SCAN Conference 08

Specialism and Professionalism in addiction

treatment

Date: 25^th - 26^th September 2008

Venue: Radisson SAS, Manchester Airport

This conference is for: Everyone who works in the specialist field of addictions: psychiatrists (consultants, trainees, associate specialists and staff grades) clinical psychologists, specialist nurses and other allied specialists.

The programme will include:

• What's unique about addiction specialists?
• Developing innovative services - how to write the winning bid
• New opportunities in addiction research
• What's happening with sick health professionals?
• How can addiction specialists support service improvement, and how can the NTA support addiction specialists?
• Parallel sessions on physical comorbidity, clinical governance and assertive community treatment
• What's new with psychological therapies?

Keynote speaker: Professor Griffith Edwards

Other speakers include: Dr Keron Fletcher; Paul Hayes; Dr Tim Weaver; Dr Nick Sheron; Dr Matthew Hickman; Dr Jane Marshall, Prof Colin Drummond and Dr Judy Myles.

You can download the registration form and programme now.

For further information contact: Rebecca Murchie E: rebecca.murchie@nta-nhs.org.uk T: 020 7261 8706

NEW FACILITY: Special Interest Sessions in Addiction Psychiatry

The SCAN Survey of Specialist Registrars in Addiction 2006 showed variable training opportunities in addiction psychiatry around the UK.  A subsequent survey was carried out of consultant psychiatrists in addiction, to identify special interest sessions which were available throughout England.  41 consultants were able to offer special interest opportunities, covering a diverse range of sessions on in/outpatient drugs/alcohol as well in other specialist areas. 

SCAN is pleased to launch this facility for SpR and ST 4-6 trainees.  It allows access to the opportunities available, their location, and the relevant contact details.  Please follow this link to access the searchable database allowing trainees to identify sessions by region, subject of special interest and/or name of consultant.  A full report of the survey can be found here

SCAN Consensus Project - Substance misusing clients with mental health problems:  A brief practitioner's guide for Criminal Justice Integrated Teams

The brief practitioner's guide has been designed specifically for staff in Criminal Justice Integrated Teams (CJITs) but it may also be useful to other service providers. While it is not the core role of CJITs to manage or treat mental health comorbidity, it is important to be able to recognise and refer clients with these problems to appropriate care. And so the guide's main aim is to provide accessible information to achieve this.

This project was commissioned by the Home Office Drug Interventions Programme and Drug Strategy Unit. The partnership work undertaken to produce this guide has included contributions from a wide range of stakeholders informed by a working group comprised of the Department of Health, Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Psychiatrists, British Psychological Society, Royal College of Nursing, National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA), the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) (part of the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP), National Offender Management Service,  Drug Strategy Unit, Health and Offender Partnerships, mental health commissioners, agencies involved in the organisation and delivery of substance misuse and mental health services, CJITs, and representatives from the Specialist Clinical Addiction Network (SCAN).

Using background information collated, a team from SCAN has distilled information down to this brief practitioner's guide for CJIT staff. You can download the document here, and a Word version of the local service contacts template is also available here. Hard copies can be ordered from scandamin@nta-nhs.org.uk