Tag: Drugs

Northumberland Recovery Partnership joins Humankind

Jasmine Rocks

We are delighted to welcome the Northumberland Recovery Partnership (NRP) service into Humankind from 1 October 2023. Northumberland Recovery Partnership is a dedicated service for anyone in Northumberland aged 18+ who is experiencing problems with drugs and/or alcohol.

The service offers a range of support provided by medical staff, nurses, and dedicated Recovery Navigators. This includes community-based recovery programmes, help to stay physically healthy, and support with people’s next steps into employment, housing and better health. Twenty three staff and 4 volunteers are transferring to Humankind.

The lead provider for the Northumberland Recovery Partnership continues to be the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) which, from October onwards will be working in partnership with Humankind.

Christine Hutchinson, Director of Community Substance Misuse Services with Humankind said “We are really looking forward to working with CNTW to deliver high quality services to the people of Northumberland”

The service will continue to provide the same range of effective, evidence-based support and wherever possible, people will continue to be supported by the same staff. The main change is to the non-residential rehabilitation service, currently the Oaktrees program / building. Going forward, this will be delivered using Humankind’s Recovery Academy, a bespoke recovery programme tailored to offer a range of recovery options. This will build on the existing recovery services, ensuring recovery is open and accessible to all from the start of peoples’ recovery journey.

Find out more about the Northumberland Recovery Partnership

 

 

Drugs contaminated with synthetic opioids: an updated collective message

Jack Keery

To anyone that uses drugs or cares for someone who does:

The drugs available in the UK seem to be changing lately. As services that provide support to people who use drugs and their loved ones, we have come together to issue a shared statement about some of the new drugs being used by the people we support and the risks they present.

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day, and in honour of all those who have been affected by overdose and in light of new information about synthetic opioids, we have updated our joint statement.

In the last two years, new opioids called “nitazenes” have arrived in the UK. They have recently been found mixed with heroin, with some being sold as illicit oxycodone pills and illicit ‘Xanax’ powders.

Nitazenes can be at least as strong as fentanyl and can be hundreds of times more potent than heroin. They are known to have led to accidental overdoses and the deaths of people across the UK in recent weeks.

If you use drugs, this information could help you and your friends to stay safer. If you know people who use drugs but do not use drugs yourself, the following information could help you to keep people alive.

Because of how dangerous these contaminated drugs are, the way you use drugs may need to change to avoid overdose. We have updated the following information, in line with harm reduction guidance issued by EuroNPUD, with additional information provided to aid those living in the UK:

1. Carry naloxone

  • Always carry naloxone. It’s available from all drug services.
  • If you live in Scotland: Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs offers a ‘click & deliver’ service.
  • If you live in Wales: Barod offers a ‘click & deliver’ service.
  • Nitazenes have been found in non-opioid drugs (like illicit Xanax), so even if you or your friends don’t normally use opioids,  it is still worth carrying naloxone.
  • Carry extra naloxone – in some cases, it has taken multiple doses of naloxone to reverse  overdoses involving heroin contaminated with synthetic opioids. Carry two yellow cases of intramuscular naloxone or two double packs of nasal naloxone. More advice is provided in point six (overdose response).

2. Don’t use alone

  • Try not to use drugs alone, and don’t let your friends use them alone either. Watch out for signs of overdose in others. The signs include difficulty breathing, blue colouring to the lips or fingertips, unresponsiveness, and limp limbs.
  • If you are going to use drugs, reach out to someone to let them know your plans and ask them to check up on you.
  • If you are using with others, avoid all using at the same time. More advice on this is provided in point five (stagger your dose).

If you don’t have people to stay nearby or check on you, consider using the BuddyUp app.

3. Check your drugs

  • Submit an anonymous sample of the substance to the WEDINOS Project for analysis. It will take a few days to get the results back, so go easy in the meantime.
  • Fentanyl strips do not test for nitazene.

4. Start low, go slow

  • Start with a lower dose and wait for the peak effects to pass.
  • If you’re using illicit pills, consider splitting them and starting with a fraction of the pill. If you can’t split the pill, you might want to consider using the crush, dab, wait method. This was designed for MDMA users and is more applicable to powder or crystal form drugs, but could also keep you safer when using other pills.

