SERVICES OFFERED BY sedqa

1. SERVICES OFFERED BY sedqa Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

2. Situation preceding sedqa • Historically, in Malta the services related to drugs and alcohol started and evolved separately. • The Alcohol Services started as an offshoot of the Mental Health Services at Mount Carmel Hospital in the early 1980s. • A unit called “the Rehabilitation Unit” (RU) used to house resident male clients and female clients used to spend the day at this unit and sleep at a psychiatric ward. Therapy used to focus mainly on group work. • Until the mid-80s, officially Malta did not have a drug problem; therefore no state services were made available. • Caritas (Malta) was the pioneer of drug services in Malta, with the opening of the San Blas Therapeutic Community and also with a prevention team. • The first drug-related state service was the Detox Centre. It was inaugurated in April 1987. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

3. sedqa • Aġenzija sedqa, thenational agency against drug and alcohol abuse and copulsive gamblingwas officially founded on 26th June 1994 following the Meli Report which was commissioned by the Ministry responsible for social policy. One of the aims of this report was to devise a unified and comprehensive service related to addictive behaviour (at that time mainly drugs and alcohol). • Today, sedqa makes part of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services together with APPOĠĠ and Sapport. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

4. Primary Prevention (1) • Primary Schools • “Tfal Favur Ambjent Liberu” Programme including: • BABES (Year 3) • BABES Follow-up (Year 5) • “Qed Nikber” (Year 6) • Parental Skills: Inrabbu ‘l Uliedna Aħjar (2 different courses: 0-10, 11-16 years) • Skola Sajf • Secondary Schools • Crossroads: Forms 1-3 • “Jien u l-Oħrajn”: Forms 3 (2-day seminars) • “Għini Nikber”: Forms 1-3 (Skills-based seminars) • Prefect/Leadership Course (1-day seminars for prefects) • Information & Awareness Seminars • School Development & In-service Training Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

5. Primary Prevention (2) • Workplace Substance Abuse-Free Employees: • Phase 1: Exhibition • Phase 2:Awareness to Managers to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse • Phase 3: Employee Awareness • Phase 4: Introducing a Policy on the Use of Alcohol and other Drugs at the Workplace. • Community • Niltaqgħu fil-Pjazza (Community Contacts) • Taħriġ Azzjoni Volontarja • Post-Secondary (MCAST) & Students’ Councils • Basic Course • Joint Project with Parl. Sec. MEYE Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

6. Continuum of Services Offered by sedqa’s Care Services Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

7. A Trans-Theoretical Model • Prochaska and Di Clemente (1982) proposed a model that predicts that drug misusers will pass through five stages of change: • Precontemplation: Client is resistant to change. • Contemplation: Client rehearses the pros and cons of change. • Preparation: Client makes some small behavioural change. • Action: Client engages in deliberate strategies to achieve a target consumption level. • Maintenance: Client is vigilant against relapse. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

8. Drugs Services • Drugs Community Team: This team assesses the needs of persons who are referred for services at the agency due to drug-related problems and refer accordingly. They also offer support to persons who stay in the community during their drug rehabilitation period and also the families of these persons. • Detoxification Units: Offer both in-patient (Dar l-Impenn - SMIPU) and out-patient (Substance Misuse Out-Patients Unit) services to persons experiencing both drug and alcohol related problems. • Drugs Residential Rehabilitation Programme: Currently based at Kommunita’ Santa Marija. It includes the orientation (Merħba), formation (Formazzjoni) and re-entry (Sfida)phases. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

9. Drugs Community Services • Offer individualised support to drug users and their significant others with the aim of motivating individuals to commit themselves to major lifestyle changes and assisting them in achieving and maintaining abstinence from drugs. • Services offered by this Team include: • Assessment; • harm reduction; • crisis intervention; • support to families and significant others; • assistance at the Law Courts; • advocacy; • aftercare and social re-integration; and • preparation of those individuals who choose to do a residential rehabilitation programme. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

10. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

11. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

12. Substance Misuse Out-Patients Unit (Detox) • Officially opened in April 1987, SMOPU was the first of the drug-related services provided by the national health services. • This unit is manned by professional staff, mainly medical doctors and nurses. However, psychiatric and psychosocial support is also provided. • Most of the clients attending this unit, go daily to collect methadone and other medicines (mostly of a psychotropic nature) as prescribed by their specialist doctor or psychiatrist. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

13. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

14. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

15. Dar l-Impenn (SMIPU) • This residential unit offers mainly medical interventions in a safe and controlled environment primarily (but not only) to persons experiencing problems related to opiates and alcohol. These interventions include: • Detoxification (Alcohol & Drugs); • “Time-out”; • Methadone Reduction/Stabilisation; Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

16. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

17. Kommunita’ Santa Marija • This drug rehabilitation programme offers a communal living environment with the aim of offering participants the opportunity of adopting a drug-free lifestyle. • The services available include: • Community living; • Occupational activities; • Behaviour modification; • Group work; • Adult education; • Individual counselling and psychotherapy (serviced by Community-based units); • Family therapy. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

18. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

19. Alcohol and Gambling Services • Alcohol and Gambling Community Team:This team assesses the needs of persons who are referred for services at the agency due to alcohol and/or gambling-related problems and refer accordingly. They also offer support to persons who stay in the community during their alcohol rehabilitation period and also the families of these persons. • Alcohol Residential and Day Programmes:These programmes are presently based at Dar Zerniq. Persons benefiting from these services are referred by and to the Alcohol Community Team. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

20. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

21. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

22. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

23. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

24. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

25. Other Services • Supportline 179:A 24-hour helpline to provide help in case of crisis intervention and to assist persons needing general information about social issues including drugs, alcohol and compulsive gambling. This service is currently managed by APPOĠĠ on behalf of FSWS. • Family Services: Receives referrals from other teams within sedqa to help families in need of family therapy interventions. • Psychological Team: Receives referrals from other teams within sedqa to help individuals (both clients and their significant others) in need of psychotherapeutic or psychological assistance. Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

26. Important Contacts • Website: http://www.sedqa.gov.mt • Supportline 179 • Out-Patient Detox Centre: 23885300 • In-Patient Detox (Dar l-Impenn): 21220408 • Teen Support Services and Community Teams (Drugs, Alcohol & Gambling): 23885110 • Kommunita’ Santa Marija: 21244528 • Żerniq: 21247630/21241887 • Primary Prevention: 23885110 Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)

27. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! … any questions or clarifications? Services offered by sedqa – Jesmond Schembri (Operations Director)