substance misuse

Integrated care for drug users: digest of tools used in the assessment process and core data sets

This document aims to provide information and support for practitioners in the use of a range of tools as part of the assessment process and the care planning of people with drug problems. The document contains: definitions and principles of the assessment process; profiles of 40 tools used as part of the assessment process; and definitions of core data sets.

Integrated Care for Drug Users : principles and practice

This document sets out the rationale for integrated care and its wider context. It provides definitions and concepts of integrated care and its key elements: accessibility, assessment, planning and delivery of care, information sharing, monitoring and evaluation. Evidence is also provided from research literature, focus groups and consultation on the key issues that influence effective practice in integrated care. Key principles and elements of effective practice drawn from the evidence are also explained.

Children's hearing system in Scotland

The children's hearings system, Scotland's unique system of juvenile justice, commenced operating on 15 April 1971. The system is centred on the welfare of the child. A fundamental principle is that the needs of the child should be the key test and that children who offend and children who are in need of care and protection should be dealt with in the same system. Cases relating to children who may require compulsory measures of intervention are considered by an independent panel of trained lay people.

Health in Scotland 2008: shedding light on hidden epidemics

Report from the Chief Medical Officer reviewing some of the data on the habits which studies are showing have a dramatic effect on risks of developing chronic ill health or premature death.

It also considers some of the mental health problems which may contribute to chronic stress in sufferers by lessening their ability to control and manage their lives. Such problems include ADHD in adults, post traumatic stress syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorders.

Services for young people with problematic drug misuse: a guide to principles and practice

Report that aims to provide information and evidence to support the development of services for young people experiencing problems due to their own problematic drugs and/or substance misuse.

The guide focuses on the needs of drug action teams (DATs) in their role as commissioners of services as well as the direct delivery of services. The report includes definitions of the target client group and their needs; discusses key principles underpinning effective services and explores the key issues to address in delivering services.

The road to recovery: one year on

One year ago the Scottish Government launched Scotland’s first drugs strategy since devolution. Central to the strategy was a new approach to tackling problem drug use based firmly on the concept of recovery. The action set out in the strategy reflects that tackling drug use requires action across a broad range of areas. This progress report takes the same approach.

No Boundaries : Tayside Domestic Abuse and Substance Misuse Project : Final Research Report

This report presents the results of a secondary analysis of data collected for the Tayside Domestic Abuse and Substance Misuse Project by a different research team. The secondary analysis was conducted by Dolev & Associates, with funding from the Scottish Government Multiple and Complex Needs Initiative. An attempt was made to identify depositional and organisational factors that shape the experiences of women who are affected by domestic abuse and their own substance misuse at each stage of their service use.