With the project having launched earlier this year, staff at HMP Rye Hill have been delivering a new specialist drug and alcohol support service for people currently in prison with addiction issues. Drug and Alcohol Recovery Team (DART) Service Manager, Joanne Steele, reflects on the successes of the programme to date.
The Bridge Programme was first introduced at HMP Rye Hill in January 2024. The aim of facilitating this programme was to help clients of The Forward Trust who are currently in prison to address medium to high-risk substance dependency use.
The Bridge Programme works around the 12-step treatment approach with continuous themes of coping skills, addressing behavioural changes, and ongoing recovery planning, some of which were new ideas to the clients engaging with the service.
To date, we have had a total of 27 graduates in our first year of delivery, which is a huge success for the DART service. Change can often result in a difficult journey of acceptance, especially within in a prison environment, but strong leadership, motivated facilitators, and a cohort of service users who are keen to make positive and lasting changes to their lives have resulted in great achievement.
The Bridge graduates, participants, and facilitators have all spoken positively about the impact the groups have had and the personal reflection that has followed.
The Forward staff at HMP Rye Hill, particularly those who have facilitated programmes so far, have had to adapt to new elements of treatment and recovery that they were not familiar with.
As their Service Manager, I am beyond proud of the team and how they have taken this programme on and adapted it for our clients, which can be a complex ask at times. Each member of the team has brought their own experience of group delivery and supporting those in recovery to their delivery style.
This project was also started during a period of change at HMP Rye Hill, currently under construction due to an expansion of the prison, which will see an additional 458 spaces being created (arriving in December 2024) so we are planning for a busy few months of supporting these individuals as they enter the prison.
We hope to continue with The Bridge in the future and plan to hold catch-up sessions with our former graduates over the coming months to reflect on their learning and what they will take forward on their individual recovery journeys.
Testimonials – Graduates of The Bridge course
‘The Bridge course has taught me some valuable tools that I did not think I needed before I signed up to it. The facilitators were open, kind, and willing to get to know us on a personal level. I will miss the group as it has been a great support network for the past 6 weeks.’ – Bridge Programme Graduate
‘I have found The Bridge programme to be a very meaningful and worthwhile experience. It has enabled me to look back over my life through my addiction and begin to not just remember, but to start to deal with some of the feelings and look forward to a life beyond my addiction.’ – Bridge Programme Graduate
‘When I first started, I was reluctant to open up due to my past experiences with recovery programmes. However, I feel that I am now more aware of what life holds for me outside, which will keep me clean and out of prison. I have more confidence that things will be okay and I am looking forward to the future.’ – Bridge Programme Graduate
This blog was originally published by Forward Trust. You can read the original post here.
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