A REVOLUTIONARY new service which aims to help addicts before they hit rock bottom will use Bedfordshire as its UK centre.
The Sober Services programme has been running for two years but will use Bedford as a hub to coordinate its new team of interventionists as part of a new service, which is the first of its kind in this country.
Established by fully recovered alcoholics and addicts, the service is led by Bedfordshire man Ian Young, and John McCann, one of the senior authorities on drug and alcohol interventions.
The Sober Services team, which recently provided the NHS with tips and strategies, claim that they can help an addict in their own home. They also claim that they can treat someone before they hit rock bottom or end up in prison.
They also work with the families of addicts to help them come to terms with the challenging situation they are in.
Mr Young, who trained with practitioners of the therapy in the US, said: “Sober Services is a US model and must be the most proactive of its kind in Europe. We are also the first people to prove a one-on-one service as an alternative to someone going away for treatment.”
“We are the first company to do this kind of thing in UK. I see this as an option for people who resist going for a residential stay because we can come to them.”
“Now people can be treated surrounded by their family at home or at their work place as part of society.”
Coordinated from Bedford, the team plan to work with addicts all over the country, using trained interventionists based in the region of the service user they are working with.
Mr Young added: “We have a strong team who are all ready to work hard to help people get better.”
