Drugs and alcohol
East Renfrewshire has a Substance Misuse Team (SMT). It is an integrated team compromising Social Work and Health staff working together to provide a range of services to current and previous problematic drug and alcohol users and support to their family members. The SMT can be flexible and tailors their services in an attempt to meet the needs of their clients. This allows for meeting places to be in place in the client's own community, and where appropriate home visits, prison visits, hospital visits can be arranged.
Assessment
The initial stage of engagement is the assessment stage which allows the worker to gather information on an individuals history of substance use and better understand the current problems and the most effective ways to tackle these. It is important to identify what areas of their life an individual wishes to change so as to set clear goals to be achieved over a period of time.
Support
During this time, counselling and support is offered to allow the worker to assist the individual to change and to monitor the individuals progress. It also helps to identify any problems and to find the most effective way to overcome these. Throughout the process, individuals are supported to make positive changes in their lives, and where appropriate this may mean a referral on to another agency who can work in conjunction with the substance misuse team or who may be better equipped to tackle other issues an individual may be experiencing.