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35 Salem Street, Bradford, BD1 4QH 01274 723 863

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News

1,000 COVID Deaths in Bradford – a message from Bridge
A New Message From Bridge Chair Of Trustees and Chief Executive
Bridge Welcomes Important New Report From Public Health England On Dependence On Prescribed Medicines
Tracey Hogan, overall winner in the Practitioner Category of BSCB Safeguarding Champion Awards
The Lotus Project team, finalists in the Innovation Category of BSCB Safeguarding Champion Awards
Carol Rawson, finalist in the Voluntary/Community Sector Category of BSCB Safeguarding Champion Awards
Bridge is delighted to retain the One80 contract (previously known as Young Persons Drug and Alcohol Service)
Prison Family Helpline
Volunteer Mini Bus Driver
A Christmas message from our Chair of Trustees and Chief Executive

recovery story

A Voice to Be Heard, by Sandra Minshull

Volunteer

Volunteer Team Of The Month | June 2017
Volunteer Team Of The Month | May 2017

Find out what's been going on in our latest Recovery Activity Guide

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Contact Us

01274 723 863
[email protected]

Opening Hours*

Monday - Friday
9.30am – 5.30pm

Saturday: closed
Sunday: closed

Where to Find Us

35 Salem Street
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD1 4QH
01274 723 863

*Please telephone to check opening times of individual services as there may be slight variations.

People Can And Do Recover!

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Information and advice on drug issues

If you’re concerned about your drug or alcohol use one of the first things you’re likely to need is good quality advice and information. This could be anything from advice about treatment options, effects of drugs, how to use drugs in a less harmful way or how to quit. Our staff are trained and competent in drug and alcohol related issues and will provide you with empathic, non-judgemental, accurate and up to date advice and information. Our aim is to empower you to make decisions that will improve your life and knowing the facts is often the first step.

Access to legal, debt and housing advice

People with substance misuse issues often experience a range of associated problems such as legal, financial and housing related. Many of our partners such as Jobcentre Plus and Horton Housing have specialist workers based part time at Bridge who can advise you on these issues. If we don’t have an onsite specialist, we can help link you up with the right organisation to help you access the advice, support and services you need.

Physical healthcare

Qualified nurses and other healthcare professionals are based in our services. We can offer you:

General healthcare assessment
Wound assessment and treatment
Screening for blood borne viruses and specialist treatment
Dental care on specific days
Liaison with other healthcare professionals such as community psychiatric nurses, consultants and GPs.

Strength based assessment and recovery planning

The foundation of good quality treatment is thorough assessment. This means gathering information about you so we can fully understand the areas of your life where you may need support and help. It’s also not just about understanding your problems but focussing on your strengths and resources and how you can you can tap into these to aid your recovery. We use a tool called ‘The Recovery Handbook’ as part of our assessment process and you’ll be able to keep a copy that will be updated as your circumstances change. Thorough assessment may take several consultations, however, initially we may just obtain sufficient information so we can get you help you need as swiftly as possible to deal with your immediate presenting problems.

Assessment is likely to include gathering information about your drug and alcohol use, health, housing, family circumstances, employment and criminal justice involvement. It can be difficult at first to talk about private matters with someone you’ve just met, but most of our clients eventually find it really helps to be able to talk to someone that’s empathic, non-judgemental and expert in their field - which are some of the most important qualities we look for when recruiting our staff.

Following assessment, in partnership with you we will develop a Recovery Plan. This will set out your recovery goals and objectives, who’s going to be involved and how they’re going to be achieved. As you progress through treatment your Recovery plan will be regularly reviewed and you’ll be able to look back and reflect on the progress you’ve made.

Prescribing Interventions

A common part of treatment, especially for those who use heroin or similar drugs is substitute prescribing. This involves a doctor or other qualified professional prescribing a drug, usually methadone or Subutex. Although these medicines are addictive and are dangerous if misused, they allow drug users to embark on the process of recovery without the fear of withdrawal and without the dangers of buying and using street drugs. Once stabilisation has been achieved, which involves establishing a level of prescribing that comfortably blocks the need for you to use street drugs, you can begin to work on reducing the levels of medication and making the positive changes in your life that will help you eventually enjoy sustained abstinence. Although some drug users remain on substitute medications for a long time, research shows that the vast majority will eventually achieve abstinence and moreover they have a much better quality of life without the need to rely on medication.

We do not set arbitrary time limits on prescribing as the research shows this can be counter-productive. Our approach is for the clinicians and professionals to work in collaboration with you and establish a treatment regime that best fits your individual circumstances.

Psychosocial interventions

Psychosocial interventions is the term used to describe a wide range of talking therapies that help drug users achieve specific treatment goals. They can be used to:

Help people reduce or stop using drugs.
Increase motivation.
Prevent relapse.
Address problems such as lack of confidence, relationship issues and managing difficult emotions.
Address common co-occurring disorders in drug users such as anxiety and depression.

Psychosocial interventions have a strong evidence base and are endorsed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Specific techniques that our staff are trained to use include Node Link Mapping, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.

