Alcohol and drug services

We offer recovery-focused help and services if you have difficulties with alcohol and / or drugs and can provide you with the following:

• a named worker who will work with you throughout your contact with us
• an initial assessment, help develop your specific recovery care plan, counselling, and support with mental health and physical health issues linked to alcohol and/or drugs.
• medication assisted treatment if you are opiate dependent
• group based recovery supports such as mutual aid and relaxation
• support to family members (aged 16 and over) who are affected by a loved one's use of alcohol or drug use 

Phone 0141 577 4685 for advice or to make a referral. Assessment appointments are offered at a number of locations.· You can also email adrs.referrals@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk

Contact and referals can also be made on your behalf by:

• someone else if they have your permission
• your doctor or other professionals/workers

A family member can contact us if they are affected by a loved one's alcohol and/or drug use.

We're open Monday to Thursday: 8.45am to 4.45pm and Friday: 8.45am to 3.55pm

Out-with these times, or in a non-emergency, please contact NHS 24 on 111. If you have a life-threatening emergency, then call 999.

Following a near fatal overdose, East Renfrewshire residents can refer themselves, or a friend or family member, to the Turning Point Overdose Response Team.

call 08088 008 011. or email ggcortreferrals@turningpointscotland.com 

Medication Assisted Treatment (or MAT) is the use of medication such as opioids (buprenorphine, including long acting, or methadone) in the treatment and care of people who experience problems with their opiate use. You'll be supported to make an informed choice on what medication is best for you.

• psychological evidence based interventions and social supports are offered as part of a mutually agreed recovery plan.
• in line with the Medication Assisted Treatment Standards for Scotland, all people seeking support with their drug use have the option to rapidly start treatment, ideally on the same day, after they present to the service. 

Adults 16 and over can access support for the harmful use of alcohol or any drug, including:

• an appointment to talk to us in confidence about the problems you are experiencing
• a full assessment of your needs with a recovery plan for your care and treatment with regular reviews
• a range of 'talking therapies' and medical treatment to assist your recovery journey with a range of goals including becoming alcohol and drug free, controlled use and harm reduction
• assessment for alcohol detox
• protective medications for alcohol use
• mental health and physical health assessment for alcohol and drug use cases
• potential for access to residential rehabilitation through an established service user pathway, following a care plan review by the worker and service user 

You can discuss the option of accessing a residential rehabilitation service with your allocated worker.  Your worker will assist you in looking at the range of rehabilitation services and their different approaches to alcohol and drug use to help you choose the best place to meet your needs. 

You can then be referred to the rehab for an assessment and consideration of a date for admission - sometimes there can be a waiting list for a place to be available.  You can also be considered for detoxification, either prior to going into the rehabilitation centre or within the centre depending on the services they provide. 

If alcohol detoxification is required then this would take place either within the community or with a planned hospital admission to a specialist unit.  If drug detoxification is required then this may take place within a specialist hospital unit and then transfer for continuation of detoxification within the residential rehabilitation service.  There may be times that drug stabilisation is required and this can be discussed and planned with your allocated worker, however, it may be something that residential rehabilitation services are unable to provide.

Read the Residential Rehabilitation Pathway report (PDF) [280KB]  Please note: This document may not be fully accessible to all. If you require a printed version please contact the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service.

You'll have a named ADRS worker who will work with you throughout your care and where needed, you'll have access to a range of professionals including psychology, psychiatry and occupational therapy.

Occupational therapy can offer a range of focused and meaningful supports at any point in a person's substance use journey to maximise independent living and facilitate successful community living.  Identifying individual strengths and motivation is a key part of identifying and achieving focused occupational goals.

Occupational Therapy can:-

1. Support people to explore roles, habits, routines, self-care, productivity, socialisation, leisure and vocational opportunities, such as training, education, peer support, supported employment, voluntary or paid employment.
2. Assist with establishing positive networks and relationships, promoting community integration, access to community resources and support the development of a recovery focused community.
3. Support with life skills development such as, anxiety management, overcome cravings, emotional regulation, relapse prevention, confidence building, effective communication, mindfulness, resilience building and promote positive and healthy behaviours.
4. Support with independent living skills such as personal care, meal preparation, domestic chores, shopping, and gardening, access to leisure, hobbies and socialisation.
5. Help people function in all of their environments (e.g., home, work, school, community).
6. Work collaboratively with people in a manner that helps to foster hope, motivation, empowerment, as well as promoting change. 

 Within the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service you can access the Community Recovery Team. Recovery workers can support you to maintain your recovery, identify and achieve your recovery goals and remain free from harmful alcohol and / or drug use. The Community Recovery Team provides access to the following:

• a recovery plan with regular reviews
• one to one support
• group work programme of recovery
• links to wider community resources such as employability supports, volunteering and community groups
• support with personal development including education, training and employment
• referrals to peer support for recovery, where workers use their lived experience to support you in planning your recovery and setting goals 

 We can support adults aged 16 and over experiencing a loved one's harmful alcohol or drug use. Through this service you can access one to one support, providing specific information about alcohol and drug use, behaviour change and some practical approaches that may be helpful to the family member. Family members can access this support even if their relative isn't involved with the service

Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services can refer people to Penumbra's East Renfrewshire Peer Support Service to benefit from the support of a worker with lived experience of mental health and recovery and develop a recovery plan and set goals.

Turning Point Scotland's Mobile Harm Reduction Service supports people who are using drugs by delivering WAND - Wound care, Assessment of injecting risk, Naloxone and Dry blood spot testing. They can also provide advice on harmful alcohol use and sexual health.

A harm reduction van, staffed by harm reduction practitioners, will be in the area every fortnight on a Thursday.  You can call 07729 045 643 / 07729 045 183 for dates and an exact location. This is a drop-in service.

In addition, if you know anyone who would benefit from this service you can contact Turning Point directly to request a WAND, you can call the office on 0141 280 3834 to arrange a suitable day and time. 

Harm reduction workers will respond to all near fatal overdoses within 72 hours and provide harm reduction advice and onward referral to the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service. Following a near fatal overdose or if there is a risk of an overdose, East Renfrewshire residents can refer themselves, or a friend or family member, to the Turning Point Overdose Response Team.

Email: ggcortreferrals@turningpointscotland.com or call 08088 008 011.

Housing based support is provided to help people maintain their tenancy and support their recovery. A range of services can refer people to RCA Trust, including the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service, social work, and community mental health team.

Until the end of March 2024, Glasgow Council on Alcohol is offering individual, confidential and free alcohol counselling to people and their partners, families and friends. You can contact the service directly or be referred by another professional, such as your GP.