Alcohol

Alcohol misuse is one of the most prominent causes and effects of homelessness. A high percentage of homeless individuals have some form of support need relating to alcohol misuse.  This section contains information about finding accommodation for homeless people experiencing alcohol addiction; treatment options for people suffering from alcoholism; and links to resources, news and websites concerning substance use.

ISSUES

Homeless Link’s Survey of Needs and Provision (SNAP) 2009 found that alcohol issues were among the issues most frequently affecting the users of homelessness services. They were reported as affecting 39% of clients in an ‘average’ homelessness project. This rises to 56% in day centres and 54 per cent in Direct Access hostels.

Our SNAP report also examins availability of alcohol services for clients requiring this support. SNAP 2011 found that while a high number of projects had access to both structured residential treatment, day programmes and harm minimization services, 62% of projects where these services were avaliable reported barriers to access. Furthermore SNAP 2011 found a significant reduction in overall avaliability relative to 2009/10 levels.

Our 2009 policy briefing on drugs, alcohol and homelessness and our response to the 2010 Drug Strategy consultation explore some of our key recommendations to improve policy and practice around drug issues for homeless people.

CONTEXT

Reducing the harms caused by alcohol and drugs is a key cross-government priority. The last government’s alcohol strategy Safe. Sensible. Social set out goals and actions to promote sensible drinking and reduce the harm that alcohol can cause. This has more recently been supplemented by the Government's Drug Strategy 2010 that for the first time explicitly addresses both drug and alcohol addiction.

The inclusion of alcohol in the new Drug Strategy is a welcome development as it may begin to address the funding and avalibality shortages experienced by people seeking treatment for alcohol addiction. However, although the strategy's emphasis on the recovery movement and peer led initiatives is very important for establishing sustained recovery these interventions should be delivered in tandem with proven clinical interventions not as a one size fits all alternative.

SOLUTIONS

Homeless people with alcohol problems may have specific housing and care needs arising from their alcohol use that service providers will need to address. Our briefing outlines some suggestions for overcoming some of the challenges in this area.

Despite the high prevalence of alcohol needs, many homelessness providers state that residential detox services have very long waiting lists. Delays for clients ready for this treatment can lead to relapse. It is important that investment strategies recognize the need for more specific detox services and accommodation for those with alcohol misuse problems.

Services which help clients address alcohol misuse need to recognise that clients will do this in different ways – treatment is rarely a simple, linear process. Outcomes for treatment therefore need to be measured appropriately. