Substance Misuse, Alcohol and other drugs

Residential Rehabilitation

Pembrokeshire County Council, Adult Care Substance Misuse Service aims to:

• Assist individuals experiencing difficulties associated with their alcohol and other drug use through the purchase and provision of community based interventions.
• Assist through joint-working with statutory, third sector and private organisations.
• Recognise that, on times, residential treatment will be required as part of overall plans to promote independence.

First steps

If you already have a worker with Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service (DDAS) or Pembrokeshire Community Drug and Alcohol Team (CDAT) you can ask them to arrange for a social worker to meet with you to go through the assessment process, eligibility, structure, activity and treatment and the funding arrangements for residential rehabilitation. Much of this is contained in this leaflet.

If you are not currently receiving assistance from drug and alcohol services, your first step is to contact DDAS on 03303 639997 and request initial assessment which will usually be offered within ten working days.  You can also walk in at First Floor, Allied House, Ebenezer Row, Haverfordwest, SA61 2JP, Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm and request assessment.

A short video which includes the experiences of others who have previously completed a period of residential rehabilitation which may help you decide if it is what you really want.

Eligibility

If you have decided that you do need a period of residential rehabilitation, you will be offered an assessment with a social worker. An information leaflet will be provided to you, which will explain more about this process.

This assessment will consider whether a period of residential rehabilitation is recommended as part of a wider plan to help you achieve outcomes agreed with you.

• You will be committed to a long period of abstinence from alcohol and other drugs.
• It will be considered that you are unlikely to achieve the outcomes agreed with you without a period of residential rehabilitation and/or it will be unsafe for you to be in the community while you engage with therapy.
• You will have attended assessment at a residential rehabilitation centre with your social worker and have been offered placement.
• You will have demonstrated an ability to engage with group therapy, at a minimum you will have completed the four week psychosocial Foundation group.
• You will complete any required alcohol detoxification before commencing placement.
• You will have completed any required opiate or benzodiazepines withdrawal programme prior to commencing placement.
• You will have an address to return to on completion of placement or in the event that placement comes to an end in any unplanned way.
• You will have completed a financial assessment with your social worker before commencing placement and will have payment plans in place for any debts that you may have.
• You will have no outstanding criminal charges.

Brynawel House

• Pembrokeshire County Council commission Brynawel House near Bridgend to provide residential rehabilitation.
• Brynawel is the closest residential rehabilitation placement to Pembrokeshire and has a proven record of providing high quality treatment.

The following information has been provided by Brynawel for this information leaflet :

• Brynawel is a secular organisation, which means that it isn’t based on religious or spiritual beliefs, but delivers evidence based interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy which forms part of a sixteen week residential treatment programme.
• The focus of the programme is group work, but each individual will be offered a minimum of one session per week with an assigned therapist.
• We also offer the opportunity to engage in families counselling if required.

Brynawel also offers a programme of alternative therapies such as yoga, art and outdoor pursuits including walking, indoor climbing and gardening. It has a small well equipped gym on site, but there are regular visits to a local leisure centre, where individuals can engage in swimming and badminton.

Each individual is assigned a key worker and a buddy who will always be on hand to assist with issues that may arise in relation to the regime of the house, group times, benefits etc.

Unlike other rehabs we allow individuals to bring in their phones and laptops and we encourage visits from family members and friends who will be a positive influence on a person’s recovery.

Alternatives to Brynawel

There may be reasons why Brynawel is not considered a suitable placement by you and/or your social worker.

Should this be the case then alternatives are sought depending on these reasons.

Examples of when this would be the case are :

• Mother and baby placement.
• Strong links with another area.
• Twelve step treatment required.
• Faith based community required.

