ACCESS Placements!!! Apply now and spent 2 weeks in the UK in 2012 alongside service providers in the drugs and criminal justice area!!!!

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1 ACCESS Placements!!! Apply now and spent 2 weeks in the UK in 2012 alongside service providers in the drugs and criminal justice area!!!! Placements outline: The ACCESS project opens opportunities for a number of individuals working with clients in the fields of drugs, health and criminal justice in a European Union country, to undertake a two-week work placement within a drugs service provider in the UK in spring Work placements will be designed to support practical transfer/exchange of knowledge, with host organisations in the UK providing the opportunity for individual professionals from other countries to operate as participant observers within services for drug users. This will include undertaking shadow activities with experienced operational staff, taking part in clinical and management meetings and having the benefit of debrief meetings to discuss their experience with a mentor from the host organisation appointed to work with them for the duration of the placement. The placements are suitable for practitioners in the drugs and criminal justice field working in direct contact with clients (social workers, psychologists, drug workers, educators, NGOs staff ad similar) and will offer an opportunity to participants for practical exchanges of good practices and support a learning from doing approach. Host organisations in the UK represent agencies providing drug and alcohol criminal justice related services within the Greater London area and in the Yorkshire. They have been chosen for the capacity to provide a model of existing services in the UK and for the ability to dedicate some of their time and expertise to supervise/mentor participants who will be placed with them. For more details on each of the organisations, including the work experience opportunities that each can offer, see below under Hosts organisations Programme: The placements are scheduled to take place in April/May Participants will receive an induction session at the beginning of the two weeks and will be introduced to services and work alongside a tutor from the host organisation in the placements locations mentioned below under Hosts organisations. The placements will last 2 weeks, with all participants convening at the end for a group de-brief, where each person will be asked to give a short description of their experience and the learning they have achieved.

2 Host organisations in the UK and specific placements locations and opportunities: To assist colleagues interested in attending ACCESS placements in the UK, in making an application the table below provides some very brief descriptions of the host organisations, together with a brief description of the work placement opportunities available. For more information about each of them, please visit their websites. Organisation Location Work Placement Opportunities Website COMPASS York and Hull - Yorkshire COMPASS is a leading UK provider of services to tackle problem drug and alcohol use. A registered company and registered charity, COMPASS was formed in York, United Kingdom in 1986 and has, over the last quarter of a century, developed a comprehensive range of treatment interventions in custody and the community. COMPASS provides care that spans all stages of the journey to abstinence, from interventions that focus on the practical and immediate needs of people in chaotic life situations, to support for people to re-enter the social mainstream via employment, housing, education and training. We are a major provider of open access and drop in services (Tier 2), community prescribing, shared care and structured day programmes (Tier 3) and young people s substance misuse services. COMPASS has more than twenty years experience of working with substance misusing offenders at all stages of their engagement with the criminal justice system. Our pioneering work has been a major influence on national policy and the treatment models for tackling drug-related offending. Our staff routinely work with all types of offenders, including Prolific and Priority Offenders and young offenders, and in all categories of prison. COMPASS will offer 2 placements, composed of: 1 week spent at Crossover 3 Days at CORS Prison 2 Days at CORS Community Individuals will have the opportunity to shadow staff members delivering sessions on a one to one and group work basis, attend meetings with operational partners and have a tour of the prison operations.

3 Crossover is a Day Programme that provides interventions for individuals subject to Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRR). Service users attend for a number of hours mandated by the level of their order; either low or medium intensity. The service provides is predominantly group work based providing: - Information relating to safer use - Cycle of Change - Relapse Prevention - Life Skills e.g. support with housing, debts, etc - Practical Sessions e.g. Art & IT The service works closely with the Probation Service to jointly support offenders on DRR, and will provide assessments and reports to court. CORS Compass Offender Recovery Service combines prison and community service specialist prescribing and prison case management. In the prison the staff comprise of a clinical team and case management team who provide: - Daily dispensing of substitute medication - Supervision of detoxification - BBV vaccinations - Advice and information relating to safer use - Range of group work programmes - Release planning - Psychosocial support The community service comprises of the clinical team supporting offenders with their health and wellbeing needs, they work closely with the local DIP team and Crossover.

4 WDP Croydon WDP is a registered charity and a leading substance misuse treatment provider employing operating in 15 local authorities across London and the South East providing dropin centres, needle exchanges, rehabilitation day programmes, community outreach and preparation for employment. WDP will offer a placement in the WDP Croydon service. WDP Croydon offers both Criminal Justice services (DIP-Drug Interventions Programme) and an Outreach service. The Criminal Justice team is composed of practitioners who deliver Integrated Offender Management across the borough in the Croydon Magistrates Court, police stations and the local prison, HMP Highdown. WDP Croydon has also a team of Through Care and Open Access workers who offer referral and signposting to other services as well as case management and structured interventions. The Outreach team service is composed of practitioners who go out into the local community to offer support and advice to drug and alcohol users. Croydon DIP provides the following services for clients: - General support and advice - One-to-one structured support and case management - Referral into drug treatment - Advice on harm minimisation - Blood Borne Virus services - Prison link service - Support with Education, Training and Employment (ETE)

