We caught up with Liz, one our workers for our Community Detox Link Service to find out more about the service we’ve been running since January this year.
Working alongside our Shared Care team (who provide opioid substitute prescription in GP Practices across Bristol), the Community Detox Link Workers offer a specific service to help service users before, during and after detoxing off their script – working with them to overcome the barriers that have been in their way and achieve an opiate-free lifestyle.
We’re available to come out and meet anybody receiving Opiate Substitution Therapy (OST). Statistically people have a better chance of remaining opiate-free if they get detoxed in their first three years in OST. The earlier people meet us the earlier they have an idea of what support we can offer in their treatment journey.
We’ll typically first meet someone with their Shared Care worker to explain the type of support we can offer them; from preparing people for their detox, looking at any barriers they’ve had in the past that might get in the way of that process and how we can overcome them, and putting in a plan that makes sense to them for reducing their script and detoxing.
Sometimes we can be invited by Shared Care workers to have a chat with somebody who’s stuck a bit further up their treatment journey. We give them a call and see if they want to meet up and get a little extra support before they come into our services properly. We can help them get unstuck and then pick them up closer to their detox time.
For service users that may benefit from an incentive to help their recovery, Liz’s team are able to offer a customised Recovery Reward. Service users are then able to achieve points towards their reward by overcoming barriers.
Some people say no to Recovery Rewards, but others say ‘yeah that would help actually, I’d like that’. We’ve got somebody who was in a band who wants a guitar as their Recovery Reward. That would improve their recovery capital, as it’s good for relaxation and it’s quite a social thing.
We try and get to the barrier as quickly as can and try to find solutions to it. It’s incredibly different for every person. We do planning around triggering events and we do a life audit with people to look at areas they may be lacking in. We then link them into as many things as possible to help build their recovery capital.
For some people they’ll go to mutual aid groups. If people want to get back into employment there’s loads of places out there that can help. We’ve got also got good relationship with DHI and can refer people to become DHI peers. It’s surprising how much clients already know about and what they’ve done in the past. They say they’ve tried this and they’ve been there before and would like to go back.
Recovery Rewards works by stimulating the brain’s natural reward system. By rewarding new behaviours in place of the old problematic behaviours the brain accepts and reinforces positive behaviours, expanding people’s recovery capital and motivating them to remain abstinent.
Some people don’t always detox successfully the first time, but if they’ve had a positive experience of our support they might come back quicker and we can work with them quicker. That learning that somebody’s had around where they’ve slipped up, that’s the thing that’s going to make the difference. Momentum is going to pick up and pick up.
Liz works in Central Bristol and is one of three Community Detox Link Workers alongside her colleagues Mike, who works in North Bristol, and Rich, who works in South Bristol.
Working with Mike and Rich is great. Mike’s got loads of experience from loads of different places and Rich has been embedded in training, education, volunteering and employment support for a long time. They’re both very attuned to what external support there is available for our service users.
It’s a brilliant to be able to have a lot to offer clients. I feel like I’ve landed in the dream job. All of a sudden you’re thinking ‘I can use those skills’, be it some anger management or assertiveness.
It’s nice to be offering a lot, but the most important bit is hearing from the client what barriers get in the way of detoxing, what the problems have been in the past, and working with them to create their own solutions.
On Thursday BDP hosted this year’s first Pain Management workshop. Held in partnership with the Pain Clinic Services from North Bristol NHS Trust, we sat down with Occupational Therapist, Bev, and BDP’s Mike Swanston to find out more about the course they’re running together.
Previously launched in 2017, BDP’s Pain Management workshop is a 6 week long course, where our service users living with chronic pain are invited to develop practical skills that can help them manage their pain more effectively and live a more fulfilled life.
Pain management is an art, not a science.
– Bev, North Bristol NHS
“We accept the pain, now let’s be curious about other things that influence pain,” begins Bev. “What negatively influences pain, but also what positively influences pain and trying to build on those things.”
With over 20 years’ experience as a pain specialist, running a series of groups at Southmead Hospital, Bev knows a thing or two about how to support people around their pain.