Commencing your placement

Once you have been offered a placement at a residential rehabilitation centre an admission date will be arranged for you coordinated with your completion of any preparation required including :

• Completion of the four week psychosocial Foundation group.
• Completion of any required alcohol detoxification.
• Completion of any required opiate or benzodiazepines withdrawal programme.
• Completion of financial assessment and payment plans in place for any debts that you may have.
• Confirmation of address to return to.
• Anything else agreed between you and your social worker that is considered to be disruptive to you benefiting from residential treatment.

You will be supported to get to the placement by a support worker who will be allocated to you if you do not already have one unless you would prefer to make arrangements with family or friends.

Funding

Funding for residential rehabilitation is means tested and this will be calculated by way of financial assessment completed with your social worker.

Generally you will be entitled to a personal allowance of £29.50/week and the rest of your income will contribute toward your placement.

• Other costs may be agreed between you and your social worker such as rent top up, debt repayments and child care costs or child maintenance payments.
• You will be required to provide documents to confirm your income and any expenses that you would like to be taken into consideration.
• If you are in receipt of any state benefits, you are required by law to notify the benefits agency of any change in circumstances, which would include a period of residential rehabilitation.
• Your social worker will give you a rough figure so that you can start making payments at the placement from your first week as it will take some time for the finance department to give you a confirmed figure.
• It may be that your financial circumstances allow you to self-fund your placement, this does not preclude you from social work assessment and assistance with accessing a period of residential rehabilitation and appropriate aftercare.

Prescribed medication

You will of course be able to continue with any medication prescribed for your physical health throughout placement.

• You will be unable to be prescribed any opiates or benzodiazepines during placement or any other medication that you have built into your drug using behaviour such as pregabalin.
• You will be able to continue with psychiatric medication although further advice may be sought from psychiatrist or doctor as to whether this is conducive with you benefiting from talking therapy if there is a sedative effect.

Review and Aftercare

A review will be arranged for you at placement on or around the end of your first four weeks.

• The focus of this review is to ensure that you have settled in and are engaging with the structure, treatment and activity on offer to you.
• Your social worker and therapist at the placement will meet with you for this review.
• You need to be aware that continued funding is dependent on your full engagement.
• A further review will take place at or around mid point of your placement.
• At this review your aftercare plan will be considered and as well as your social worker and therapist at the placement those who will be assisting with your aftercare such as support worker and recovery worker will be invited to attend.
• You can invite family and/or friends to your reviews.

Your aftercare plan will include :

• One to one relapse prevention.
• Moving on in My Recovery group.
• Peer Mentor
• Leisure/Learning/Training/Employment activity

During the last few weeks of your placement you will gradually return to the community using public transport to travel between home and placement.

• This will be funded for you if you do not have the financial means to fund it yourself.
• It is recommended that you bring some of your belongings with you during each visit home so that you can manage anything remaining on the day you complete placement.
• A further review will be arranged with you within two weeks of your return to the community and those involved in your aftercare will be invited to attend.

Northgate House Supported Accommodation

Your social worker will discuss Northgate House with you and if appropriate arrange for you to visit there before commencing placement.  You can apply to move into Northgate House after mid point of your placement should you wish to.

Northgate House is a Adferiad supported housing scheme based in a prime location in Haverfordwest, the scheme can support up to four tenants who have completed a course of treatment for misuse of alcohol and/or other drugs. 

Northgate house provides a steppingstone towards independent living, along with the opportunity to develop daily living skills, access benefits, education, training and employment, staff at Northgate House can support you with budgeting, accessing services and support you to move-on when the time is right.

Support at Northgate House can be for a period of up to two years and further support can be offered through our floating support service when you have moved on from Northgate House.

To be eligible for a place at Northgate House, you need to have completed a course of treatment in relation to misuse of alcohol and/or other drugs and be committed to developing and maintaining a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle, and be willing to participate in a personal support plan.

Useful Numbers

Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service 03303 639997

Adferiad Drug and Alcohol Service tenancy support 01437 766299

Advocacy support 0800 206 1387

Dan 24/7 Wales Drug and Alcohol Helpline 0800 808 2234