‘People with lived experience are vital to success’
‘Knowing you are not alone is empowering. Knowing that other people understand you is reassuring, and coming together as a community celebrates the positive changes we have made in our own lives.’ Darren’s version of recovery (p6) will resonate with many people celebrating Recovery Month, particularly those who have experienced early trauma.
It’s important to recognise the signs of trauma, so we can try to ‘give as much empowerment, trust and control as possible’ and you can read about simple, practical steps to a trauma-informed approach (p14). Effective engagement is the obvious, and often very difficult, first step, especially in outreach (p18), while Manchester’s collaborative model offers a network of support that acknowledges the trauma that underlies most addiction problems (p8).
People with lived experience have been vital to the development and success of essential parts of the treatment system, including hepatitis C initiatives (p10 & 16). Let’s also remember (p25) that they are vital to designing a harm reduction system that makes sense.
Starting this month, our new series on career development looks at the essential role of the recovery/keyworker. Send your professional queries to the Career Clinic!
Claire Brown, editor
Read the September issue as an online magazine or download the PDF here
Claire Brown, editor
Please send your letters and comment to claire@cjwellings.com