5. Stagger your dose

  • Make sure you are with a friend and one or both of you have naloxone.
  • If one person takes their hit first, wait until the peak effects have worn off before the other person uses. This makes it much more likely that there is someone who can respond in the case of an overdose.

6. Overdose response

  • If someone overdoses, administer naloxone and call an ambulance.
  • Recent overdoses have required multiple doses of naloxone. You do not need to give doses at a faster rate, but you might need more than one naloxone kit. Continue to administer naloxone as you were trained to, and do not give multiple doses at once.
  • Aim to restore breathing rather than consciousness. As well as synthetic opioids, drugs may be contaminated with other substances such as benzos or xylazine, which can lead to heavy sedation.
  • Overdose symptoms returning is more likely with nitazenes, so make sure you observe someone for longer than you would with a normal heroin overdose.
  • Naloxone only works on opioids. It’s best to use naloxone if you think someone has overdosed, even if you’re not sure what they’ve taken –  naloxone will not harm them.
  • While mixing different drugs is common, it is more likely to cause an overdose. Try to use one drug at a time. If you are going to mix drugs, use less of each.

7. Seek substitute medication and other prescribing support

  • If you use opioids every day, your local drug service can support you and prescribe alternatives such as methadone or buprenorphine. Abstinence does not need to be your goal; these alternatives can help to keep you much safer.
  • “The best way to reduce your chances of an overdose is to be on an opioid substitution treatment. Even if you are still taking drugs, if you are on methadone or buprenorphine, you are less likely to overdose, and you are less likely to die… If you are on a script, you are less likely to overdose and if you do, you are less likely to die” (Streve Brinksman, Cranstoun).
    • The above quote is from a recent Cranstoun Tiktok. You can hear the rest of the message on TikTok.
  • If you are already in treatment for opioid dependence and you don’t want to use on top, speak to your prescriber and make sure you’re getting the right dose for you.
    • Check out the SODA tool to help you determine if your dose is right.
  • If you do still want to use on top, that is okay too, but be aware that there are higher risks now of overdosing.
  • If you don’t use opioids but are worried about your drug use and you take illicit benzos every day, you can also talk to your treatment provider about how they can support you.

Signed:

  • Jon Findlay (National Harm Reduction Lead, Humankind)
  • Deb Hussey (National Safer Lives Lead – Turning Point)
  • Peter Furlong (National Harm Reduction Lead – Change Grow Live)
  • Chris Rintoul (Innovation & Harm Reduction Lead – Cranstoun)
  • Kate Blazey (Interim Medical Director – With You)
  • Dr. Judith Yates (International Doctors for Healthier Drug Policies: IDHDP)
  • Shayla S. Schlossenberg (Drugs Service Coordinator, Release)
  • Mat Southwell (Project Executive, EuroNPUD)
  • Roz Gittins (Director of Care Standards and Practice Improvement, Via)
  • Rob Barker (Campaigns and Communications Lead, Barod)
  • Justina Murray (CEO, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs)
  • Prof Adam Winstock (Consultant psychiatrist & addiction medicine specialist)

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Dorset Council residents continue to be supported for drug and alcohol use

Jasmine Rocks

REACH Weymouth team stood outside their hub.

REACH, which is part of our new South West region, has been successful in winning the contract to provide Dorset Council’s alcohol and drug support service for another eight years.  

REACH has been delivering excellent care and support for the people of Dorset since 2017. This announcement means that they can continue to embed themselves in local communities and provide a bespoke drug and alcohol service to people when and where they most need it. The recommissioning announcement is a validation of the high regard with which the service is held and all the hard work, professionalism and expertise of staff and volunteers.  

This is the best outcome for the people who need support for their drug and alcohol use in Dorset. Recommissioning REACH gives people who use our services much needed stability of treatment and continuity of care.  

Cllr Jane Somper, Dorset Council Adult Social Care and Health Portfolio Holder said: “We are delighted to be able to award REACH the contract to deliver drugs and alcohol support services in the Dorset Council area. 

