|
Senior Counsellors Report: Swansea
The twelve-month period covered by this report has shown a marked
increase of work in the Agency. This is reflected initially by a
21% (146) increase of referrals to WGCADA from 688 in the year 2002
- 2003 compared to 834 in this year 2003 - 2004. Also the number
of referrals attending during the same period for Initial Assessment
has risen by 27% from 434 to 550. We actually have an Initial Assessment
attendance rate of approximately 66% of persons who have been referred
to us.
As a result of this increase there has been an obvious knock on
effect in that those people assessed are referred into the various
stages of treatment as well as onto projects like the DOMINO.
Because of this the waiting lists for both the Pre-Treatment and
the Primary Groups have seen a large increase. The waiting list
problem for the Primary Phase of treatment is also compounded by
the success of the Pre-Treatment Groups.
At this point I would like to thank all the staff in the Agency
for their commitment and hard work over the last twelve months that
has allowed us to somehow cope with this increased workload, which
is reflected by the increase in the number of appointments offered
to our clients. I include all the staff in these thanks, not just
the counsellors, The Administration for all the work they do both
seen and unseen, the Management Staff for their patience and efforts
in attempting to secure funding for more staff to both offer better
services and to alleviate the pressure on the current staff, and
last but definitely not least to the volunteers who give their time
freely to assist the Agency with the services offered.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the new staff,
namely our new Tenancy Support Worker, Family Worker and Home De-Tox
Worker. I don't think they realised what they were letting themselves
in for when they joined us, but they seem to be enjoying it and
are definitely giving full commitment to both the Agency and the
clients.
What's New
- Our Staffing structure has been changed in that we now have
a Training and Development Manager, a P.A. to the Chief Executive
that hopefully gives him more time to devote his energies into
both running the Agency as well as to meet more possible Funders.
Also the Senior Counsellors and Administration Manager have been
given more responsibilities for the running of their various areas.
- The rooms in Swansea have been re-organised to free up more
rooms for counselling clients. The Management team are using the
old Group room opposite the Admin. Office and the rest of the
staff are now on the top floor. The kitchen in the conservatory
has been converted to a counselling room, which allows us to see
disabled people.
- The old garage has been converted and is self-contained. This
is now the Group Therapy room and is also used by the DOMINO Art
& Craft Class as well as by the staff for meetings and training
sessions.
- As part of the re-structuring all staff members now receive
supervision by a senior on a regular basis, allowing for any suggestions
to improve services offered as well as giving the staff member
an opportunity to sort out any minor difficulties that they may
have.
- Training, both In-house and from outside bodies, has been introduced
and this is already proving beneficial to the way our service
is given. Volunteer training has also been introduced and all
volunteers are now trained before working in the Agency.
- Quarterly reports have been introduced, showing not just the
Funders, but also any interested party, the exact nature of the
work and workload of the Agency throughout the year, and allows
the staff to see the figures as well.
Treatment Opportunities
1. Pre-Treatment Groups
We only have one Pre-Treatment worker, but thanks to the volunteer
training programme, he has volunteer helpers to assist with the
groups. Pre-Treatment is often over-subscribed due to the demands
of the specialist schemes and the counsellors trying to prioritise
who accesses the groups, but the worker somehow manages to maintain
an even balance as to who comes into the groups. These groups are
not only good grounding for the clients but also for the volunteers
who may be moving on into others areas of WGCADA.
- Phase One: This is an eleven-week rolling programme of
education. There is currently a three-month waiting list to gain
access to this group. Some clients are referred to us specifically
for this group alone. Many choose to stay on of their own volition
to continue the treatment process and of 38 people who completed
this group and left, some later chose to come back.
- Phase Two: This is an 8-week rolling programme and clients
entering this group have to be clean and sober or detoxing from
the prescribed drugs used in the detoxing of alcohol/drugs. They
are started on their Step 1 work and receive 1-1 counselling on
a weekly basis, in preparation for Primary Treatment.
2. Primary Treatment (Group Work) - Minnesota Model
We run two Primary Treatment Groups, and have only two Primary
Counsellors. They are only supposed to have a maximum of 8 people
in the group, but due to the success of the Pre-Treatment Groups,
we have nine or ten in each group, in order to try and keep the
waiting list down. This phase of treatment is based on the Minnesota
Model of Treatment and takes clients to Step 5 of the Fellowship
12-Step Programme. Clients in this group are expected to attend
the self-help Fellowships of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous.