5 - Housing advice and referral - Advice and information about benefits Target Group: Croydon residents aged 18 or over who are involved in the Criminal Justice System and in need of support regarding their substance misuse. Referral Procedure: Self referral by phone or referrals from other agencies such as Probation, Courts, Prison and Police. The Croydon outreach team focuses on various substance misusing street populations including: street based sex workers, chaotic drug users, poly drug users, dual diagnosis clients, service users from black, minority and other ethnic groups, homeless people, and street drinkers. In addition to engaging with substance users, the team also makes contact with local businesses and members of the public to ensure that they are aware of the services that are available in Croydon. The outreach work involves working closely with Safer Neighbourhood teams in the borough doing joint outreach to target problematic drug and alcohol users and reduce the impact on the local community. The Outreach team provides satellites services in strategic locations in Croydon including at the Job Centre Plus, treatment agencies, Salvation Army and local hostels. Outreach practitioners support clients by offering harm minimisation advice, referral into treatment, as well as housing advice and referral. The team also attends weekly meeting for housing provision in the borough focusing on linking clients into suitable local housing options to address support needs.

6 Practitioners support clients by offering the following services: - Keywork sessions - Harm minimisation advice and information - Referral into drug and/or alcohol treatment services - Housing advice and referral - Support with accessing benefits - Assertive outreach for clients who have dropped out of treatment / are not engaging. WDP Harlow, Essex WDP Outreach service is open to all residents of the borough of Croydon aged over 18 who have a substance misuse issue and would like support with accessing treatment or housing. WDP Passmores House Detoxification and Rehab programme is based on innovative treatment approaches that have demonstrated effectiveness in helping clients establish and maintain healthy lives. All patients receive a thorough and ongoing assessment, followed by individualised treatment to establish the necessary skills required for positive change. A multidisciplinary team of substance misuse treatment professionals - including physicians certified in addiction medicine, psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists/ social workers and counsellors - are involved in the assessment and rehabilitation process. The rolling programme consists of the following stages: Stage1: Detoxification Time needed for detox is assessed on an individual basis and can vary between 10 to 30 days. Patients receive 24 hour nursing in a comfortable and nurturing environment. Medical management is supervised by experts in substance misuse medicine. Stage 2: Life Skills After detox, clients participate in the Life Skills programme. This stage of rehabilitation is designed to instruct on the essential skills needed to begin the process. Stage 3: Life Management The Life Management programme is the focus for the remainder of the rehabilitation at

7 Passmores. This gives clients the opportunity to structure and manage their ongoing life plan. They attend individual and group counselling educational sessions seven days a week. Patients also learn specific ways to identify relapse triggers and strategies for relapse prevention. They develop a structured plan of transition back to their workplace. They become reintegrated into their family and living environment. The benefits of rehab provision at Passmores House can be summarised as follows: - Face to face assessment prior to admission - Rolling programme - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and other models - Motivational Interviewing - Solution Focused Therapy - 12 step elements can be applied - Complementary therapies available - User group participation encouraged - Aftercare programme - Family support provision - Individual key work sessions - Links with local business for voluntary placement - Links with colleges for education and training - Support with external issues e.g. debt management, child protection, legal issues, housing etc - Aftercare planned for 3 months individually - Links with housing associations - Individual Care Plan also available for those living far away - Onward referral

8 Requirements : If you or someone from your organisation would like to be considered for a placement you will have to demonstrate proven experience of field work with drug/alcohol users and an interest in and preferably some experience of work within a criminal justice context. You will also need to demonstrate a working knowledge of English written and spoken. All participants will be required to: - submit a written application, in English, detailing what they wish to achieve through the placement, including any specific learning goals; - provide written authorisation the support from their employing organisation to undertake the placement; - provide within one month of the conclusion of the placement a brief report on the placement, including achievements against learning goals/objectives, and how they intend to disseminate information/learning to colleagues in their own countries; - provide within 6-months from the conclusion of the placement a brief report and supporting material on the dissemination activities organised within their employing organisation and other relevant local services. Logistics: The ACCESS project will provide reimbursement for travel to the UK (within limits agreed in the budget). Accommodation and per-diem payments will also be arranged to cover other food and travel costs during the placement. All placements will be discussed and planned in advance with a contract agreed between the participant and the host organisation detailing the range of tasks to be undertaken, learning goals and named supervisor/mentor within the host organisation. The participant will undertake the agreed activities during the placement, working alongside staff of the host organisation. Application and Selection: If you or someone from your organisation wishes to apply for a placement under this scheme you will need to complete an application form. Please download the application form from the ACCESS website and complete it in electronic version, in English. The closing date for applications is the 10 February Applications should be sent by to Cinzia Brentari at cinziabrentari@hotmail.com, with copy to Karen Boyle at Karen.Boyle@compass-org.uk. Successful applicants will be informed by 15 March Applications will be reviewed by a panel composed of ACCESS staff and representatives from the host agencies. If pre-selected on the basis of their application form, applicants will be required to undertake a telephone interview in English to complete the application process. If you would like any further information not covered on this website please contact Cinzia Brentari, ACCESS project expert at cinziabrentari@hotmail.com