Alcohol treatment options

The triage assessment

The first appointment for the treatment of alcohol use is called a triage assessment and this is where treatment with our service normally begins.

This usually lasts between 1-1.5 hrs. During this appointment a brief history of your alcohol use will be taken to assess your alcohol dependency. We will also ask a range of questions about your relationships, family, living situation, employment, finances, physical and mental health and involvement with other organisations, to understand the different factors that lead to alcohol use.

To understand the extent of your drinking, you will be asked about your drinking routines. For example, how much, when, and what type of alcohol you drink. Your history of previous withdrawal or treatment will also be assessed. You may want to document any drinking using a diary that could be brought to the assessment.

There will be time in the assessment to ask the Recovery Coordinator for immediate advice regarding the risks associated with your alcohol use. You will also have the opportunity to ask about what support may be available to help you make changes to your alcohol use.

Please bring a list of any medications you are currently using/being prescribed.

Using the information gathered at the triage assessment, a collective decision can be agreed about how our resources can best support your recovery from alcohol. This will be used to make the recovery plan.

The recovery plan

A recovery plan describes the steps that you may feel are necessary to overcome your current alcohol use and will help support you to make positive changes.

Your plan will be developed with the support of a recovery care coordinator. They’ll be your designated point of contact and will oversee access to the necessary support as part of the recovery plan

Your plan will include details of all the activities and tasks you might undertake to help you work towards your goals in reducing or stopping your use of alcohol.

For example, it might include details of how you will get support from people, who will these people be? It might include information in relation to how you spend your time or training or employment.

A plan may also include objectives like:

• Recognising the risks of alcohol use to your physical and mental health.
• Highlighting any risks to others associated with your alcohol use.
• Collaboration with specialists to undertake medical interventions such as prescribed treatment or detoxification and/or residential rehabilitation.

We recognise that change can be difficult and relapses are common during the recovery process. Part of the role of your Recovery Coordinator will be to encourage you to look at this plan and ensure that the goals set are realistic and achievable. In some instances, this may mean they challenge you about things that have or haven’t worked for you in the past.

Start your recovery journey by making a referral, or contact us for advice.

Some people may be prescribed medication to help achieve abstinence. A number of medications are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to treat alcohol misuse. These include:

• acamprosate
• disulfiram
• naltrexone
• nalmefene

The Jatis Project provides supported housing to adults who have experienced drug or alcohol problems and who are actively engaged in structured treatment. For more information, see our ‘Residential support‘ page.

Our service promotes engagement with peer support volunteers. These are people with lived experiences of alcohol use. They offer a supportive network for those still struggling with their addiction. For more information, see our ‘Peer support‘ page.

As part of your recovery plan you will be introduced to a number of our peer or professionally-led support groups including talking therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). For more information, see our ‘Support groups‘ page.