Magdaléna Field Programmes
Users of narcotic substances, especially those at an advanced stage of addiction and high-risk behaviour, do not have, for the most part, sufficient motivation to seek help, despite the fact that they frequently suffer from serious health, psycho-social and legal problems. Often, they don’t even know about such help, are afraid of remedial institutions are cannot fulfil their conditions. For this reason, Magdaléna, o.p.s. runs a field programme, a registered social service that functions as a street-level, open-door service for users of narcotic substances. This service is founded on the belief that many complications linked to the use of drugs can be prevented if the user can be contacted and influenced.
The goal of the Field programmes run by Magdaléna, o.p.s. is to minimise the health and social risks associated with drug use while at the same time protecting public health from any possible negative effects of such behaviour. We therefore endeavour to seek out and talk to unseen drug users in public places and in their natural environment, make and maintain contact with them and arrange a connection with a social environment, motivating them to less dangerous means of using narcotic substances, to change their lifestyle or to give up drugs in order to improve the quality of their lives, which may help them to return to normal society in the future.
Magdaléna Field Programmes
- are a registered open-door social service provided directly to users of narcotic substances at street level.
- encompass a range of activities that represent the effective beginning of the care system for drug users and are frequently the first service encountered by users of narcotic substances.
- are a key measure towards reducing the health and social risks related to the use of narcotic substances and the protection of society and public health from possible negative effects of their abuse.
- guarantee clients safe and anonymous contact with specialist services without any further demands being made (e.g. to order a service, prove one’s identity, fees) and without any ambitions to change them quickly.
Working methods
- Our field workers are active in the Central Bohemia Region and regularly travel to more than ten towns and communities in the Benešov and Příbram regions.
- Field workers actively seek out drug users (clients) in public places and in the environment, with which these clients are familiar and in which they feel safe.
- Field workers endeavour to find clients, forge contacts with them and gradually build a relationship based on mutual trust in order to be able to offer them whatever necessary services and assistance they are able to accept.
- Field workers always proceed according to professional standards and accept clients and their lifestyle, giving them sufficient space to decide whether to utilise our services and assistance or not.
- Anyone interested in field services can also contact us via Street Mobile: 603 478 707 – Benešov region / 737 603 698 – Příbram region / 734 622 260 – Beroun region
- Field workers try to motivate injection users of narcotic substances to less dangerous forms of usage, to change their lifestyle or to give up drugs. Aside from this, we are able to offer them social counselling and assistance in crisis situations (e.g. when their health is threatened or they are experiencing a life emergency or problems with the law) which may help them return to normal society in the future.
Our services
- Information service on the risks connected to drug use and on counselling, treatment or other specialist programmes available.
- Exchange of syringes and distribution of healthcare material (disinfectant and other aids)
- Crisis intervention
- Social and legal counselling
- Help services (accompaniment to institutions)
- Brokering of contact with other specialist services
- Collection of used and discarded injection materials
- Mapping of the drug scene in the given locality
Goals of services
- To seek out users of narcotic substances in their accustomed environment
- To forge and maintain contact with the client and ensure they have positive experiences with specialist institutions
- Make clients better-informed of the risks of using narcotic substances, infectious diseases and specialist help that is available
- Influence the client’s motivation so that they change their dangerous behaviour and lifestyle towards safer behaviour (means of drug application, sexual behaviour etc.)
- Stabilise the client’s psycho-social situation
- Engage clients in a network of specialised assistance in the relevant specialist institutions
- Minimise the health and social risks associated with the use of drugs and their impact on individuals and society at large
- Lower the risk of transfer of infectious diseases (HIV, hepatitis, etc.)
Who the programme is aimed at
- users of illegal narcotic substances, irrespective of frequency, duration and means of use
- primarily drug users who inject.
Principles of our work
- Open-door – accessible, anonymous and free-of-charge
- Individual approach to the client
- Adherence to human rights and basic freedoms of clients, human dignity and one’s right to make one’s own decisions