What are the different types of treatment options?
Treatment centres and ways of working will differ depending on the philosophy and aim of each centre. However, there are a number of recognised ways of working to support people with an addiction.
Treatment centres and ways of working will differ depending on the philosophy and aim of each centre. However, there are a number of recognised ways of working to support people with an addiction. These treatment programmes will provide a level of the following services.
Treatment mainly falls into the following phases:
Outreach services: Dedicated street teams or drop-in services for people who are living with addiction. Outreach teams may visit prisons or other projects such as homeless shelters. Outreach teams may also support people in stabilising their drug use and advise on harm reduction activities such as safe injecting practice or provide needle exchanges. Outreach staff will often be able to assess clients for admission to treatment programmes.
Detox: A medical service that aids people to become completely free from drugs before they start their rehabilitation therapy.
Rehabilitation: The first phase of recovery from substance addiction addressing the physical and mental needs of the client. Can be either residential or day attendance. Programmes vary in time and content.
Integration: The first phase of moving back into the community after rehabilitation. Clients may live back at home with their family or in service-supported housing, and will continue to engage with group work and one-to-one counselling sessions.
Aftercare: A support programme designed to ensure that the client continues to reintegrate back into the community in a safe and sustainable way. Emphasis is on self-management, utilising weekly counselling and group sessions.
Treatment programmes vary from service provider to service provider, both in terms of length of time and content. Some services are only accessible through private healthcare schemes while others are provided free of charge, either by state services or voluntary sector services. A contact list for each service provider can be found in the links section of this website. Learn more about the different programmes available.