DIP Clinic 6th July 2010Jackie Roberts

WM IDTS RDMNational Treatment Agency

0121 352 5177

CARATS Release PlanningWhat’s the purpose?What should the plan include?Who’s involved?

Looking backwards & forwards..

Priorities

Release Planning by the bookGoal of any intervention is: successful

reintegration of the prisoner6 weeks beforeInform CJITSSmooth transition between treatment

services – custody to community Involve the CJIT where appropriateRelease Plan reviews in conjunction with CJIT

Release planning by the book….

CARATs will have a facilitative role) in ensuring the prisoner’s drug misuse is linked to the wider resettlement agenda

Harm Reduction In addition to completing a

release plan CARAT workers have responsibility for relaying and/or re-iterating harm reduction messages, including the risk of overdose on release.

The Release Plan should be drawn up with the prisoner and should summarise the prisoner’s drug use prior to CARATs intervention, the progress made in prison, what the main issues are that should be addressed outside prison and the arrangements made with a community drug agency to continue treatment post-release.

For remand/short, term prisoners the SMTA should feed into a basic Release Plan.

Release plans can only be issued to those bodies/individuals

to which the prisoner has given their formal consent.

Release Planning by the book..Release is a critical phase

and part of release planning should include assessment of the need for immediate support on release.

It is the joint responsibility of CARATs and CJIT to facilitate the best option for the individual:

• Do they require in-reach contact?• Do they need meeting at the prison

gate?• Do they require ongoing clinical

services?• What special consideration will be

needed for those

being released a great distance from home?

Release planning has been incorporated into the care plan.

CJITs have been informed.

Consideration has been given to family involvement?

CARAT workers have made use of Visitor centres where appropriate.

• A release plan has been drawn up.

• Healthcare has been consulted with.

• Links have been made to other resettlement agencies in prisons.

Plans… (Care, Transfer, RELEASE)

Completed Objectives v Outstanding Issues

Handover to Community … This is essential in order to:• Maximise the treatment gains made in prison;• Provide opportunities to access services incircumstances where the sentence was too shortfor intervention in prison;• Ensure continuity of treatment and reduce the

riskof relapse;• Reduce the risk of overdose inherent in a return

tothe use of street drugs after a period of abstinence.