“Up at Southmead we do masses of different stuff for people with pain. But what we noticed is that people with persistent pain, who were known to BDP, weren’t accessing or couldn’t access that intervention.
“At BDP we’re still using all the evidence base techniques we know works with pain but tailored to the specific needs and accessibility here. We’re just saying ‘you have persistent pain, do you want to come?’ Let’s just do it as simply as that. We’re taking away the barriers.”
Although the workshops are invitation-only, accessing support is simple, with BDP workers signposting appropriate service users to Mike who will then call them to invite them along.
Mike explains, “Our Shared Care workers know their service users and will have most of the conversation before even referring. The telephone conversation from my point of view is to help alleviate anxiety – they’ve spoken to someone who’s going to be there.
“It’s about making support networks. Today we started looking at social stuff and the benefits of keeping in contact with the group members afterwards.”
Bev continues, “It’s a discussion based intervention and people make their own choices about doing things. As Mike says, the best thing is we’re being responsive to the needs of the room but having a structure in our thinking.”
Bev turns to Mike, “It’s really fun seeing you at BDP today, because obviously you’re quite quiet up in Southmead because it’s a different role.”
In preparation for their workshop, Mike has been shadowing Bev at one of her Pain Clinic’s in Southmead for the past six weeks.
It’s a shared learning that we’re trying to do between the two organisations. What I learn from here about Opiate use can be translated to my client group. This group is part of a bigger learning experience.
– Bev, North Bristol NHS
“Mike and I have come straight from Southmead. Mike’s there as an observer to look at pain management strategies from his perspective. We get anyone coming to observe to participate whether they’ve had pain or not. Even as facilitators we participate a bit, we set our own goals, we talk about what changes we’re going to make in our own life. We’re modelling that this is about life and being a human being. You don’t have to have pain to make changes.”
“It’s been really good”, agrees Mike. “My first goal was to give up sugar and energy drinks and it’s led me to give up sugar for at least about four weeks. Just off the back of being sort of accountable because you’ve said it in front of people.
“After half a week I gave up the energy drinks, and then just any obvious sugar”. Mike pauses. “Like today, there wasn’t any obvious sugar sprinkled on that bit of banana cake…”
“One of today’s participants made us a cake and it was lovely,” explains Bev.
“…It was extenuating circumstances,” continued Mike.
“It was,” agrees Bev. “I though you did quite well. You just shaved a bit off the end. I had two slices!”
On Thursday afternoon The Salvation Army hosted their first Employability & Universal Credit Advice drop-in at BDP. We sat down with Lee, who co-runs the new drop-in, to find our about their Employment Plus service.
Thursday 2 – 4pm at BDP
Lee explains that this new drop-in at BDP allows them to introduce a new audience to the employment support they are offer at The Citadel on Ashley Road in Stokes Croft and on Dead Lane in Bedminster.
Employment Plus is a tailored service, focused around what the individual feels they needs, “Someone comes in and we do a basic skills assessment with them and then we have a talk with them about what they want”, leading to their four main pathways of support, from Wellbeing & Lifeskills to Training, Employability, and right through to In-Work Support.
Even if employment isn’t their focus because of health conditions or addiction, if they come to us and begin to build a little bit on their skill set, they leave a bit more confident and have more tools in their armoury, so that they’re ready when they do need to navigate the benefits system or housing.
Wellbeing & Lifeskills and Training
We offer basic literacy and numeracy courses and courses around food hygiene, online banking, keeping information safe – basic life skills that we take for granted that they have lost due to their circumstance.
We also offer online IT courses via iLearn and Learn My Way, which we can support them doing. If they come to the Citadel or Bedminster we have computers they can use totally free of charge. If they want something more advance we can signpost them to numerous providers around Bristol.
Employability
If someone is looking to go to work, we can help them job search, create a CV, update their CV, increase their job searching skills and sometimes forward them to employers we have good relationships with. If someone comes in with a particular skillset, we contact local employers that might be able to utilise that and let them know we’ve got someone who is really interested.
