Self Help or Mutual Aid services and the Recovery Network

There is a growing acceptance that the recovery journey of all clients can be enhanced by involvement in self help type groups, where individuals engage in support with their peers. Clinical Guidelines and NICE recommendations both highlight the value of such an approach and recommend that local provision is made to encourage groups and to make clients aware (whether they are in treatment or not) that such support exists and that it is independent from the treatment sector. For many clients self help is a good introduction to support that may be more acceptable to them at that point than an “official” referral to a treatment service. A good introduction to the “recovery community” can help to reassure a client that they may need to seek professional help. Furthermore, years of experience has shown us that a client is far more likely to listen to someone “who has been there”, at this stage, than they are a professional.

Across Nottinghamshire, we are starting to build a Recovery Network of self help groups that can offer support, not just at the start but throughout the recovery journey and beyond.  It is our intention to support the creation of a range of types of groups and approaches so that all clients have a self help option that they are comfortable with. People are all different so it is necessary to offer similarly different choices.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are ‘self-help’ groups. They are not affiliated with any mainstream services but can compliment individual’s treatment goals regardless of where primary treatment is being delivered. Although AA and NA have an abstinence focus, individuals who are still using alcohol and drugs are welcome to attend their meetings. Both AA and NA have been established in Nottingham for many years and hold meetings daily at various locations. Both fellowships run ‘out of hours’ telephone help lines and will signpost carers to family and friends ‘self-help’ support groups.  Throughout 2010/11 we are hoping to see new independent groups set up as well as more structured groups like SMART UK, which is a facilitator led CBT approach that is not substance specific. This could well be a good starter group for any client before they look at possibly accessing groups with a particular approach. Self help groups often develop to cater for people who are affected by specific conditions like Hepatitis and HIV or for specific groups or communities. Contact Self Help Nottingham at http://www.selfhelp.org.uk/  for information on local groups and for support in setting up a group. Appendix Four of the Referrers Guide contains details of local groups now, and self help groups have been removed from the main section. 

Recovery Network Presentation. Click below.

Details of new LGBT self help group here and here

Details of new Leeway Bereavement self help support group here and here

Details of a new SMART Recovery group starting in the City on a Saturday morning, held at Double Impact.  Click here for details of the group

Click here for info on SMART Recovery uk