03/12/2024
The Trust’s Asha Centre (Addiction Treatment Unit) is situated in Omagh adjacent to the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital site, the Asha Inpatient Ward is an eight bed unit that provides admission to service users throughout Northern Ireland who require assessment and treatment for addiction for substance misuse such as alcohol or polydrug misuse. The unit provides a peaceful, tranquil space for service users to begin their journey towards support and recovery from their addiction.
Service user’s referral pathway is via the Community Addiction team for individuals who require inpatient tier 4 service for complex detox and stabilisation. All referrals are discussed at Multi-disciplinary Team interface weekly meetings for up to date information regarding the Service User and commitment to engage in the programme.
The programme is a two to four week admission period and involves physical monitoring, mental health assessment, psychological support for both the family and service user. The staff engage in family work such as meeting to discuss collateral history and the impact of addiction on relationships. The staff also arrange discharge planning meetings that includes the family other supporters and keyworkers. These meeting provide an opportunity to give feedback to the family and the service user and to identify further supports in the community both voluntary and statutory to enhance recovery.
The programme in Asha centres around group work and 1-1 intervention focusing on motivational change. All service users attend regular support meetings and engage in gentle exercise and alternative therapy such as art and creative writing or yoga.
Eamonn Duffy is the Asha Ward Manager. He comments:
“Our dedicated team consists of Mental Health Nurses, Support workers, Healthcare Assistants, Ward Manager, Medical staff and a Consultant Psychiatrist Social Worker and Psychologist. In Asha our ethos is to provide a holistic assessment and treatment for both addiction and mental health.
“We have a profound understanding of the impact of addiction on both individuals and families. We often see addiction resulting in the breakdown in relationships causing anxiety, distress and feelings of hopelessness.
“We recognise that walking through the front door is often the most difficult part of their journey towards recovery. Here in ASHA we make service users and their families made to feel welcome and engage with everyone throughout their journey. Our staff pride ourselves in offering a friendly, caring and supportive home from home environment right down to the aesthetics of the building which reflects a calm and restful place for individuals.
“The Ex-service user group are also an important part of the programme within Asha. The unit has developed strong relationships with the ex -service user group over the last number of years. This group actively supports all individuals within the unit by sharing their own individual experience of addiction and recovery. This enhances the experience in Asha for the service users and indeed their families.”