“We have had a great partnership so far and we look forward to continuing to deliver services together to help those residents who need support with substance misuse. 

“It is also great news that those residents in our treatment services already will see no difference in their current recovery journeys with having REACH continue their fantastic work in the county. 

The new contract starts on 1 November 2023, and remains a fully integrated service for young people, adults and families. The service for young people under the age of 25 is run in partnership with Essential Drug and Alcohol Service (EDAS) and clinical delivery is led by Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Trust (AWP).

There is a specialist family team within REACH that works with the whole family. In addition, the service works in harmony with Dorset Social Care and NHS England through the Safeguarding Families Together team and the Mental Health Treatment Requirement service. 

Ted Haughey, Executive Director of Operations at Humankind, said: “This is great news for Dorset. REACH is a service that is genuinely embedded in and part of its local community. In March, Humankind launched an ambitious five year strategy, Being Human, which contains the three key themes of people, partnerships and place. REACH embodies our commitment to the provision of bespoke services woven into Dorset’s community fabric and shaped around the needs of local people. There is rightly a genuine hope, optimism and excitement about REACH’s future.”  

Humankind is a national charity which supports over 90,000 people every year. Our services stretch from Dorchester to Durham, supporting people’s complex health and social needs. As part of a larger organisation, REACH now benefits from connection, innovation and learning from Newton Aycliffe to Newton Abbot.  

REACH has developed a close partnership with Dorset Council over the past six years and prior to that ten years becoming embedded in the local community through innovative projects such as the first peer mentor programme in the South in 2009. This project became an accredited programme in 2011, as well as becoming the second service in England to offer postal naloxone through the web based NSPDirect service.

REACH was also the first service to offer postal Dry Blood Spot Testing (DBST) in partnership with the NHSAlliance and Hep C U Later Campaign which was just one small part of REACH’s exceptional covid response plans.  

“REACH has an ambitious vision of continuous improvement for the communities of Dorset in the coming years” said Beth Davies who leads the REACH service in Dorset. “We will maintain excellence in all our contractual and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) targets. REACH’s end of year performance report reflects a picture of exceptional outcomes. We have met and exceeded all our contractual targets within the Humankind quality and performance framework, reaching the highest level of performance across all key indicators. We will be building upon these solid foundations, developing accessibility to services and innovative partnerships.”

To contact REACH please call 0800 043 4656 or visit www.edp.org.uk/reach.

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Likewise launches to support people in Sheffield with drug and alcohol issues

Jack Keery

Two people talk to each other. The Likewise logo is placed on top of the image in dark red colour
A new service aiming to support people who have issues with alcohol and other drugs across the city of Sheffield will open its doors on 1 August 2023.

Likewise, which has been commissioned by Sheffield City Council, is a partnership between national charity Humankind and Project 6. The service will provide free, confidential, and non-judgemental support to people who need it.

Likewise is the second service Humankind has launched in partnership with Project 6, after New Vision Bradford opened its doors across the Bradford District in April 2023. Project 6 has been providing support to individuals and families affected by substance use and experiencing multiple disadvantage in Sheffield for over 40 years.

The newly established Likewise and New Vision Bradford represent a significant extension to the support Humankind has been providing to people across Yorkshire for many years, through other services like Barnsley Recovery Steps, Calderdale Recovery Steps, Forward Leeds, North Yorkshire Horizons and The Greens.

Every Humankind service across the country that has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been rated either ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’, including its services across Yorkshire.

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council said: “Sheffield City Council are delighted to be working alongside Humankind to deliver the new service Likewise, which will play a vital role in supporting individuals and communities in Sheffield impacted by drug and alcohol use.

We have seen the impact Humankind have had regionally and nationally and are very excited to be in partnership with them to deliver the goals set out in the National Drug Strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’.”

Emily Todd, Humankind Regional Director, said: “We are proud to be increasing the support Humankind offers to people across the country and in Yorkshire.

“With the local expertise of Project 6, feedback received from people we will be supporting and our workforce, and the extensive preparation that has been put in to launching the new service, we know we are in a strong position to make an incredibly positive impact on the overall health, wellbeing and safety of the Sheffield community.”

