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Emergence of an effective dual diagnosis service within a residential rehab setting.
Cliff Hoyle, Dual Diagnosis Specialist,Walsingham House, Bristol & Brendan Georgeson, Manager, Walsingham House, Bristol
Abstract
Walsingham House in Bristol is an abstinent based tier 4
residential treatment centre for substance misuse and other addictive
disorders. It has been operational for 10 1/2 years.
In 2005 a dual diagnosis service was established in response to the
general lack of provision for this marginalised user group. The service has
evolved over the last 18 months based on sound evidence based interventions.
The service includes input from a psychiatrist, a dual diagnosis specialist
and a highly skilled counseling team.
The philosophy of the approach for dual diagnosed clients is one of
integration both from a service delivery perspective and from one of peer
inclusion.
Attitudes toward the use of mood altering medication for psychiatric
illness within an abstinence based setting have been challenged and
completion rates for dual diagnosed clients have been encouraging.
Although the service was initially set up as a resource for local services
it is gradually gaining national recognition and recently featured as the
cover story for Drink and Drug News.
The presentation at conference would outline:
Criteria for acceptance of dual diagnosed clients (i.e. symptom
stabilization, active self harm or suicidal intent, cognitive capacity to
engage in a therapeutic programme);
Treatment protocols (The programme offered);
Good practice examples; and
Lessons learned from work with this client group.
The main learning outcome predicted from this presentation would be the demystification of dual diagnosis and the positive benefits of inclusion and
integration.
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Biographies
Cliff Hoyle; Dip Social Work, BA Approved Social Work Practice,
Adv Dip Dual Diagnosis, MSc Dual Diagnosis (pending). Cliff Hoyle is an
approved social worker and has a substantive post in the NHS working in
prisons as a clinician for those with serious and enduring mental illness
and a non-clinical role for dual diagnosis liaison and service development
within local custodial settings. Cliff is a specialist lecturer at local
universities and colleges and regularly trains professionals in mental
health and dual diagnosis. Cliff is the dual diagnosis specialist at
Walsingham House and wrote the protocols for the dual diagnosis service.
Cliff is currently completing his MSc in dual diagnosis at Middlesex
University.
Brendan Georgeson (Foundation degree addiction counseling) treatment
manager at Walsingham House for the last two years. He has been working in
the substance misuse field for 6 years in various tier 4 settings. Brendan
was the main driver for the implementation of a dual diagnosis service in
Walsingham having long been frustrated at the discrimination of this client
group.
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