Access to groupwork programmes and recovery activities

Many people (although by no means all) find that they can best address the issues in their lives alongside their peers who are going through the same recovery process. There is a very wise saying in the recovery community – “You alone can do it – but you can’t do it alone!”
We offer a very wide range of groups, workshops and activities that are designed to:

Help you develop structure and stability in your life.
Provide a safe space for you to explore your motivation around using/stopping drug use.
Develop skills and techniques that will help you to live your life drug free.
Make positive changes for the future in all aspects of your life.
Gain identification and support from your peers.
Build positive new relationships and friendships with people who understand you, accept you for who you are and share similar recovery goals.

Groups, workshops and activities can be broadly categorised as:

Therapeutic and life skills: A comprehensive programme of workshops covering topics such as Communication Skills, Managing Difficult Emotions, Relationships in Recovery, Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention.

Educational: Open College Network Accredited courses, IT, basic skills.

Social: Making new friends and developing interests is a key part of recovery. There’s a wide social programme including sports, games, gigs and trips out for which we have a mini bus. Our Vault Cafe is open Monday to Friday which is an exclusive venue for people in recovery to meet, make new friends, enjoy a meal for only £1 and socialise.

Each month we produce a Recovery Activity Guide (RAG) which can be downloaded here. The RAG provides a daily timetable of recovery activities and how you can access them.

Strength based assessment and recovery planning

The foundation of good quality treatment is thorough assessment. This means gathering information about you so we can fully understand the areas of your life where you may need support and help. It’s also not just about understanding your problems but focussing on your strengths and resources and how you can you can tap into these to aid your recovery. We use a tool called ‘The Recovery Handbook’ as part of our assessment process and you’ll be able to keep a copy that will be updated as your circumstances change. Thorough assessment may take several consultations, however, initially we may just obtain sufficient information so we can get you help you need as swiftly as possible to deal with your immediate presenting problems.

Assessment is likely to include gathering information about your drug and alcohol use, health, housing, family circumstances, employment and criminal justice involvement. It can be difficult at first to talk about private matters with someone you’ve just met, but most of our clients eventually find it really helps to be able to talk to someone that’s empathic, non-judgemental and expert in their field - which are some of the most important qualities we look for when recruiting our staff.

Following assessment, in partnership with you we will develop a Recovery Plan. This will set out your recovery goals and objectives, who’s going to be involved and how they’re going to be achieved. As you progress through treatment your Recovery plan will be regularly reviewed and you’ll be able to look back and reflect on the progress you’ve made..

Access to detox and residential rehab services

Although most people can be successfully treated in the community some will require in-patient care or an extended period of residential rehabilitation.

Detoxification is the process of withdrawing from drugs and is best managed under the supervision of a medical professional. It can be undertaken either in the community or an in-patient setting and the length of detox will vary depending on your needs. You will have a thorough medical assessment, individual treatment designed to allow you to withdraw comfortably from addictive substances and access to group and one to one support.

Residential rehabilitation involves taking time out and living in a residential therapeutic community typically for a period around 12-24 weeks. There is usually a life skills programme and help in accessing training, education or employment. Before leaving the rehab you will be given help with resettlement, finding a place to live and aftercare support in the community.

Access to mutual aid

Mutual aid groups are independent of the treatment system and consist of men and women recovering from drug or alcohol dependence who meet regularly to offer each other social, emotional and informational support They rely upon a structured programme that is focused on recovery. Groups often include people who are abstinent and want help to remain so – these people are actively changing their behaviour using a programme of mutual aid. They also include people who are thinking about stopping and/or actively trying to stop their drug and alcohol use. Groups also exist to support families, children and friends affected by substance misuse.

The most common mutual aid groups in England include 12-step fellowships and SMART Recovery. The fellowships – eg, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA) and Al-Anon – are based on a 12-step self-help philosophy developed in the 1930s. SMART Recovery, although a relative newcomer to the field, is constantly expanding its network of self-help meetings in England. These meetings apply cognitive behavioural techniques and therapeutic lifestyle change to their mutual aid groups to help people manage their recovery.

Bridge actively encourages all our service users to attend mutual aid and workers and volunteers are available who can give you information on local groups and even accompany you to your first meeting.

Several of these groups hold their meetings on Bridge premises and details can be found in the Recovery Activity Guide here

Specialist support and access to services for people with ‘dual diagnosis’ of mental health and substance misuse problem

Some people experience addiction problems and a severe and enduring mental health problem, known as dual diagnosis. Our team includes Registered Mental Health Nurses who can provide specialist assessment and access to mental health treatment interventions.

Volunteering

Giving something back to your community and helping other people through volunteering is a great way to improve your well being, make new friends and develop new skills and interests. Bridge can help you access volunteering opportunities in the local community that are matched to your needs and interests. We also have an accredited Recovery Volunteer Training Programme at Bridge and a volunteer intake at our social enterprise Forks Cafe. See the volunteering section of our website.

Education, employment and training support

If you are interested in achieving goals in relation to education, employment and training your needs and aspirations will be discussed and an action plan drawn up. Our staff and partners can help you:

Get access to a range of onsite accredited educational/training courses or match you to a local college and a course that meets your needs.
Build employability skills such as understanding criminal record disclosure, producing a CV and interview skills.
Get direct work experience and training through our Forks Academy

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