Project Description
Drug and Alcohol Support
Introduction
Talbot Centre, a Drug Addiction, Counseling, Treatment & Partial Rehabilitation Centre, is the only addiction recovery centre providing educational programmes and running prevention awareness for various groups who are at risk of abusing alcohol and other cheaply available substances and are engaging in risky sexual behaviors in Turkana County. Talbot centre was initiated in the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar in 2009 by the then Bishop Patrick Joseph Harrington. He founded it after seeing the impact of substance abuse and addiction on Diocesan employees, on the productivity deteriorating health of people in the businesses, and institutions of Turkana and He saw the need to address the vital connection between alcohol, drug and substance abuse and the transmission of HIV/AIDS.
Talbot centre was inaugurated as a recovery centre in 23/10/ 2010. It is named after a reformed Irish addict called Matt Talbot, who had initially engaged with alcohol at the age of 12 and stopped at the age of 28. Now the Catholic Church is in the process of canonizing him. The present Bishop of the Diocese the Rt. .Rev..Bishop Dominic Kimengich has encouraged and maintains the centre. Since its establishment, the drug and alcohol support program has been able to establish 23 recovery groups across the Diocese but has been unable to meet other requests due to insufficient funding. Other groups that have been reached include female sex workers, people living with HIV/AIDS / T.B patients, the youth on drugs and women who have been engaged in the sale of illicit brew with view of encouraging them into alternative businesses. The prison officers and inmates of the G.K. Lodwar prisons have been involved with the intention of reaching out to others in the prisons.
Since its establishment, the drug and alcohol support program has been able to establish 23 recovery groups across the Diocese but has been unable to meet other requests due to insufficient funding. Other groups that have been reached include female sex workers, people living with HIV/AIDS / T.B patients, the youth on drugs and women who have been engaged in the sale of illicit brew with view of encouraging them into alternative businesses.
Aims and objectives
- To organize awareness programs against Drug Abuse, HIV/AIDS and STIS
- Treatment and partial/day rehabilitation of drug addicts.
- To arrange healthy and positive activities for the addicts.
- After care social Re-integration of Recovering addicts and alcoholics.
- Provision of counseling services.
- Out-reach services for street and community drug users.
- Outreach activities to the parishes
Programmes running under Talbot centre:
1. AIDS AND DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM.
• Awareness lectures on Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS in schools, Churches and communities.
• Organization of debates in Anti-Drug clubs in schools
• Sports competitions and music at the centre
2. TREATMENT AND DAY REHABILITATION.
Psychological Assessment.
• Clients are assessed through case history and symptomatic observation.
Psychological Treatment.
• Initially, educating the client about the disease of addiction and its causes.
• Cross addiction.
• Causes of relapse.
• Different behavior modification techniques used are individual counseling, group counseling.
• Different therapies applied are: Rational Emotive Therapy, Support Psycho Therapy, Relaxation exercise, Psycho drama.
• Part of Rehabilitation activities are: Individual counseling, Group counseling, religious/Spiritual Therapy.
Therapeutic Activities.
• Recreational Activities
• Relapse Prevention/Aftercare program.
• Family Support groups/Family Forum.
• Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous Meetings
• Follow Ups.
• Gardening.
• Office duties.
Different clients are treated according to their different needs and pass through all the above mentioned activities to maintain their behavior and manageability of their problems.
3. RELAPSE PREVENTION/AFTERCARE PROGRAM.
In this program, we arrange different lectures and seminars for recovering addicts/alcoholics to decrease the relapse rate.
4. FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS/FAMILY FORUMS.
We organize Family Support Groups for the families of the clients. The families are required to attend the family counseling sessions. In these sessions, we educate the families about the causes of addiction, its effects and relapse prevention. This Group is very effective in educating the families. It is also a forum for the families of recovering addicts and alcoholics to share their experiences, hopes and strengths. This forum is conducted every Friday within an A.A Meeting.
5. A.A AND NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS.
In absence of aftercare, the chances of an addict/an alcoholic relapsing are high & the rehabilitative efforts of the Drug Treatment &Rehabilitation centres will be unsuccessful. The A.A & NA group is necessary, to facilitate changes in the addicts’ thinking, moods and behavior and for recovery and relapse prevention This group provides peer support with individual, group, religious and social counseling. By joining the group, they will share, their hopes and strengths, problems and resolve them by sharing their experiences. Talbot Centre facilitates the meeting every Monday and Friday.
6. CAPACITY BUILDING.
We provide workshops and training for peer educators, recovery group leaders and recovering addicts /alcoholics.
7. DROP -IN CENTRE.
We provide the following services to addicts and alcoholics in the centre cost free.
• Awareness/ group counseling about HIV/AIDS and motivation For Drug Addiction Treatment.
• Referral for testing and rehabilitation.
• Social Services
• Awareness programs to high- risk groups and referral for testing to Lodwar County and Referral Hospital.
• Our on-street outreach workers provide counseling to street addicts about HIV/AIDS and drug effects.
8. PEER EDUCATION PROGRAM.
Talbot Centre has established Peer Groups for HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse Prevention relapse and which organizes various activities under this program.
