We know that some of the words used in the drug and alcohol sector can leave people feeling a bit confused, we have put together a glossary of Plain English words and phrases that you might come across either on your own recovery journey or whilst supporting a family member or loved one:
Alternative Therapies
We provide a whole range of creative workshops for people who use our services to get involved with, from arts and music to dance and yoga.
Biopsychosocial Model
The theory that addiction is the result of a complex interaction of 3 different factors: the biological and genetic factors, the social and cultural factors and the personal, individual factors. Developed in the 1980s.
Bridge Housing
Prepares people to exit formal treatment.
Building Futures Programme
Phoenix Futures’ Building Futures works in prisons across England and is an integrated Substance Use Service working alongside and in partnership with the Healthcare Team. The aim is to reduce repetition, avoid treatment wastage and build tailor made treatment packages for people using substances.
The packages give the service the ability to mix and match interventions to meet the demands of the clients at any point in time.
Families, carers and loved ones are also supported within the Building Futures Service, with an emphasis on Family Support to ensure a wider holistic approach is taken.
Cocaine Anonymous
Cocaine Anonymous (CA) is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their addiction. The group follows the 12 Step Model. The only requirement to come along is a desire to stop using cocaine and other mind-altering substances. You will not have to talk at a meeting if you don’t want to and anonymity is protected rigorously.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a therapy which helps people to manage their problems by changing how they think and behave. This works by breaking down problems which feel overwhelming, into smaller parts. People learn from this that their thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are related. Changing just one of these in a positive way can have a positive impact on all the others, helping people to have more control over their problems.
Community Education & Awareness Sessions
Sessions that work with communities to raise awareness, reduce stigma and make sure people are informed about drugs and alcohol.
Community Reinforcement Approach
The Community Reinforcement Approach is a behavioural health programme. It is based on the belief that the environment people are in has a powerful impact on encouraging or discouraging problematic substance use.
It was developed over 30 years ago by behaviorists Nathan Azrin and George Hunt. The aim of Community Reinforcement is to make an abstinent lifestyle more rewarding than one that includes the use of substances.
Complementary Therapies
Complementary therapies are therapies used alongside conventional treatment to enhance people who use our services’ journey. In our services we provide a range of complementary therapies which can have a very positive effect on how you feel and reduce cravings. These might include: Shiatsu massage, Indian head massage, aromatherapy massage, Reiki healing, acupuncture, relaxation, yoga and dance movement therapy.
Counselling
In a counselling session people using our services will be encouraged to talk freely about difficult or painful feelings and emotions. By discussing problems with the counsellor, people can begin to deal with issues and understand themselves and their problems better. Our workers aren’t counsellors, but we do have counsellors come into our services
Creche
A nursery that looks after young children while their parents are at work or engaged with other activities. Some of our services have creche facilities. This means someone can take care of your young children while you access our service. Please see our Family Service. ( link to family service)
Day Programme
Day programmes offer structured non-residential support. These structured day programmes help people to address their drug and alcohol problems while maintaining other areas of their life such as relationships with children, education and sometimes paid employment. There are opportunities to develop new skills, learn alongside peers through group work and social activities, build new support networks and increase confidence.
Detox
Detoxification or detox involves stopping using alcohol or substances. The goal of detox is to rid the body of toxins accumulated by substance use. The first step of detox is withdrawal. Once an individual has discontinued using substances physical and behavioural withdrawal symptoms may follow. Detoxing may be an uncomfortable process and therefore medical professionals may prescribe medication to ease the discomfort. Detoxing from some substances after prolonged usage can be dangerous and even lead to death.
Drug Intervention Programme (DIP)
Drug Intervention Programmes are designed to reduce crime by helping offenders who are using drugs to address their addiction. Several of our services have DIP workers. DIP workers support people through the criminal justice process – from being arrested and testing positive for drug use at the police station, through to going to court.
Drug Support in Prison
Support provided to people for their drug and alcohol use while they are in custody. The support ranges from one-to-ones to group work.
Dual Diagnosis
A person who identifies with both as using substances problematically and has a mental health condition. Dual diagnosis allows clients to be treated for both their needs at the same time.
Education Training & Employment (ETE)
This is a programme designed to support people affected by drug and alcohol use to access education, training and employment opportunities. Developing these skills will further aid your recovery journey.
Family Support
A person’s substance use can have a big impact on the people close to them. All of our services offer support and advice to families. Some of our services also offer specialist support for children, young people and families who are worried about a parent’s alcohol or drug use.
FLAMES - Family and Loved Ones Accessing Mutual and Emotional Support
FLAMES are groups run to support the families and loved ones of clients in our residential services. The groups aim to provide support for the families and loves ones while also helping them to understand treatment better, improving their support of the client and in turn improving completion and retention rates. The groups are open to any family member or loved one over the age of 18 who currently has a relative or loved one accessing residential treatment.
