A great many homeless people are dependent on drugs and/or alcohol, which increases both the health risks associated with rough sleeping, and the challenges involved in improving their quality of life. The HOP Addictions Team comprises four specialist staff, including a dedicated needle exchange worker, and one team member assigned specifically to female clients.

Tackling dependency

Our primary aim is to provide outreach drug and alcohol support to homeless people wishing to address their addiction issues. Initial engagement with clients takes place through streetwork, with HOP’s backpacking needle exchange service – unique in Edinburgh – being of particular value to rough sleepers who are injecting drugs. Harm reduction promotion and education is given to all clients.

Once clients are identified, we aim for a quick response, with initial appointments and assessments usually taking place within a few days of referral to the Addictions Team. Depending on each individual’s needs and circumstances, we can then provide help and advocacy in accessing detox programmes, methadone maintenance prescriptions and long-term rehabilitation, as well as advising on legal issues arising from drug or alcohol abuse. We also run a weekly alcohol support group at the Cowgate Day Centre.

Joint working and follow-up

Our involvement with this client group tends to be a lengthy, multi-stage process. Given the frequent co-incidence of drug/alcohol dependency and mental illness, we work in close co-operation with HOP’s Mental Health Team to provide integrated support for clients with complex or multiple needs. In order to facilitate clients’ access to sustained, “joined-up” treatment programmes, we also liaise closely with other agencies working in the addictions field.

Together with Edinburgh Homeless Practice and the city council’s Housing and Social Work departments, HOP’s Addictions team forms part of the Substance Misuse Team, an innovative networked working group established in 2003, to co-ordinate addiction services for homeless clients. As well as allocating recieved referrals whilst attending to clients continuity of care, this forum affords all parties the opportunity to keep abreast of drug policy developments, and changes within the culture of drug use among our client group.

Partnership - a key to success

Thursday, January 24, 2008

HOP’s Street Outreach Workers first met a 26 yr old Edinburgh man during an early morning shift.

We found him sleeping in a doorway, bought him a coffee and a bacon roll, and gave him some clean needles (for his injecting drug use). Like many homeless people, he had previously been in the Army, and told us that he’d started using drugs, mainly heroin, because of the awful sights he witnessed as a soldier.

That first day, he declined our help in finding accommodation, but agreed that we could keep in touch with him. Having seen him regularly over the next couple of weeks, we eventually helped him move from rough sleeping to temporary accommodation, including stays in a variety of Edinburgh homeless hostels. During those initial few months, we also assisted him in claiming benefits, and registering with a GP. Following referral to the HOP Addictions Team, he embarked on treatment for his drug addiction in September, through a partnership programme between the ...