Magdaléna-Příbram Centre for Addictology Services
CONTACT AND COUNSELLING SERVICES
The goal of contact and counselling services is to provide assistance, anonymously and free of charge, to drug users over the age of 15 who are sufficiently motivated to make a fundamental change to their drugs-based lifestyle. Through our professional and individual approach to each user we endeavour to improve their quality of life from a psychological, physical and social point of view in order to ease their engagement in society. We assist their family members and those close to them in solving the problems associated with drug use, and with their orientation in this area.
Contact centres are intended for timely intervention in the event of crisis, counselling, health and social assistance for users at various stages of drug use (from initial experimentation to ‘recreational use’ and ‘problematic use’ up to addiction accompanied by serious damage to health). They offer a wide range of assistance from the giving of basic information to interviews motivating clients to change their lifestyles and from one-off counselling to systematic, structured and more long-term cooperation with clearly-defined goals. Mutual cooperation means accepting the client’s experience and not rejecting their worldview, offering them understanding and orientation in their situation, even though we do not agree with their irresponsible and dangerous behaviour. On the contrary, we endeavour to find, together with the client, options and solutions for their complicated situation that could allow them to live their life in a more contented way.
Our services
- Contact work
- Information service on the risks associated with drug use and on counselling, treatment and other specialist programmes available.
- Exchange programme and distribution of healthcare material to reduce damage caused.
- Basic medical examinations
- Hygiene, food and vitamin service
- Crisis assistance
- Social counselling
- Assistance – accompaniment to official bodies and to the doctor’s
- Individual and family counselling and therapy
- Arranging of outpatient and in-patient treatment and contact with other specialist services
Goals of services
- 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.)
- Minimise the health and social risks associated with the use of drugs and their impact on individuals and society at large
- Stabilise and improve the client’s psycho-social situation and quality of life
- Lower the risk of transfer of infectious diseases
- ‘Engage’ clients in a network of further specialist services
Who the services are aimed at
- users of illegal narcotic substances, irrespective of frequency, duration and means of use
- clients of substitution treatment
- family members and those close to users of non-alcoholic narcotic substances