The aim of the Medically Assisted Recovery Stabilisation (MARS) programme, is to support individuals to access their motivation to change and use this as a force to make sustainable changes in stabilising and/or reducing prescribed medications and to provide support to individuals in early stages of sobriety. The programme will use Community Reinforcement Approach skills for relapse prevention alongside further exploration of substance use behaviours and decision making processes. The programme harnesses the tools of Resonance Factor to support participants to understand their relationship with substances and to build new skills to build the internal and social supports for their recovery. Also, the programme provides peer support and group education to help participants to explore their behaviour and develop life skills that will assist them in progressing into either reemployment or education later in their recovery.
The programme is a 12-month programme to support participants to stabilise on prescribed medications or be stable with early cessation of substance use. In this programme participants will participate in Education & Training Board Modules and treatment intervention groups with a focus on harm reduction, personal development, recovery capital building and skills development. Both and Individual Learner Plan (ILP) and a care plan will be developed and reviewed each quarter by the Case Worker, Team Leader and CE Supervisor. Each participant will attend weekly case working sessions with their assigned case worker.
In the programme, the supports and interventions will include:
- One to one weekly case working sessions and interagency work
- Attendance at modular programme sessions which including a mix of Rehabilitation evidence
based groups, QQI and non-QQI education , Health & Wellbeing and Personal/Social Development programmes;
- Development of a reduction/detoxification plan within the first 12-weeks of the programme;
- Development of a care plan to clarify their goals in relation to their problem substance(s) and other support needs;
- Weekly Urinalysis, scheduled and randomised;
- Quarterly Case Reviews and case management reviews;
- Quarterly ILP Review meetings
The Stabilisation Programme will last for 12 months with a lot of emphasis on your rehabilitation and social & personal development. There is also an opportunity to experience education and training modules. On completion of the MARS Programme those who have become drug free can move onto our Drug Free Programme where the focus moves towards reintegration and movement away from rehabilitation towards work experience and employment.
What a past participant said they liked about the programme:
“Being connected with people…… You can come in and talk to people. Share the support for one another. When I came to DROP I had been drug free but I didn’t know how to live clean. I look forward to coming in and seeing everyone and the atmosphere is great. I’ve come in where I would be angry ready to blow and within minutes of being here it would get better and I would be laughing. I know people from the area and I liked that. I enjoy the classes and learning. I love going through the classes and learning a lot about myself through class materials. My mind is open to something new. I like having the time to chill out and I get this in prison too. It’s about how you choose to use your time.”
