Marseille 2007
| Abstract #58 - Rehabilitation of HIV Positive Drug Users | ||||
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Session: 6.79: Posters A (Poster) on Monday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Prof Alexander Akhmerov - International Charity Organization "Rehabilitation Center "STEPS", United States |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: Develop non-repressive, social-psychological methods of rehabilitation for chemically depended people; people, living with HIV/AIDS; assist development of science and education in the field of medical psychology, psychotherapy and HIV/AIDS. | ||||
| Method / Issue: Center provides rehabilitation and prevention of alcohol, drug and HIV/AIDS related problems on the basis of the world experience and philosophy of Alcoholics Anonimous International Movement, incepted in USA in 1935 and till now spread all over the world. Our activities for approaching main goals are the following: 1. Psychosocial rehabilitation and support for addicted people and their relatives, particularly, educational programs, rehabilitation and support for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), prevention of drug addiction and HIV/AIDS. 2. Assistance to develop community, regional and national policy in effective approaches and technology in prevention, harm reduction, rehabilitation and support in the problems of drug addiction and related problems of health and social transition, and setting right political dialogue. 3. Support of social initiatives in Ukraine and Former Soviet Union in the field of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, support and rehabilitation of drug addiction and connected problems of health and social transition establishment and development of new scientifically based models. 4. Programs of human rights for drug addicts and PLWH. 5. Educational and scientific activities: 1) Scientific conferences, seminars, trainings, workshops (diploma for students of related institutes and colleges) for education, re-education, and change of experience for different specialists; 2) Publication of books for pupils and students, brochures and booklets for wide layers of people, to whom it may concern; 3) Development and lecturing of special course Self-help groups: psychological aspects of addiction (36 hours) in Odessa National University. 6. Upholding the leadership of human rights, development of professional ethics and culture in the field of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, support and rehabilitation of drug addiction and connected problems of health, social transition and HIV/AIDS. Rehabilitation of chemically addicted PLWH and their relatives basical activity of organization. prophylactic education in HIV/AIDS; psychosocial rehabilitation and case management for PLWH; group therapy for women; educational program in reproductive health; counseling in human rights for drug addicts, PLWH and their relatives; education in safe sex behavior; counseling and help of specialist in infection diseases; prophylaxis of risk behavior. | ||||
| Results / Comments: During 15 years our organization helps more than 10.000 individuals and members of their families in counseling, treatment, rehabilitation and support. From Sept., 2005 to Dec., 2006 about 420 were counseled and 479 individuals got phone counseling. Full course (six months) have passed 54 persons, and 263 took part in the different rehabilitation programs. More than 800 persons took part in the different educational programs (family education, safe sex education program, HIV/AIDS education). Our clients who quit using drugs or alcohol are saving their lives and automatically they improve quality of life, and they are ready to make a healthy choice between sober life and dying. Our representatives are working in the 16 regions of Ukraine and also in the US. Similar organizations based on our model and experience have been set up as our branches in the following cities: Kiev, Chernigiv, Vinnitsa, Lugansk, Kharkiv. All staff of these branches passed our rehabilitation program. Having formal term of sobriety more than two years, great desire and possibility to help other people then they passed special training, got needed certificates and started to work as a counselors. Now we are working on the question of replicating our model all over Ukraine and establishing a network of rehabilitation centers working acording to the 12 Step Minnesota Model Program. Our Organization have been founded and established Professional Rehabilitation Program 12 Steps which completely corresponds to the Rehabilitation Complex 1 Unified Standards for narcological help to population in the medical facilities of Ukraine ratified by the Minister of Health at 27.07.1998. During all time of our work we are self-supported organization which exist owing to charitable donations of individuals and juridical persons. The main sources of income are donations of different foundations like ICF "International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Ukraine", Renaissance Foundation, Global Foundation on HIV/AIDS, Stefan Batory Foundation, UNDP, USAID and so on. We are closely co-working with different governmental, international organizations, NGOs and academic institutions according to the treaties of cooperation. For example we have such treaties with all really working HIV-servicing NGOs in Ukraine (All-Ukrainian Network of PLWA, Coalition of HIV-service NGOs, etc.) and in Odessa (Hope, Faith, Love, Way Home, Life +, Odessa National University, etc.). Our main and unique results during 10 latest months: - 48 clients from the harm reduction program supported by the ICF "International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Ukraine" and 12 clients from the substitution therapy program passed our rehabilitation program; - we run our counseling for community based harm reduction programs in 6 small cities near Odessa. | ||||
| Discussion: In order to improve chemical dependency treatment in Ukraine our organization proposed to: 1) Organize treatment evaluation capabilities and evaluate the outcomes of the present treatment organizations in terms of abstinence, relapse, and social functioning, 2) Evaluate the cost of treatment programs and correlate this data with their effectiveness. 3) Train professionals on general interventions such as social oriented concepts of alcoholism and social and family oriented methods, 4) Spread socio-psychological approaches to chemical dependency treatment by using the A.A.& N.A. self-help concept and view on alcoholism/drug addiction as a disease which needs long-term rehabilitation programs, and 5) Apply inexpensive rehabilitation methods such as screening, brief intervention and self-help groups.The major challenge faced as an organization as it has grown were social barriers concerning the nature of alcohol and drug addiction/HIV/AIDS in our country as a moral issue and, therefore, individual rather than society, is blamed for alcoholism & drug addiction and is typically forced into treatment under the authority of the justice ministry. | ||||
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