Substance misuse
As well as causing severe disruption to general functioning and undermining interpersonal relationships, long-term substance misuse can leave people facing profound stigma and an entrenched culture of blame, rejection and exclusion, particularly in relation to housing and employment. This causes such individuals to feel alienated, devalued and disempowered, which perpetuates their substance misuse as they increasingly rely on it as an avoidance or coping response. This highlights the reality that addiction is generally symptomatic of underlying psychological disturbance.
Clinical Psychology Associates is committed to training drug and alcohol workers to move beyond focusing merely on pharmacological treatments and the practical and health-related difficulties faced by service users towards identifying and addressing the underlying psychosocial problems that cause and maintain their substance dependence. All the programmes we deliver are evidence-based and fully consistent with DANOS, Home Office legislation and the guidance provided by the NTA, NICE and the Welsh Assembly.
Training in cognitive-behavioural therapy for substance misuse
We provide a comprehensive five-day training programme in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for substance misuse which builds on an initial foundation of key skills and techniques to encompass a range of specific evidence-based applications: motivational enhancement, coping strategy enhancement (including techniques for coping with cravings), self-esteem enhancement, social skills and assertiveness, working with families and social networks, and relapse prevention.
We have a proven track record of tailoring this programme to the roles of staff working in a diverse range of specialist settings, including crack cocaine, DIP, police and probation services. This has enabled staff in the criminal justice system to accelerate the process of recovery from addiction and break long-term patterns of criminal behaviour by addressing the substance dependence of offenders using the latest treatment innovations in CBT. This represents a highly cost-effective method of intervention in this context.
Group psychosocial interventions for substance misuse
We have also developed a programme of group psychosocial interventions for substance misuse which represents a new structured and systematic treatment approach that is entirely evidence-based. It offers modules that enable drug and alcohol workers to facilitate groups for service users who are chaotic and entering treatment, actively reducing their substance use or maintaining long-term abstinence, helping them to overcome their substance dependence and, crucially, to achieve a positive and balanced lifestyle.
In contrast to existing group programmes, ours is culturally-sensitive, substance-specific and completely flexible, enabling each organisation to tailor the content to the precise needs of its service users. The programme is also extremely accessible and user-friendly, requires minimal preparation for facilitators, and is non-punitive, allowing service users who miss sessions to rejoin the programme.
The programme is based on a new Lifestyle Balance Model™ that can be used to understand not only substance misuse but all the different problems faced by service users, such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and anger control problems. It incorporates a wide-ranging set of meaningful outcome measures and also provides a fully comprehensive system of ongoing support.