DrugFam Services

DrugFAM supports families, young people friends and carers affected by a loved one’s use of drugs or alcohol.
As a charitable organisation we focus on 5 main areas of work with our clients:

1. Telephone Support office@drugfam.co.uk 01494 442777 or 0845 3883853
2. Weekly Support Groups operationsmanager@drugfam.co.uk
3. Befriending Service office@drugfam.co.uk 01494 442777
4. One to One Professional Counselling counsellor@drugfam.co.uk
5. Bereavement Support elizabeth@drugfam.co.uk

We have a dedicated, small but very experienced team who throughout the year work with organisations such as schools, prisons, the probation service and other professionals to offer them an insight into how a loved one’s misuse of drugs or alcohol can affect the lives of families and carers.

Many of our clients benefit from using just one of our services but as a charity we pride ourselves on being able to offer our families or carers a flexible range of support to meet their individual needs. For some using a combination of the help we can provide works best and we also encourage engagement with a wider range of services where appropriate such as Carers Organisations. Whilst we work with individual family members and carers we focus on ‘whole family recovery’ and our aim is a positive outcome for everyone including the drug or alcohol user. In the last year we have worked with over 500 individuals and offered them a variety of tailored support.

Our Telephone line is available from 9am to 9pm 7 days a week, for most people this is the first point of contact and often the first time they have spoken to anyone about a loved one’s addiction. It can be overwhelming and stressful for callers so as well as offering practical support and signposting to other DrugFAM services we able to set up regular telephone contact from either a staff member or volunteer. We also encourage our Family Support Group members to use the phone line between meetings if they require additional help, sometimes the families we work with just need a listening ear.

We currently run 3 weekly Support Groups in High Wycombe, Slough and Swallowfield, near Wokingham. Those who attend our groups find the support they receive from the facilitators, and more importantly the other members, invaluable in dealing with their family situation. For many it is the first opportunity they have had to speak openly and honestly about a loved one’s addiction and the effects this has had on them as individuals and as a family unit. All our facilitators have been trained to hold groups by the national organisation Adfam.

A new area of work for us is our Befriending Service and is particularly appropriate for those families with extra needs such as disabilities, transport or childcare issues or for those who want some contact face to face but do not feel ready to engage with our professional counsellor or group support. Befriending also enables us to engage with families where English is not the first language and we are able to draw support from a range of volunteers who can act as translators.

DrugFAM are also able to offer One to One Professional Counselling, and we encourage our group members to access this service. There are times in our lives when we experience distressing events and feelings, especially for those that are affected by someone else’s use or misuse of drugs and or alcohol. In counselling we can look at these issues in a confidential supportive way, exploring different ways of looking at our lives, gaining more insight into our situation, our relationships and ourselves.

Sadly, at times, our members require the specialist support of our Bereaved by Addiction team. As well as offering telephone support and meeting in person, the trained support team works closely with our professional counsellor to ensure the best possible care for these individuals and families. This support and care further includes the opportunity to attend our annual Bereaved by Addiction Conference which this year welcomed 120 delegates.

The work we do relies on a team of dedicated professionals and trustees, a highly respected founder and also our committed volunteers. With the help of our volunteers and staff we are able to give the highest level of support to troubled families as well as offering an ‘education’ programme.

If you need support please do contact us by phone or by email or drop in to our office at 8 Castle Street High Wycombe, Bucks.