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I feel a bit of a fraud being in the practitioners section – and maybe David would consider having a separate bit for researchers and academics.
I think one of the things that is frustrating when you get involved in recovery communities is how much good work is going on that not only has no evidence base but leaves the majority of our treatment system entirely oblivious.
There are some fabulous things going on in Scotland – I went to a recovery conversation cafe last month in Glasgow and there are all kinds of exciting groups, but they are not very well coordinated and the sense of what works, even informally, is not very well thought through – and definitely not publicised.
So what am I doing? I am currently doing recovery studies in Glasgow and Birmingham that are about getting people in recovery to tell their stories and I am also developing questionnaires to measure recovery capital and to assess workers’ attitudes on recovery in mainstream services.
But I still feel that i am working in isolation on this.
So I am delighted to see that Stephen Bamber has joined the site – as he and I have been exchanging lots of messages about this question on email. We are trying to think of ways of creating a knowledge directory of what is going on around recovery – does anyone have any thoughts about this?
This is my first blogging attempt so I apologise that I am using it to whine – but it is probably what my main strength is!
Really great to have you on board, David. I will try and set up a researchers section at some stage – great idea thanks – but I have to be careful what I have developed at this stage as I have no spare money.
Really good to hear of the fabulous things going on in Scotland. You point out that such activities are not co-ordinated or publicised, as is the case everywhere. This is exactly why this online community was developed – well at least one of the reasons.
Please could you keep telling people to sign up themselves or their organisations, groups etc. and publicise what they are doing. We can them promote it, other people will find out about it and be able to link in or learn from what is being done, etc. The wider world must also find out what is going on in the recovery world. We must create our own press.
Bill White also pointed out that we need a written history of the UK recovery movement – this online community can be a powerful tool in this regard.
You also talk about developing a knowledge directory on recovery. That is why I developed the resources section of this website so we could store key material. To date though, I’ve been snowed under and have fallen behind on it. However, I will get going. Also, I can arrange for another person or persons to have access to that part of the content management system if they would like to help.
Really excited to see what you are doing. You are not alone, we just need to keep in touch with each better.
Finally, an apologies for not having sent the Wired In flyer for research subjects. Will get to you soon.
Please keep us informed of your research findings here, so we can keep informed and give you support for the terrific work you are doing.
All my very best from down under.
Hi David
Welcome along.
Some years ago in New Zealand I ran a drug and alcohol rehab centre and each afternoon we had an informal group session that had a particular theme and I found this got people telling their story. So around a cuppa, a short video, or Newspaper article and with a theme, Like: “do you keep goats”.? we would hear many of the participants stories. The session would run like -: I would wander throught the unit and remind people it was nearly 2pm, people would grab a cuppa and head to the lounge, anyone could start the session with a story they had heard on the radio, TV, or found in the news paper, Then I would introduce the theme and it seemed to elicit life stories, along, with shared learning. As I said it was informal and people could come and go as they pleased but I noticed most stayed and this also lead many good sessions of one on one as I had an inside to someones life problems or possible relapse issues.
Just one idea and I am sure you will get many more.
Oh by the way “Do you keep goats”.? This theme was about the little things in life that “get on our goat, get up our nose, get on our wick, or annoy us” and how these can cause a relapse, or give another person some control over us, may be as simple as not closing doors, or leaving the toilet seat up. The more goats we keep the more stressed we become and it could be easy to relieve it by having that drink.
Mickey
hi David welcome on board you say ““We are trying to think of ways of creating a knowledge directory of what is going on around recovery – does anyone have any thoughts about this? This is exactly what we are doing here at wiredin, tis a pity we have no funding too develop this quicker but as you can see as a grass roots org with no money the team at wiredin have done an amazing job so far in getting started.
Obviously the site also has numerous other benefits also, its amazing and dumbfounding to me why we are not attracting sponsorship, but hey i remember DC quoting to me from the film with Kevin Costner, “if you build it they will come” and many more are everyday, its just a matter of time patience and lots and lots of nurturing. Anyway welcome and look forward to hearing more about what your up to and perhaps on your experience working in the field? Hey don’t worry about the sections to join you qualify especially in the family section as anyone striving to enhance our field is a brother of mine, corny i know but true. Big hug David and see you soon x
Mickey I try not to keep goats but whenever i find them in my happy home i do my best to either accept, train, or get rid of them as quickly as possible, goats are very bad for my recovery lol, love that, thanks x
Hi David, good to see you on board here. We’re so much in need of knowledge on what works to help people achieve recovery here in the UK. So much research on the problem and so little on the solution. At LEAP we appreciate the direction and support you’ve given us with regard to our own research and evaluation.
I’d love to see a forum for shared knowledge. I met with a couple of colleagues who work in addiction psychology this morning and this was one of the themes we discussed.
If we had a shared understanding of what the unanswered recovery research questions were and also of what is actually going on at the moment in research, that would be a start.
I suspect a tiny tiny proportion of the drugs and alcohol budgets are spent on research currently. Do we know?
I love the goats analogy. I’ve a few of my own goats grazing in my blog at the moment, but that’s another story…
Good to see your blog – I agree that there are lots of things happening in Scotland but co-ordination is not a strong suit. However at least we know that and there are enough of us out here who want things to change and more than that are putting our time and energy into making it happen.
What about a Summer Meeting to get the co-ordination happening. I am happy to book a venue and get it going?
A knowledge base on recovery with a view to educating the future workforce would ideally be a collaboration of information that could be freely accessed by all in training.Presently their are deficits in all training establishments which could be overcome by pooling knowledge so those in training could top up were it was felt a need.This is not at all criticism of any training provider its my own personal opinion of a way forward.
Can’t belive you had no friends David … happy to resolve that – we know how important social networking is! Plotting my way to Manchester successfully.
Marion – keep me in the loop if you are planning anything – happy to assist if I can.
you said ages ago on this blog ….There are some fabulous things going on in Scotland – I went to a recovery conversation cafe last month in Glasgow and there are all kinds of exciting groups, but they are not very well coordinated and the sense of what works, even informally, is not very well thought through – and definitely not publicised.
Well tis still the same,loads of brilliant stuff across the UK with no umbrella as yet…. I was talking to Guru gilman today and he also mentioned this issue again, my time and energy are also available should you need them and to let you know an open invite will be going out across the uk to all involved about the national recovery walk which in itself may become (another fledgling organisation) if you want to do something in the invite.
Anyway have a great weekend
big hug