Floating Support
Floating Support services provide housing support to people who have left treatment and are working towards independent living. The support service helps the individual to become more independent and learn the life skills needed to maintain their own tenancy.
Goal Planning
The planning and setting of recovery goals which are achievable for you. Setting goals helps people using our services to track their progress and recognise their achievements, whether big or small.
GP Shared Care
We work with GP surgeries and health centres, working alongside doctors to address substance use with their patients. Drug and alcohol workers provide therapeutic support to people using substances while GPs and medical staff provide medical support.
Group Support
All of our services offer group support. A worker guides the session with a small group of people. Participating in groups can help clients as they are able to see that others are going through the same issues and offer and gain peer-to-peer support.
Harm Reduction Advice
Harm reduction means trying to reduce the harm that people do to themselves or others from their drug or alcohol use. All our services provide information and advice about using drugs safely and how to minimise the risk of contracting infectious diseases, overdosing or other health related risks.
Home Visits
Some services offer outreach visits, where a worker may be able to visit a client in their home.
Independent Living
Safe, secure, drug and alcohol-free living.
Individualised Care Plan
A plan developed from a person’s needs assessment that is tailored to the specific needs of that individual person.
Keyworker
A named keyworker who will offers support throughout the treatment and recovery journey with the service. Your keyworker often works with people on a one-to-one basis, and will help to coordinate care with other services they may be accessing.
Legal highs
Legal highs are now known as New Psychoactive Substances or NPS. Please see below for more information.
Medicated Detox
The detoxification from a substance with the help of medication prescribed by a doctor.
Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opiate manufactured for use as a painkiller and is prescribed as a substitute for heroin in the treatment of heroin addiction. It has similar effects to heroin but doesn’t deliver the same high.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative conversation that aims to strengthen the motivation for and commitment to change. If people have conflicted feelings about their need to change then Motivational Interviewing supports them to explore their values and concerns. This is a natural part of the change process. We work with the people who use our services to strengthen their readiness for change.
Multiple Needs
A person with more than one need such as substance use, offending, eating disorders and mental health conditions.
Mutual Aid Groups
Mutual aid groups are peer support groups. We support people using our services to engage with mutual aid groups within their local area.
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) provide a network of support or a form of self-help for people in recovery. The group follows the 12 Step Model. The only requirement to come along is a desire to stop using drugs. People do not have to talk at a meeting if they don’t want to and anonymity is protected rigorously.
Needle Exchange
Needle exchanges provide clean and sterile injecting equipment and will dispose of used ones. Needle exchanges can also provide advice on safer injecting and general healthcare. If you use drugs it is very important to use clean and sterile needles and injecting paraphernalia, and you should not share it with others. This will minimise your chances of becoming infected with Hepatitis C or HIV.
Needs Assessment
An assessment by a keyworker for a people using our services which identifies what support they need.
Numeracy and Literacy Assessment
Numeracy and literacy skills are assessed so that keyworkers are able to work with people to improve these skills.
Nutrition Advice
Nutrition advice supports people to achieve a balanced diet and inform them about the things they should be eating and drinking to keep themselves healthy.
OFSTED Registered
Registered with the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.
One-to-One Working
Work between someone using our services and their key workers.
Open Access
People do not need to be referred by a professional to access the service.
Out of Hours Service
Many of our services are open outside standard working hours, such as evenings or weekends.
Outreach
Workers will go out to see people in their own home or somewhere else more convenient.
Outreach Services
We offer support and help to people in the community that have difficulty accessing our services, or may have stopped attending. Our outreach workers try to engage people in treatment, offer harm reduction advice and support in accessing the correct treatment.
Peer Mentoring
Peer mentors are people who have come through treatment for problematic drug or alcohol use. They are now abstinent or fully stable on prescription medication, and are keen to use their experience to help other service users who are at an earlier stage in their recovery.
Person-centered Recovery Care Planning
A care plan developed with the needs of the person at the centre.
Phoenix Plus
Phoenix Futures' model to develop recovery capital. See our Model Page for more information.
Prescription Medication
Medication prescribed to someone by their doctor. Some prescription medications can be highly addictive, such as benzodiazepines and other prescription painkillers.
Professional Referral
This means that someone else can refer to our service. This will usually be a GP or a professional
Psychoactive Substances (PS)
Psychoactive Substances (PS), formally known as ‘legal highs’, contain one or more chemical substances which produce similar effects to illegal drugs (like cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy). These new substances recently became controlled under The New Psychoactive Substances Act of 2016, making it illegal to produce, supply or offer to supply an PS if it is to be used for psychoactive effect. There is not enough research about these new substances to know about their potency, adverse effects from human consumption, or the effects when used with other substances or alcohol.
