Addenda to report to Treatment Strategy Group

(Q3 2006).

It is worth noting the opportunities afforded service users who make up InnerAction, such as training for substance misuse work and including basic resuscitation training for overdose situations have been matched

Networking with other agencies –partnership working even has developed this year; as with the previous three years, Wirral Mind has accommodated InnerAction and C The Difference meetings. In the last three months a number of service users seeking to become drug-free have become involved with the “Choose Life” program.

This program is available for stable people looking to increase their work activity and at the same time contribute the lessons they have learned during their experience with drug use, by performing dramatic pieces to schoolchildren and local police forces and others. The use of drama is not a new idea to members of the group –as the case of the brothers MacEneany, Patrick and John, who were showcased by the Wirral Globe as success stories of the DIP program. It is gratifying to work with this relatively small group as we believe it fits well with the InnerAction ethos and appears to contribute great benefit in terms of self esteem and future employability. We look forward to develop further links with Choose Life, as we also do with Advocacy in Wirral. Mandy from Advocacy has become a member of the group and it is hoped that a dedicated advocacy session for the group may be established, probably once a month, with confidential sessions on a one-to-one basis being made available.

FBC