Please take me off your mail list.
-----Original Message-----
From: Wendy Dawson
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 4:43 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [EFTC] Sad News from Norway.
I am in full support of this action.
Wendy
Sent from my iPad
On 22 May 2012, at 14:03, Rowdy Yates <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hello
>
> Apologies for my delay in responding. I've been at the EWODOR Symposium
> in Thessaloniki and only returned late last night. I received Anthony's
> original message on the last day of the Symposium and made a special
> announcement. It is a huge understatement to say that people were
> surprised. I think the feeling in the room was one of shock and despair.
> It feels doubly crushing that this should happen to one of our most
> respected and high profile members just at the time when therapeutic
> communities and the recovery movement seemed to be staging a real comeback
> across Europe and senior politicians have begun to voice their support for
> recovery (and their disillusionment with the costs and results of
> substitute prescribing). It would seem that that message has yet to
> trickle down to service commissioners and particularly the the Health
> Sector where there continues to be a great deal of resistance to change
> and a deeply-rooted scepticism towards recovery and TCs.
>
> I really don't think that we should let this go unchallenged. I suggest
> that we issue a joint EWODOR (European Working Group on Drugs Oriented
> Research) & EFTC press statement deploring these developments and pointing
> to the cost savings that can be achieved by recovery-oriented therapeutic
> communities. I believe that there continues to be a belief that
> residential treatment is more expensive than its community-based
> (ambulatory) counterpart - despite the evidence that it is actually
> cheaper. I further propose that this press statement should be in the
> form of an open letter to the Norwegian Government's Minister of Health -
> who I think is currently Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen (someone will need to
> correct me if I have this wrong).
>
> I will draft a short press-release this week and agree it with the Boards
> of both organisations. Clearly we have very little control over what the
> big news agencies choose to take up but the strength of feeling from the
> membership of two major European addiction networks ought to count for
> something here.
>
> In addition, I plan to write an open letter to all the current residents,
> conveying your thoughts and feelings and offering our support in this
> difficult and unsettling time. I am very concerned that in the worry over
> the future of the service and redundancy issues for the staff we risk
> losing sight of how devastating this will be for those who currently call
> this house home (sometimes the first time they have really had one).
>
> With best wishes and fraternal greetings.
>
>
>
> Rowdy Yates
> Acting President
> European Federation of Therapeutic Communities
>
>
> Scottish Addiction Studies
> School of Applied Social Science
> University of Stirling
> Scotland
>
> T: +44 (0) 1786-467737
> F: +44 (0) 1786-466299
> W: http://www.dass.stir.ac.uk/sections/showsection.php?id=4 (home)
> W: http://www.drugslibrary.stir.ac.uk/ (online library)
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Therapeutic Communities [[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Anthony Slater [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 20 May 2012 14:58
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [EFTC] Sad News from Norway.
>
> Dear friends,
> It is with a very heavy heart that I have to inform you that Phoenix House
> Haga, Norway has lost its funding from the South Eastern Regional Health
> Authority in Norway.
> The decision was communicated last Monday from the Health Authority.
> If it is not possible to manage to get this decision overturned before the
> end of June, then the funding that Phoenix requires will cease from July
> 1st 2012, as I understand it at this time.
>
> Although I recognize that drug free therapeutic community treatment is not
> for everyone at all times during recovery, I am left astounded that a
> treatment programme with such a long history of effectiveness during this
> last 21/22 years, is to be closed by the stroke of a pen via civil
> servants.
>
> As many or most of you will know, for health reasons my direct involvement
> with Phoenix Haga has been limited over this last 12 months, however
> although I’m now retired from Phoenix Haga, I am committed to assist
> Phoenix Haga as much as is required through this very difficult time.
> Phoenix Haga a not for profit therapeutic community was open in 1990 and
> admitted the first resident group in August of the same year.
>
> Former residents of Phoenix have created an action page
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/457976380883491/ which can be found ( just
> look for an icon of a loud speaker and go from there) the page has over
> 17.000 hits at present and very moving statements sharing people’s
> feelings and experiences. Although I realize that many of list members
> will not be able to read the Norwegian language, please believe me when I
> say that the messages truly embody the spirit of the therapeutic
> community.
>
> I am able to visit Phoenix Haga on Monday 21/May and hope to be briefed on
> the present situation plus receive the contact details of the relevant
> political offices, persons and civil servants to continue to challenge
> what is a devastating blow to many peoples present and future recovery.
>
> On behalf of the community of Phoenix Haga, graduates, staff’ families,
> the board of directors, I call upon and implore all friends and
> associates to support us during this very bleak time in our history.
>
> Sincere thanks in advance,
> Anthony Slater ( Former director –Phoenix House Haga, president E.F.T.C.)
>
>
> --
> The Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year 2009/2010
> The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland,
> number SC 011159.
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