Residential Services for Drug Users What works

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Residential Services for Drug UsersWhat works?

• Dawn Griesbach
• Griesbach Associates
• (formerly of the Effective Interventions Unit)
• 30 June 2005

Griesbach Associates Social Research for Policy
and Practice
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Outline of Talk

• What are residential services?
• What is the evidence of their effectiveness?

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What are residential services?

• Distinction between residential detoxification
  and residential rehabilitation.
• Not covering crisis services or supported
  accommodation.

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Residential detoxification

• In-patient (incl. Rapid Detox)
• Within a wider rehabilitation service
• Stand-alone service often provided by voluntary
  or private sector

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Residential detoxification

• Aim is to get people off illicit drugs.
• and do so humanely.
• Usually short-term i.e., a few weeks.
• Only the first step.

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Residential rehabilitation

• Can be provided by statutory, voluntary or
  private sector.
• Aim is to keep people off drugs i.e., drug-free
  lives.
• Usually long-term (several months).
• Residential rehab programmes are not all alike.

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Effectiveness ofresidential detoxification

• Very effective more effective at getting people
  off drugs than community detox.
• BUT
• Only the first step

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Effectiveness ofresidential rehabilitation

• Is residential rehab effective? -- the wrong
  question.
• The right question
• Who is residential rehab effective for -- and
  under what circumstances?

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For whom is residential rehabilitation most
effective?

• Those who
• Have engaged with services prior to entry
• Are drug-free prior to entry
• Are less severely dependent
• Have better social / family networks
• Have no history of psychiatric illness
• Have longer history of previous employment
• Have less risk-taking behaviour
• BUT

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In what circumstances is residential
rehabilitation most effective?

• Must be retained in treatment programmes have
  very high drop-out rates
• Programme lasts at least three months (although 6
  months 1 year may be better for some people)
• Structured aftercare provided

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Further copies of the report

• http//www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/eiurdr.
  pdf

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Griesbach Associates

• Social Research for Policy and Practice

Contact details No. 9, 190 Bruntsfield
Place Edinburgh EH10 4DF Tel [phone] Mob
07921 199 655 Email d.griesbach_at_griesbach-resea
rch.co.uk Web www.griesbach-research.co.uk