Recovery Capital
Recovery capital refers to all the things in your life apart from drugs and alcohol. This can include things like having a roof over your head, your friends, family, hobbies or interests. We work with people to build and strengthen these aspects of their lives, which can help them to recover from their dependency.
Recovery Community
A recovery friendly community that encourages and assists recovery through peer support and mutual aid.
Recovery House
Self-managed houses for people in recovery who are sustaining their own recovery.
Recovery through the Arts
Our Recovery through the Arts projects provide opportunities for people using drug and alcohol problematically to develop skills and build confidence through the arts.
Click here to read more on Recovery through the Arts.
Recovery through Nature
Recovery through Nature connects people using our services with nature to aid in their recovery. Participants work as a team on practical conservation projects in settings across England and Scotland.
Click here to read more on Recovery through Nature.
Recovery through Sport
Our Recovery through Sport projects provide opportunities for those with drug and alcohol problems to develop skills and build confidence through participating in sports activities.
Click here to read more on Recovery through Sport.
Referrals
How you are able to access a service. Some services accept both self-referrals and professional referrals. All of our services provide signposting, which means we can put you forward to access other services that could help you.
Relapse Management
Relapse can be part of the recovery process, so we work closely with you to manage this and support your recovery.
School Workshops
Some of our services run interactive workshops in schools which help to inform young people about drugs and alcohol.
Self-referral
This means people wishing to use one of our service can get in touch with a service and ask for help themselves without needing to involve anyone else.
Service User Council
A council made up of people who have used or are still currently using our services who represent the service they attend. Through the council they are able to communicate the opinions of the other people using the service and hopefully influence service provision within their local area.
Service User Involvement
The involvement of people who use our services in the decision-making processes.
Sexual Health Advice
We can provide information about safe sex, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. There are also organisations we can refer to that provide further advice and support.
Signposting
We can refer you to other organisations and clinics that will be able to help you with specialist information or support on things such as benefits or mental health.
SMART Recovery
This is a mutual aid group (peer support) which uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This self-empowering recovery support group is an alternative to 12 Step Programmes like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.
Supported Housing
Drug and alcohol-free houses that allow residents to develop life skills while still having support for their substance use.
Therapeutic Community:
We use the Therapeutic Community (TC) model in three of our adult residential rehabilitation services: Wirral, Sheffield, and Scotland. It has been used in the treatment of addictions since the 1950s, and Phoenix Futures have been delivering this model since 1969.
The community is the most important thing in a TC; you will hear the phrase “Community as Method” a lot and will learn about this important concept. Both staff and service users are members of the community and it is the community that facilitates positive change.
The main aim of the TC is to bring about change in the attitudes and behaviour of community members. It is specifically designed and organised so that all the elements of the TC help you learn and accept social norms and develop more effective social skills so that you can function and live your life in a more positive way. This is achieved by its members (you) taking responsibility for the running of the house and living with and supporting each other’s recovery journey.
The TC replicates wider society; it is structured and organised so that all members have a role to play in community life as well as attending groups, one-to-one sessions and a range of activities.
There are three stages of the TC - Welcome House, Primary and Senior Stages - and as you move through the programme you will develop skills, gain a better understanding of your behaviour, and gain increased levels of personal and social responsibility.
Triple P Parenting Programme
Triple P is an accredited programme we run within our Family Service. It runs over nine weeks. Five sessions are group work based and three sessions are one-to-one consultations. The aim of the intervention is to enhance parents' self-sufficiency and self-efficacy in managing their children’s behaviour. Triple P achieves this aim by teaching parents skills for promoting their children’s development, social competence and self-control. Triple P has been subjected to extensive research that has demonstrated its effectiveness. Through having group sessions, the parents can receive support as well as constructive feedback from other parents. The sessions involve discussion, workbook exercises, role plays, PowerPoint presentations and DVD material. The one-to-one sessions aim to assist parents with the practical implementation of the strategies learnt on an individual basis.
The sessions run as follows:
- Week one: Introduction
- Week two: Positive Parenting
- Week three: Helping Children Develop
- Week four: Managing Misbehaviour
- Week five: Planning Ahead
- Week six, seven and eight: One-to-one consultation, using the positive parenting strategies, putting them into practice.
- Week nine: Program close
Women Only Groups
Some of our services offer support groups which are exclusively for women, which can provide a safe and supportive environment to work through difficult issues.
Young People's Services
Service for children and young people aged between 11 and 25 offering support with their problematic drug and alcohol use.