We are seeing more people accessing these groups and completing
treatment quicker because they have already progressed through a
major part of their Step One work in the Pre-Treatment Two. As a
result, instead of taking twelve months to complete Primary it now
only takes six - eight months of group work and one-to-one counselling.
Twelve people have actually completed treatment and passed onto
the Aftercare stage.
With the success of Pre-Treatment adding to the waiting list for
this stage of treatment we could easily start a third group if we
only had the staff to do so.
3. Aftercare
During the course of this year we lost our Aftercare counsellor,
who had been seconded to us by the Local Authority, and her work
has now been taken on by the other staff.
This Group offers ongoing 1-1 counselling to those who have reached
Step 5 of the Treatment Programme. They receive this counselling
once every 4-6 weeks, and attend the Aftercare Group one evening
every month.
4. Family Counsellor
We have a full time Family Counsellor employed at the Swansea Agency.
We believe that addiction is a Family Illness and that it is not
only the alcoholic or addict who suffers the illness but also Family,
Friends and colleagues. As a result we run a Family Programme that
also follows the 12-Step principle, on a 1-1 counselling basis.
In the six months that the Family Counsellor has been with us she
has not only done talks to the various treatment groups but has
steadily built up an active client base of approximately 40 persons,
that include not only Family Members but also young children under
the age of 16 years who have the illness of addiction.
Other Services
Arrest Referral
Any person who has been arrested where substance/alcohol use is
suspected is given the opportunity to immediately access our service
if they wish. Court reports can be prepared if needed, together
with appropriate prescribing interventions, arranging De-tox and
counselling where these needs are identified.
The Arrest Referral worker has approximately 40 clients who are
chaotic and attend on an irregular basis, expecting their counsellor
to be readily available to see them. On top of her normal work at
The Centre and in the Police Station, she also assists of an evening
once a week with assessments and Aftercare clients.
Community Support Worker
Assists clients who are unable to attend the Centre to establish
a structure in their life, together with arranging De-tox, both
Hospital and In-patient Rehab, assisting with DSS forms and any
other day-to-problems. This worker often works more hours than he
should in order to meet the needs of the clients and he regularly
assists with the DOMINO Project, not only attending there, but also
providing transport to and from client's homes so that they may
access the Project.
Tenancy Support Worker
Works hand in hand with the Community Support Worker in assisting
with housing issues. She also assists with the DOMINO Project in
the same way as the Community Support Worker does. She is also an
active member of our League Of Friends in her own time.
If it were not for the work of the Tenancy Support and Community
Support Workers a lot of our clients would be unable to access the
help on offer.
Home DeTox Worker
This is a welcomed new post to us and the idea is that this worker,
in partnership with the Community Drug and Alcohol Team and Swansea
Drugs Project, will offer help to people in their own homes in accessing
a DeTox from alcohol and/or drugs that they would previously have
been denied. She will offer not only assistance in obtaining a DeTox
but also support whilst undergoing it. This will then, hopefully,
allow those people to access the help available to them in our Agency
or in that of one of the two partners.
DOMINO Project Worker
WGCADA runs a DOMINO (Development
Of Motivation In New Outlooks) Project that aims to assist clients
both gain new Life-skills and see that they are worthwhile members
of the community as well as showing how much can be achieved without
alcohol or drugs. The Project runs an allotment in the Mumbles,
IT (Computer) classes, Cookery classes, Anger Management, Music
Groups and a variety of other activities.
We have recently obtained further funding to continue this project
and to hopefully expand it, and the added bonus is that the Project
Worker will now be full-time in Swansea, because funding has also
been obtained for a full-time worker in our Neath Branch, therefore
our worker will not have to go there to assist anymore.
Clients are actively encouraged to attend DOMINO irrespective of
their stage of treatment because we feel that a lot can be gained
and learnt by them in their recovery process.
Hopes for 2004/2005
- To continue and improve upon the services already offered.
- To obtain funding for more abstinence counsellors
- If above successful then to start another Primary Treatment
Group.
^ Top of the page
|
