If you think there's a problem and you need help now we wouldn't want people to
think we're closed and I know myself, at (Priory Hospital) Woking, and other addiction
programmes around the UK; people are admitting for treatments. I
would be worried if people weren't aware of that. The addiction programme is a 28-day
residential programme and that involves, for anyone who requires it, a physical
detox and at the same time, includes therapy. At Woking we've got a full programme in
operation so we have a full team here and the programme runs from 9:00am to 5:00pm
Monday to Saturday, is an intense program. It is definitely not a holiday and we're
also very much able to connect people to outside self-help groups to start
introducing that process so that once treatment is completed you're already
hooked in and we using zoom. The wonders of technology are working
even in addictions treatment. We also have an aftercare programme so once people
complete the programme they are entitled to a year of aftercare. We were
a little bit concerned, we weren't sure how we would do this because it's such
an important part of that transition from the intense programme to then a year
of support through significant events through the year but we've got that up
and running on zoom and people seem to be finding a great way of staying
connected with the therapy team and with each other and through that continuing
that that social connection that's so crucial in early days of recovery and
we're also offering and continuing with the family support programme so we
very much involve family members, which is crucial to have the whole family as
part of this recovery journey for themselves as much as for the recovered
alcoholic or addict. This is also using zoom and it's amazing. My colleagues around the
nation are all adapting the programme to to suit. For the residential programme we offer
a free assessment, so for anybody who's considering they may have a problem
we're doing assessments by telephone and or Skype so you know in your own home we
just remind people to make sure they can speak freely in a confidential
environment and then from there if detox
or if the full treatment programme is
deemed the next step then we can make arrangements for admissions with
consultants and consultant psychiatrists, we have a medical team here
and nursing. It's all the things that come with addiction treatment. We
would be screening that you have been practicing the physical distancing, the
social distancing and if there's been any symptoms in the last seven or 14
days if it's a family environment and then on arrival temperatures are taken
and there's further screening. Whilst here everybody is actually in the same
household so as residential clients there's some
maintenance of social distancing and obviously the staff are the people who
are coming and going so we are practicing social distancing to make
sure that anybody who's a resident here is being kept safe. We do have the pretty new
Priory Connect service so for people who would like to access addictions
therapist from anywhere around the country there are a number of addictions
therapist online through Priory Connect and it may be that you don't need a
residential treatment it may be that you don't need a detox. For some people it
might be a step in the right direction towards that or it might be that
actually we can address the issues through the online service and avoid
getting to that situation. Also as a follow-up we have people who are coming
in for treatment that we can also offer outpatient one-to-ones in this period it
would be through Skype and hopefully at some point in person
as well, so there's all sorts of options that we have currently to really help
people if addiction is the problem
you