPENS IF I GO TO PRISON?
In prisons there are special workers there to deal with drug or alcohol addiction. They are called CARAT workers and work closely with outside agencies to provide treatment during your incarceration and detox and to liaise with your area community drug service for treatment on and prior to your release. |
| There are so many prescribed and non prescribed drugs that are being abused and are addictive that it would need a website of its own to discuss them all and their effects. Fortunately there is just that!
DRUGSCOPE have a website which is dedicated to information of this nature.
Their web address is:
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| Any questions, queries etc about medical issues such as injection sites, abscesses, mental health problems etc that we members feel unqualified to answer will be passed on to either the prescribing doctor, the needle exchange nurse or the psychiatrist in total confidence and then will be answered as soon as possible. We can be contacted via a number of means; see our contact page.
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