SUIT Groups & Forums
SUIT run and host a number of forums meeting throughout our work, as we feel that it is important to allow anyone in treatment to have their say on issues facing them. The minutes from the meetings are sent to service managers for responses to any particular queries, which are fed back at the next planned meeting.
Examples of the types of forums include -: New Horizons Group (Tier 3), Bridge the Gap (Tier 3), Womens’ Group (Specialist), Drug Rehabilitation Forum (Specialist).
New Horizons Group
We work in partnership with our Tier 3 drug treatment service, which is called Addiction Services (see links to NHS for further information).
This service is a prescribing service that provides substitute medication to heroin users, as well as an alcohol service, specialist women’s team, needle exchange, harm reduction advice, tier 4 referral (in-patient detox/rehabilitation/community detox) referrals plus more.
We hold a monthly open form here, which is open to any of their service users. The aims of the group are to raise any issues or concerns from the service users and then to relay these concerns to service managers to gain feedback, which is presented at the next forum. This helps to engage service users in their service provision, and ensures that their views are documented, listened to and acted upon.
Bridge the Gap
We work in partnership with the YMCA Bridge in Wolverhampton also who provide a Tier 3 service. This looks at the psychosocial elements of addiction, and helps drug users in a number of useful ways (see link to YMCA Bridge for further information. Their work is non-clinical and includes -: structured day care, group work, counselling, complimentary therapies, benefit & housing advice, family support, plus more)
We hold a quarterly forum here that is open to any of their service users. The forum is set up in much the same way as the ‘new horizons group’, and enables the users of this service to have their say on the treatment that they are receiving.This also helps to engage service users in their service provision, and ensures that their views are documented, listened to and acted upon.
Womens Group
We run a womens only group here at SUIT once a month. This is a self support group that is open to any female that is suffering from drug addiction in Wolverhampton. We aims are to promote well being, treatment options, support and training opportunities to any women that attend.
It is a confidential meeting, that allows women to drop in any time between 10:30 and 12:30 every last Thursday of the month.
If you live in Wolverhampton and are female, and if you are suffering from substance misuse yourself, or know someone that is and you are interested in attending this group, then please call Leanne on (01902) 328983 or text SUIT Women to 88010(standard network charges apply).
DRR (Drug Rehabilitation Requirement)
This is work that we carry out with the Probation Service, and involves speaking with individuals who have been placed on an order through the criminal justice route Individuals must attend treatment services, group work plus other requirements that aim to reduce drug using behaviour.
Our workshops are split into 3 categories -: Personal testimonies, SUIT presentations, Advice and support. They all consist of question and answer sessions at the end, as well as also highlighting issues that individuals may be facing, that we try to resolve and feedback to them via probation staff.
Probation facilitate the sessions, and we go in as consultants to carry out our objectives of empowering those serving these requirements.
