For Pofessionals Working with Substance Use

Janus Solutions, formerly Sanctuary Workshops, has cultivated an approach regarding training over the past 6 years which is seen as thoughtful and slightly outside of the box of everyday drugs training.

There are many professionals working with people with substance use issues (substance use refers to alcohol as well). These professionals generally operate within the sometimes competing disciplines of psychology, psychiatry and socio-economic frameworks. The questions we ask ourselves and others are:

	What works? And what doesn't work?
	What criteria do we use when prioritizing service users needs?
	Is there such a thing as “..the most effective treatment”?

For many professionals working “hands on” with this client group, the issue of managing feelings such as hopelessness and a sense of inadequacy is very real. This can lead to levels of stress that can precipitate early departure from the field, making the professional believe the work to be too complex and unyielding. At Janus we recognize that this is not the case for all workers and also recognize that this is a demanding and, in many regards, a misunderstood field.

The Janus approach views the ‘profession' as existing within many settings, which can at times lead to competitiveness and the undermining of the views and positions of others. At Janus we take the view that this field of work does not have an individual body or group which is more proficient than any other, and that it is a sector in which equality and diversity of abilities and expertise needs to be constantly emphasized. But most importantly, we are able to recognize different knowledge bases and learn from them, and give them the appropriate acknowledgement. It must be remembered that some drugs workers believe that they do not have a voice.

We believe that best practice will achieve the best possible outcomes for the client group. This can be achieved through evaluating:

	The culture of our work environment
	The professional stance we have towards the service user
	How we as ‘individuals' work with the client
	The nature of boundaries within our work environment
	The mythology of this client group, the mythology of particular drugs and cultures, and what influence this may have on our practice
	The degree of self reflection we exercise re: our own individual and agency practice

Whatever the theoretical framework an intervention is derived from, the person delivering the intervention is the real KEY to the effectiveness of that intervention.