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Facilitating Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Problems — Reflections on Interviews with Service Users in Scotland

Hillen, Peter; Cree, Viviene E.; Jain, Sumeet

Authors

Viviene E. Cree

Sumeet Jain



Abstract

Service users were interviewed as part of a multi-method evaluation of an alcohol and drug social work service in Scotland. This paper explores service user interviews that were conducted in the evaluation, addressing the following questions: What did the service users feel about the service itself? Leading on from this, what did they see as helpful in facilitating their recovery in general? The research will be contextualised in Scotland’s culture of problematic drug and alcohol use, Scottish drug and alcohol policy and the emerging recovery-orientated approach. The methodology of the evaluation will be explained and findings from the service user interviews will be outlined under the headings: therapeutic relationships, outreach, timeframe, and holistic approach and joint working. The paper demonstrates the importance of service user accounts not only for providing general feedback on social work services, but also for giving specific insight into what is helpful for individuals seeking to recover from substance use problems.

Citation

Hillen, P., Cree, V. E., & Jain, S. (2014). Facilitating Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Problems — Reflections on Interviews with Service Users in Scotland. Practice, 26(5), 281-297. https://doi.org/10.1080/09503153.2014.958453

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Sep 25, 2014
Publication Date 2014-10
Deposit Date Mar 23, 2023
Journal Practice
Print ISSN 0950-3153
Electronic ISSN 1742-4909
Publisher Routledge
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 26
Issue 5
Pages 281-297
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/09503153.2014.958453
Keywords drugs, alcohol, recovery, service user voices, evaluation