The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was marked on June 26. This year, the theme chosen by the UN for the day was “Health for Justice, Justice for Health”.
This highlights the fact that health and justice go hand in hand – to rightfully tackle drug issues throughout a country, both health and legal institutions need to work together to ensure that the best possible services are offered to people who require assistance in order to lift themselves up after tackling destructive vices.
This theme promotes a holistic approach to the situation as well as promoting human rights and collaboration between the stakeholders involved.
The relationship between June and addictions is not something that is only relevant on a European level. Last month, Malta celebrated the 25-year anniversary of Aġenzija Sedqa and 30 years since the opening of the San Blas Therapeutic Community run by Caritas Malta.
In total, there are 23 services that are licensed by the Social Care Standards Authority to provide care in addiction to treatment, which are provided by Aġenzija Sedqa, Oasi and Caritas Malta.
These standards were created to guide service providers on how to help people with addictions
On June 27, we launched the Public Consultation for the Social Regulatory Standards for both residential and office-based services offered to persons with drug, alcohol and gambling-related problems.
These standards were created to guide service providers regarding the provision of services geared towards people who need assistance with overcoming addictions related to drugs, alcohol and gambling.
There are two different sets of guidelines, and therefore two public consultations. The first deals with services that are residential based; these are services that are offered in a residential treatment facility, where the people seeking treatment reside for the duration of the programme.
The second set of guidelines is geared towards office-based services, which are services provided in the community.
These standards tackle various aspects of the services and the quality with which they should be provided. The service providers need to follow these standards and ensure that every individual making use of the services will have their privacy, dignity, right of choice, potential achievement and individuality respected.
The Social Regulatory Standards for Residential Services offered to persons with drug, alcohol and gambling-related problems are divided into seven standards.
Standard 1 instructs the service provider to create an individualised and holistic support plan for individuals making use of their services.
Standard 2 details the respect that is to be shown to the individuals and their right to be included in decisions pertaining to their care.
The health and safety of individuals is highlighted in Standard 3, with an emphasis on the elevated quality of life to be maintained during their use of the service and the attention given to their safety and health needs.
Standard 4 states that the residents are to be clearly informed on what the service will provide and to ensure a smooth transition when the individual enters and exists the residential programme.
The fifth Standard stresses the importance of record keeping, especially when it comes to sensitive information.
Relationships with family and significant others during the individuals’ stay in the residence are of the utmost importance, as well as communication with professionals who can enhance the care given to the persons making use of the service, as highlighted in Standard 6.
The remaining Standard for residential services states that the management and staff at the residences are to provide quality support and care in a respectful and caring manner.
Some similarities can be noted when comparing the standards for residential and office-based services, however, one would be wrong to think that these are the same.
Standard 1 in the Social Regulatory Standards for office-based services offered to persons with drug, alcohol and gambling-related problems instructs the service provider to create an individualised and holistic environment for people making use of the service.
The office-based standards also put stress on the respect to be shown to individuals and their right to be included in decisions pertaining to their care (Standard 2), issues on health and safety (Standard 3), the importance of efficient record keeping (Standard 4), maintaining and nurturing the individuals’ important relationships (Standard 5) and the level of quality expected from the management and the staff of the service (Standard 6).
While these standards might seem similar, one needs to delve into the content of each document to see that they are in fact streamlined and that they cater to the service depending on its nature, whether it is an office-based service or a residential one.
The public consultation is open until tomorrow and the public can send feedback on the documents on feedback.scsa@gov.mt or by calling 2549 4444.
Matthew Vella is chief executive officer, Social Care Standards Authority.