Support for family members and significant others

 Carer – someone who, without payment provides support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who could not manage without their help  Service offers support, advice, social and leisure events to carers in Leeds

To lead and co-ordinate the multi agency service development approach in Leeds Focusing on:  Maximising the support provided by mainstream treatment, carers’, primary care and community services for adult family members and significant others affected by someone else’s drug and/or alcohol misuse  Building the skills, knowledge and commitment of services to family members and significant others

Research and policy acknowledges:  The role of family members and significant others in supporting the person using substances  The need for family members and significant others to have support in their own right  The role of family members and significant others in the recovery agenda

Involvement of family members or significant others in treatment care planning  Enabling fuller information to be accessed  Focus on specific care planning goals  Increasing understanding of what the service is working towards with the service user  Increasing knowledge of relapse prevention and after care requirements

Support for family members and significant others in their own right:  Accessing factual information  Emotional support, acknowledging the impact of addiction and dependency  Exploring choices for change  Increasing confidence and skills to address own needs  Meeting with others in similar situations

Contacts from April 2011 to August Group and events contacts from April 2011 to August

 Group support Last Tuesday of each month 12noon to 1.30pm Last Wednesday of each month 5.30pm to 7pm  One to one support Emotional support, increasing knowledge and understanding of issues relating to drugs and alcohol, exploring choices for change and signposting to community services

 Workshops What About Me?  Multiple Choice and Carers Leeds Service users and family members share experiences

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