Service User Advocacy-does your agency care what you think?

[cooki]

In my amphibious friend's area (North of England), the powers that be seem to be finally taking note of what service-users have to say about there own treatment.
Perhaps the countless people who told them that waking up, rattling and having to go straight to the chemist for your daily pick-up script was as soul-destroying as going straight to score opened the doorway to weekly pick-up. Or those who said a forced reduction plan was as useless as a forced detox (IT DOESN'T WORK!!).

We now have an ever expanding Service Users Representation Forum for us to air our views...and I wondered if this is something rolled out across the board?

Frog says that having the power to change an unhelpful aspect of treatment has made all the difference.

Here's a snapshot of the Bradford and Airedalt Service User Charter....

SURF gives a voice to you, the service user. We aim to make sure that your opinions, perspectives and unique experiences help to develop drug and alcohol services in the Bradford and Airedale district...(it) encourages partnership between service users, staff and commissioners... (it) will promote education, training and employment for all service users in the District.

It meets monthly, is run by service-users and ex-users and gives frog and his friends a chance to be involved with making decisions on a district level.

SURF members go to meetings where commissioners and managers plan how to make the service better. Service user involvement could give you:
Opportunities to develop your skills
Accredited training courses
Greater self-esteem
New friends
The chance to see your ideas put into practice...and have an impact on how..treatment is delivered.

GOALS for 2009-2012
1) To improve the way that agences involve service users (training staff on why user involvement is important, developing an advocacy service, promoation)
2) Improve decision making at District level (linking up with other areas of the country and fields of work-eg; mental health service users)
3)Give service users more opportunities to develop themselves (making peer support/mentoring more widely available and getting it accredited, improving volunteer opportunities in or out of the drugs field, where possible providing paid employment for service users)
4) To make sure everyone knows what treatment and support is available in the district

Well, things can only get better. Time was that people campaigned outside new treatment centres (NIMBYs!! ) and the building itself was a delapidated hovel full of down and outs. Now we have lovely new buildings, staff who have never all been users themselves at one point or another and a chance to feel less 'dirty' when going there! (Infact; you are more likely to get a job as a drugs worker if you yourself wee once an addict; although I have been told that in some areas only qualified nurses can apply?).

All in all, I'm grateful to Bradford for this one thing (come on guys; what else has it done for me?!) because I know that some people wait on lists for months before they're finally offered some help. Anyone like to share a bad, or even better set-up?

NB I must add that at the last SURF meetings, the rep was more than a little embarrassed to have to ask the commissioners for a flat-screen TV in the waiting room. More than 10 users had asked for one- and they really DO pass on what's said!! Funnily enough, the portable has been pilfered off it's wall bracket several times, and once someone even swapped the indoor aerial for a coathanger (and took the aerial home of course!) whilst the staff weren't looking...ah....there's always one isn't there?


WHAT WOULD SWIY CHANGE ABOUT THEIR TREATMENT?

[ex-junkie]

it sounds lovely in theory, but id be weary and bring up the issue of price per dose. once they start delivering their service in nice new buildings, the cost comes out of the service users pockets.

back in the day swims old agency was a hole of a place. then they relocated inside the mall, into a larger, nicer, new area, and the price per dose skyrocketed. at the end of the day business is business, so dont be surprised if you see the "dispensing fee" double over the next year or two.

[kailey_elise]

The methadone clinics in my area all seem to have Patient Advisory Boards that, I think, meet once a month. I've seen flyers for the PAB at two different clinics, & they seem to address the same things the one your amphibious friend has access too.

~Kailey

[Dickon]

ex-junky,

The OP lives in England: here methadone is pretty cheep (I think it's about £7.20 (about $10) or whatever the prescription charge is these days for 2 weeks worth) and is free if you're unemployed and claiming unemployment benefit.

I think service user advocacy is a great idea and any attempts to give people in treatment access to education, counselling, groups, etc. is far better than the conventional "parking" of clients on methadone which seems to be fairly normal, although I think there is some impetus for change here.

All in all, in the UK, there has been a huge improvement in the quality of drug services. Methadone is now far more freely available, available far more quickly, available in much higher doses, and available in prison, but I think moving away from just prescribing methadone is the way to go.

All the best

Dickon