Vicki Beere, Project 6 CEO, said: “We are very pleased to be working alongside a partner in Humankind, with a track record of delivering exceptional services across our region. We look forward to this opportunity to build upon our years of experience developing community-rooted projects to ensure more people across our city have access to support and recovery services when they need them.”

Likewise will offer a range of support including harm reduction, recovery navigation, clinical and therapeutic interventions. The service will also provide support for family members and continue to work with people in longer term recovery to help them create a healthy and meaningful life.

From 1 August, you can contact Likewise for free and confidential support or advice about your drug or alcohol use, call 0114 308 7000, email info@likewisesheffield.org.uk or visit www.likewisesheffield.org.uk.

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Humankind approaches to drug-related offending and dual diagnosis showcased in first national drug strategy report

Jack Keery

An image showing an opened door. The humankind logo appears in white to the left of the door
Two Humankind services, Calderdale Recovery Steps and Staffordshire Integrated Co-occurring Needs (ICoN) have been featured in the first annual national drug strategy report for their innovative approaches to supporting people with a drug related support need.

The annual report is the first collection of evidence and case studies published relating to progress towards achieving the aims outlined in the Government’s 10-year drug strategy, ‘From harm to hope’.

Calderdale’s approach to drug-related offending

Calderdale Recovery Steps, a CQC-rated ‘Outstanding’ service which supports people who have issues with drugs and alcohol in the West Yorkshire borough, has been recognised for its innovative approach to supporting people arrested for drug-related offences.

Since September 2022, the Calderdale community has benefited from ‘Fine Line’. The programme offers a bespoke support pathway for people arrested for offences related to cocaine. Anyone who has a positive test is directed to a required assessment with Calderdale Recovery Steps. The support service then determines the most appropriate support for that person, including flexible group sessions and individual check-ups with professional staff facilitated jointly by Humankind and our partners at The Basement Project.

79% of people eligible to access support from the programme did so, with over three quarters of those not re-offending over an average period of six months.

ICoN

Funded by Staffordshire County Council and the NHS, Staffordshire ICoN, a partnership between Humankind and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) has also been spotlighted. The new initiative supports people in the county with both mental health and drug and alcohol issues.

Dame Carol Black recently attended an event to mark the launch of ICoN, commenting on her hope that “other areas will now find out more about ICoN and think about how they could borrow it, follow it or perhaps adjust it to best meet the needs of their local communities and the people who need their support.”

The power of partnerships

Both innovations highlight the significance of collaboration across criminal justice, health, and community organisations. The government’s drug strategy guidance for local delivery partners on participating in Combating Drugs Partnerships underscores the importance of this collaborative approach. Humankind is proud to identify ‘partnerships’ as one of the three key themes in our strategy Being Human. We are proud to see these innovations helping to build healthier and happier communities in the places we work.

Read From harm to hope: first annual report 2022-23

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Dame Carol Black welcomes new approach to mental health and substance use treatment

Jack Keery

Dame Carol Black poses for a picture with the Staffordshire ICoN team

A new initiative to support people with both mental health and drug and alcohol issues has been welcomed by Dame Carol Black, who led a landmark national review on drugs.

Dame Carol visited Staffordshire to find out more about our new ICoN (Integrated Co-occurring Needs) initiative, which brings together local authority, NHS, voluntary and community sectors in a single approach.

She also commented on her hope that other areas would find out more about the Staffordshire initiative to see if elements could be replicated to help better meet local priorities.

Dame Carol Black said: “In my review presented to Government, I said it was essential that we looked at mental health when it comes to problems with substance use, so I think it is excellent that Staffordshire has linked this support together.

“I hope that other areas will now find out more about ICoN and think about how they could borrow it, follow it or perhaps adjust it to best meet the needs of their local communities and the people who need their support.”

Funded by Staffordshire County Council and the NHS, ICoN has been formed as a partnership between Humankind and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) to support people in the county.

Julia Jessel, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Care, said: “Mental health issues and drug or alcohol use often come hand in hand and there needs to be more focus on addressing the root cause of problems.