Employers like us being involved because it’s another avenue for support for their employees and if the employer tells us they’ve got a couple of vacancies we can help match people and get them into interviews and help explain away big gaps in employment.
In Work Support
We offer something called in work support, if someone has found employment, we will support them while they’re in work. We ring them and make sure that everything’s okay and become an advocate for them with their employer if they have any questions of problems.
After being unemployed for a period of time and finding employment, they’ve got to sign-off benefits and start a new job at the same time and sometimes there’s anxiety and fear that will come from that. So we’re there to sit them down and walk them through any issues.
For more information visit The Salvation Army Citadel, Ashley Road, BS6 5NL on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am – 4pm.
Last week our Engagement team welcomed John Campbell from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who visited Bristol to deliver training around steroids, as part of the team’s continued professional development.
As IPED Manager, John Campbell had adapted Needle & Syringe Programmes to better meet the needs of people who inject Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs (IPEDs), whose injecting equipment, techniques and patterns are distinct from other injecting drug users.
It was an excellent day’s training. Everyone said they found it very informative and really felt comfortable with John’s friendly and engaging style of training.
– Jane, BDP
It was an absolute please providing this training to your staff. They’re a great bunch!
– John Campbell
John Campbell, is a familiar face to BDP having taken part in 2016’s Research Matters conference, a free event marking the anniversary of Bristol launching one of the UK’s pioneering Needle Exchanges, which explored new and emerging research which can help shape drug and alcohol treatment services and reduce drug-related harm.
Find out more about the support we offer around Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs, including steroids, growth hormones, fat burners and tanning agents.
Today we’re joining in with BBC Music Day, a day bringing the nation together to celebrate the power of music to change lives. Now in its fourth year, BBC Music Day sees a special series of programmes, performances and activities planned throughout the day across television, radio and online.
Our very own Rising Voices, Bristol’s Recovery Choir, are proud to be invited to take part in today’s activities, highlighting the different ways in which music can change lives and improve health and wellbeing.
Rising Voices will be taking part in Platform to Perform, a series of events across the UK which see’s choirs performing at railway stations at the heart of their local communities throughout the day. For Bristol, we teamed up with the University of West of England to create a bespoke experimental sound installation at Bristol Temple Meads Station.
Created by Dr Chris Nash, the live music installation titled Track by Track allows the public to interact with the choir’s recorded voices as you move around the platform. If you’re visiting Bristol Temple Meads Station between 11am and 4pm make sure you take part on platform three.
BBC Music Day provides an opportunity for everyone to get involved and be part of the music.
– Dr Chris Nash
Later in the day, Rising Voices will be performing live inside the Colston Hall foyer from 3.30 – 4pm. Local choirs will be performing throughout the day from 12:30 – 9:30 pm. You can drop in any time throughout the afternoon and evening to hear a range of music. View their full line up at Colston Hall here.
It’s been another busy festival season for BDP’s outreach team, providing free and confidential harm reduction support around alcohol and other drugs throughout the summer. We kicked off the season with Love Saves The Day and, in between our usual club nights and freshers events, attended the revamped St Paul’s Carnival and the fantastic Bristol Pride.
As the wind and rain swept in last Friday it was a sure sign that summer was over, but that wasn’t going to stop our energetic team from rounding up the festival season at Tokyo World and giving you the best harm reduction support on offer. We caught up with two of the team to find out how their weekend went.
Great event again at Tokyo World, despite the harsh weather and gale force winds on Friday which made putting up our gazebo a struggle! Saturday was a fun day with lots of great engagement with festival-goers, giving out lots of free goodies and harm reduction advice even though it did not stop raining once.
– Marcus
On Sunday we had lots of great engagement with festival-goers and gave out lots of harm reduction advice. People were coming to us if they saw anyone who was unwell and we liaised with the paramedics to make sure those that needed it got medical help quickly. They were then coming back to check in with us throughout the evening which enabled us to give them continued advice throughout the festival.
