1. Priorities for alcohol treatment and recovery from the experts through experience group
Experts through experience identified their priorities for providing high quality alcohol treatment and recovery. They emphasised the importance of personalised, non-judgemental treatment within a recovery-oriented system of care.
A group of experts through experience contributed to the development of these clinical guidelines. Group members had experience of alcohol treatment and recovery and were active in recovery organisations. The group’s input is integrated throughout the guidelines.
The group identified the following themes as priorities for providing high quality alcohol treatment and recovery.
Alcohol treatment should take place in the context of a recovery-oriented system of care where clinicians, support staff, people with lived and living experience and people engaged in treatment all have roles to play.
People should be able to access personalised care from any part of the treatment and recovery system.
A non-judgemental, empathic approach and staff working together with people in treatment is essential.
People with lived experience and recovery communities can play a central role in supporting recovery at all stages of the treatment and recovery journey.
Individual treatment and recovery plans should include flexible recovery goals from the start, and the focus on recovery-oriented activities will increase during treatment and after they leave.
Alcohol treatment services and mental health services need to work together so people with problem alcohol use who also have mental health conditions do not get turned away. People should be able to get help for both conditions in a shared approach.
Services need to engage and support people from diverse communities. They should co-produce service plans with diverse communities and work flexibly in a culturally sensitive way to do this.
You can find a list of members of the experts through experience group in annex 4.