Substance Misuse
Alcohol Service Users' Forum (ASUF)
Purpose of the Forum
The purpose of the forum is to:
- To give a voice to people with experience of local alcohol treatment and support services.
- To ensure service users are made aware of all the available options of treatment and support, including self help.
- To advocate on behalf of anyone with an alcohol problem who is not engaging with any kind of treatment or support service, including diverse and hidden groups that are currently under represented, through speak out events and other consultations.
- To campaign for increased recognition of the mental health aspects of addiction and encourage better communication between mental health and treatment services.
- To challenge unrealistic practices and attitudes that prevent people from seeking help or getting help, including the way in which alcohol related illness and death is officially recorded. To promote inclusion in our own practice and within services.
- To ensure service users are involved in their own treatment plans, from initial assessment to aftercare, including realistic choices about how and when they are treated or supported, and the involvement of family and carers where appropriate.
- To provide group representation at relevant meetings where the interests of service users benefit from our input, and to offer our expert knowledge to help inform local policy.
- To engage effectively with decision makers and bodies responsible for alcohol treatment, in order to influence local provision.
- To feed into the local commissioning process and DAAT Treatment Plans. To challenge PCTs and DAATs to provide realistic choices for alcohol misusers who wish to change their drinking behaviours.
- To ensure that all service users receive a full assessment of their needs, including drug use, housing, education, finance and mental health and that they are referred to other agencies that may be able to assist them, as part of an integrated Care Plan.
- To examine and scrutinise Care Pathways for the client and assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of treatment journeys in line with Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers.
- To challenge decision makers to provide meaningful aftercare provision and ensure that clients are involved at all levels.
- To identify service user training and development needs.
- To support services and independent user groups in the setting up of service user groups.
