QUOTES
FROM INDIVIDUALS FROM THE
AFRICAN/CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITIES
”Talking
to someone from your own culture gives you peace of mind,
they understand, they know where you are coming from, can
relate to them.”
Speaking
of existing mainstream services, “They are not culturally
empathic, there’s no fairness of treatment, a lot
of distrust with them, cultural identification is important,
and experience of empathy is too.”
‘”I
felt isolated I felt lonely, seeing workers from similar
backgrounds would have helped, to be culturally identified
with would have been good.”
“Black
and Asian don’t come forward for help, but if there
was specific Black and Asian services there, maybe I would
have got help a lot quicker.”
The
finding of the 'REACH REPORT 2006' highlights a need for
cultural identification; connection, understanding, cultural
empathy and BME related services provision.
Underlying
causes for drug and alcohol addiction.
The
following are responses from the group members as to what
they believed were the causes or contributors that lead
them to misusing/abusing substances:
·
Issue’s with loss and bereavement
· Lack of understanding of emotional experiencing
(‘take drugs to numb the pain’)
· Inability to deal with failures in life
· Not meeting family expectations
· Depression
· Anxiety
· Abuse (mental, bullying, physical, sexual)
· Genetic predisposition
· Racial abuse
· Low self esteem
· Lack of self worth
· Poor upbringing (dysfunctional homes, uneducated
and broken families)
Many
of this group struggle to deal with painful feelings such
as guilt, isolation, shame, despair and fear as well as
dealing with mental health problems. Clearly these are difficult
psychological and mental health issues underlying their
drug addictions. (Reach report 2006)
What
is Bac-in helping their clients to achieve?
·
Level of self manageability
· Increased personal responsibility
· Improved health
· Awakening Higher consciousness
· Structure and routine
· Improved communication
· Forging strong relationships with families
· Improved life skills
· Healing family rifts
· Abstinence
· Harm reduction
· Improved decision making skills
· Stopping criminal activities
· Reduction in community fears and anti social activity
· Entering Volunteering opportunities, education
and training, peer mentoring initiatives
· Employment
· Reemployment
· Supported referrals into tier 4 secondary care
Why
clients choose to stay with Bac-in
Up to about 75% choose to stay with Bac-in. Their reasons
for staying with Bac-in vary: We have identified the following
from service user evaluation feedback:
·
Cultural empathy
· Cultural identification
· Sense of belonging
· Being a part of
· Feeling included
· Acceptance
· Openness/Genuineness
· Trust
· Being heard
· Family environment
· Being respected as a person and not just seen as
a symptom or a problem
· Out of hours community support
· Peer role models to inspire & motivate
· Out of hours pro-active/responsive phone support
· Following through
· One to one structured support
· Consistency of support
· Familiarity with all Bac-in support staff
· Boundary setting
· Discipline & Order
· Love & welcome
· Friendship
· Community and Unity
· Education about my condition
· Work with Cultural identity
· Social events
· Mutual Understanding
· Meeting new people
· Learning about life skills
· Personal development
· Help with underlying problems
· Solutions to problems
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