Pathways to living life to the full
Pathways to living life to the full
14 April 2020
By offering many pathways and building meaningful connections The Salvation Army is able to help many live their life to the full as they travel along their recovery journey.
The National General Manager for Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Services, Kathryn Wright, has an inspiring vision for her area: “We want to give our clients choice and walk with them every step of the way, never giving up hope!”
The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned in the AOD space, allowing its services to go far beyond simply clinical treatment and support. With our collaboration through Local Mission Delivery, those who find themselves supported though AOD care are able to access holistic care through other Salvo services too. These connections to other services open up many opportunities to link with social groups, such as men’s groups and playgroups, or provide meaningful work such as volunteering at Salvos Stores. People are able to connect with corps if they wish to further explore spirituality and faith.
A great example was highlighted in Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldsons’ Monthly Message (salvationarmy.org.au/berwickmission) where members of the Berwick Corps meet and share the love of Jesus with members of the Start AOD community co-located on the same site. “All these services and connections mean there is a holistic shape to our care, and we are able to work across all the major human needs,” says Kathryn.
The Salvation Army AOD Services is dedicated to creating pathways for people to build their lives in ways that are meaningful and purposeful – that everyone would “have life and have it in its fullest”. This mission is based on Jesus’ words in John 10:10.
AOD Services provide people with opportunities to not only to survive the circumstances they find themselves facing but to participate fully in life and thrive. At the core of AOD Services is the strong belief that “all people are worthy and deserving of love, respect, and dignity” (National Model of Care, p.7). This belief is based on our biblical understanding that all people are made in the image of God and underpins the new model of care developed as a result of the new national structure.
“The new model intends to ensure a consistent, evidence-based model of care that aligns with current best practice, state and national AOD policy frameworks and directions and The Salvation Army’s philosophy and values,” says Kathryn, referring to the National Model of Care (p.8). “We want to keep the warmth and care that is so evident throughout The Salvation Army, while also making sure we give people the best care. We want our practice to be put through well-researched, evidence-based filters.
“Our new national approach offers many different treatment types, from residential and day rehabilitation, to case management, relapse preventions and harm-reduction intervention. We want to offer pathways that are more intense and pathways that are less intense, based on the individual’s circumstance. We offer access to primary health initiatives, like needle and syringe programs, basic health interventions and sobering-up services, as well as recovery-oriented programs.”
By responding on all these different levels, the AOD Services model of care can help reach people where they are at. The AOD space is just one of many expressions where Salvos, employees and volunteers show the love of God to others. This is done by showing hospitality, being generous, welcoming participants and visiting them wherever they happen to be. This is how the AOD services “make God’s word and his wonderful plan of salvation accessible” (National Model of Care, p.7).
One thing Kathryn would like people to better understand about AOD Services is the concept of ‘harm reduction’. Harm reduction does not condone drug or alcohol misuse but acknowledges that some people in society will use alcohol and other drugs. Harm reduction is a framework that supports programs, services and policies to create ways to care for people’s health before they are ready to undergo more intensive treatment. Its purpose is to reduce and prevent harm for both individuals and the wider community, keeping open the option to reduce and cease substance abuse. Harm reduction services also create valuable alternative access points for people who may not otherwise access AOD services.
“We don’t give up hope on people living full and healthy lives whilst they are still living,” Kathryn explains. “Rehabilitation or counselling are only helpful to people if they are alive. Likewise, the outcomes for participants are better if they aren’t suffering from HIV due to contaminated needles, a lost limb due to poor injecting techniques or have an alcohol-induced brain injury. It is important to place value on lives even before individuals are ready for treatment and to implement strategies that give people the opportunity to be in a space to accept help.”
Holistic care of the individual is achieved by addressing a whole gamut of factors in the AOD space. By offering many pathways and building meaningful connections The Salvation Army is able to help many live their life to the full as they travel along their recovery journey.
If you or someone you know would like access to AOD services, please visit salvationarmy.org.au/need-help/alcohol-and-other-drug-services/ to view our service locations and get in touch.
For Victorians requiring AOD assistance, call Directline on 1800 888 236.
Nicky Gangemi is a resource writer with the Territorial Mission Support Team.
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