“We were delighted to get to share our new partnership with Dame Carol and look forward to the approach making so much more of an impact on the lives of Staffordshire residents.”

ICoN has a dedicated team of professionals including, psychologists, mental health practitioners, and substance use coordinators. This team will use phases of intervention to offer the right support, to the right people, at the right time.

The ICoN pathway will support people for at least six months, coordinating any transitions into local services whilst offering a follow-up review to provide an opportunity to reflect on progress and any challenges.

The service is viewed as a model of best practice, directly responding to issues with current drug and alcohol treatment provision outlined by Dame Carol’s landmark independent review of drugs and the Government’s subsequent 10-year drugs plan.

Emma Cormack, Service Manager from Humankind, said: “We know from experience that the vast majority of people with substance use issues are also living with mental health challenges so our team will help make sure people don’t fall through gaps between services and can in fact make positive life changes with the correct integrated support and specialist interventions.”

Dr Nina Vass, Consultant Clinical Psychologist with MPFT said: “With a shared commitment to trauma-informed care, this new approach has brought together mental health and substance use treatment to help meet the needs of people more effectively and efficiently.”

Watch the video below to hear from the ICoN team and experts within the service on their trailblazing approach, as well as leading expert Dame Carol Black.

YouTube video player

The video was produced by John Paul Chapman of Chase Recovery and The Detox Factor.

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Humankind set to offer drug and alcohol support and treatment to people in Sheffield

Jasmine Rocks

Picture of Sheffield Town Hall at dusk.

We are thrilled to announce that we will soon be offering drug and alcohol support and treatment to people in Sheffield, having been funded by Sheffield City Council.

The new contract starts on 1 August 2023 and will be run in partnership with Project 6, a local voluntary sector drug and alcohol charity who have been working in the area since 1978. 

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health, said: “Sheffield City Council welcomes Humankind as our new provider of substance use support services in the city. It is important people in Sheffield can access the support they need to live happy and healthy lives. Humankind’s services will prove invaluable to individuals and communities in Sheffield.” 

Ted Haughey, Executive Director of Operations at Humankind, said: “We are delighted to expand our services in South Yorkshire and partner with Project 6. We have many years’ experience providing integrated drug and alcohol treatment services across the country and are looking forward to bringing this expertise to the people in Sheffield.   

“We’ll be working closely with commissioners and other partners across the city as well as listening to the people we will be supporting to continually develop and improve the service for the communities across Sheffield.” 

Vicki Beere, CEO of Project 6, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Humankind to deliver services in Sheffield. We have many years’ experience of supporting people in Sheffield to make and sustain positive changes to their alcohol and drug use. We look forward to being able to develop and expand this work, to afford more people in Sheffield the support to access recovery services and improve their wellbeing.” 

The new service will include a range of support including harm reduction, care coordination, clinical and therapeutic interventions. As part of our aftercare support we will continue to work with people who become abstinent to develop and reach their goals.

The service will also provide support for family members. 

News

Forward Leeds director selected for international honour

Jack Keery

Dr Joe Tay, a Clinical Director at Forward Leeds, the city’s alcohol and drug service, is one of only four people from the UK selected to be a Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice by the US based Commonwealth Fund in 2023.

Forward Leeds is Britain’s second biggest multi-agency project to tackle alcohol and drug problems. It is partnership made up of staff from Humankind, BARCA-Leeds, St Anne’s Community Services and the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

This prestigious international placement provides an opportunity for medical professionals committed to advancing health care policy and practice to spend a year in the United States.

Dr Tay said: “This is an incredible privilege for me, made possible partly due to the amazing work that Forward Leeds as an organisation undertakes in supporting people with their alcohol and drugs issues.

“I’m looking forward to learning and bringing back insights and experiences helpful to Yorkshire, and hopefully opportunities for national and international cooperation as well.”

While he is there, Dr Tay will share his experiences of working in the UK. Dr Tay will also undertake research related to his role at Forward Leeds and engage in a series of leadership development activities.

Humankind Executive Medical Director Dr Roya Vaziri said: “As part of the Humankind senior clinical team, Joe has demonstrated a relentless energy to advocate for the needs of people who use drugs and alcohol.

