National drug and alcohol charity CRI is to become the sole provider of an integrated alcohol and drug early intervention and treatment service for adults in Manchester from the 1st April 2016.
From 2012, CRI provided clinical drug services to the local community in Manchester in partnership with ADS and Lifeline. Over the previous three years that the service has been running in the city, CRI has worked in partnership to help make a real difference to people’s lives, in many cases helping users break addictions, and has supported over 3000 local residents needing support for substance misuse issues, with a team of 60 staff.
CRI will provide the community of Manchester with integrated support through a more focused and streamlined approach in delivering a range of alcohol and drugs services. The organisation uses innovative technology in the way it delivers services, from web chats offering advice and information from online practitioners through to computer based cognitive behaviour therapy, as well as providing alternative outreach services to focus on people who may not usually be associated with alcohol and drugs services, for example, those drinking at high risk levels and people using ‘legal highs' or over the counter medicines.
People using the service for the first time will be able to see how CRI has worked successfully in the past, as peer mentors and recovery champions will be working alongside medical staff and key professionals to ensure a fully integrated service. They will also be able to access services at a number of key locations across the city on the same day. One of the key messages is that there is no “wrong door” into services, same day support and access to services will be offered to everyone who needs it.
The newly designed service will place more emphasis on prevention and early intervention for people who need help to address issues that may lead to an increase in alcohol or drug use. There will continue to be recovery-focussed support for people who are already dependent on alcohol or drugs.
Lisa Collier, Service Manager said:
"We are delighted to have been awarded the contract to continue our work across Manchester, and helping the community to gain better access to the level of help that suits them. As a charity we work with 55,000 people every day and have a strong evidence base around the types of treatment and interventions that work for people who are affected by alcohol and drug problems. We have learnt over the years that people need support that is tailored to their specific needs, and have developed a range of programmes and packages in response. We are looking forward to supporting the people of Manchester so they can look forward to living healthier, positive lives.”
Councillor Paul Andrews, Manchester City Council's executive member for Adults Health and Wellbeing said:
"We know that current drugs and alcohol services already achieve good outcomes for people using them but there has been an imbalance between our spend on drug and alcohol services. Our redesign gives us the opportunity to build on the good work already in place and to shift the balance needed for people with alcohol issues which have traditionally taken a back seat to drugs services, even though misuse of alcohol is one of the biggest health risks facing a significant number of our residents. Our redesign also refocuses services on preventative and early intervention measures for anyone with drug or alcohol issues."