“He consistently brings a methodical, systematic, and analytical approach to developing new ideas and collaborating with colleagues to improve service delivery and pathways. I’m proud to have supported Joe’s application and commend his tireless work.

“We will all look forward to witnessing his Harkness work progress across the pond, and to welcoming him back another year older and wiser as a key part of the Humankind team.”

The Commonwealth Fund was established in 1918 in New York with the broad aim of enhancing the common good. The mission of the Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high-performing, equitable health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable.

News

Being Human: our new five-year strategy

Jack Keery

Our new five-year strategy, Being Human, is centered on people: the people who use our services, their families, and the communities they are part of.  

Our ambition is to drive radical change, so people impacted by drugs, alcohol and related issues experience fairer chances to flourish in their communities. 

Read Being Human: a strategy for everyone.

A message from Paul Townsley, Humankind CEO:  

I am extremely excited about Being Human and what the future holds for the people we support. When developing our strategy we kept at the forefront of our minds our vision – that we want to see a world where everyone has a fair chance to be safe, build ambitions for the future and reach their full potential.  

We wanted this strategy to stretch us and to increase our impact. It is focused on the communities and people we work with, and I am confident that we will support more people through local services embedded in their communities and partnerships that challenge the status quo. We are proud to be a national charity made up of local services. We will develop the necessary partnerships to work with communities to make sure that local needs are met and that we are there for the long term.   

When we launched Being Human internally our ambition of driving radical change really struck a chord and started some interesting conversations. Everyone got behind the vision to make a real difference to the people we work with and recognised that we must continue to develop and grow as an organisation to do that.   

An image which describes the three goals in Humankind's new 5 year strategy. People: we will support more poeple at different points of need, from prevention, to impactful services, to have fair chances for a home, a job and purpose. Place: we will deliver local services that become embedded as assets to help build stronger, more confident communities. Partnerships: we will build partnerships that challenge the status quo to bring positive change for the people we support.

To shape our strategy, we listened to over 3,300 people: the people we support, our colleagues and our valued delivery partners. We learnt a lot, and the strategy has genuinely been based on listening to that feedback. Thank you to everyone that contributed, we couldn’t have done it without you.   

We want to keep listening and in the coming months will be collecting feedback on what people think about the strategy.   

Having joined DISC in July 2015 as Chief Executive, I am hugely proud of the success of our previous five-year strategy, which helped us evolve into Humankind, grow and support over 90,000 people last year. Being Human builds on these solid foundations and I’m looking forward to working with our expert and committed teams and the people we support to deliver it.

Read Being Human: a strategy for everyone.

News

New alcohol and drug service launches for Bradford district

Jack Keery

New Vision Bradford is a new service to help people who have issues with alcohol and other drugs across the district.

The service, which starts today, on 3 April 2023, is a partnership between our national charity at Humankind along with three local charities, The Bridge Project, Create Strength Group and Project 6, who have been offering support from their bases in Bradford and Keighley for many years.

New Vision Bradford has been commissioned by Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board through the Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership.

Humankind Regional Director Lee Wilson, who will oversee the service, said: “We plan to build on the experience of our partners to make New Vision Bradford one of the most innovative and effective substance support services in England.

“We already have plans in place for treatment pathways and models that can help people achieve their goals and build better lives for themselves. We’ll be working closely with other partners in health and social care across the district and listening to the people we support to continually develop and improve what we have to offer”.

Sasha Bhat, Programme Director – Healthy Minds for the Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, said: “We recognise that providing compassionate and people-centred services to support people experiencing substance dependency is the best way to create long-lasting behaviour change.

“We’re delighted that this new service will help local people and do so in a way that is non-judgemental and at a pace that suits each individual. We want people to know that this service will be there for you in your recovery journey.”

New Vision Bradford will include a range of support including harm reduction, care coordination, clinical and therapeutic interventions. The service will also provide support for family members. New Vision Bradford will continue to work with people who become abstinent to help them create a healthy and meaningful life.

To contact New Vision Bradford call 01274 296023 email info@newvisionbradford.org.uk or visit the website www.newvisionbradford.org.uk

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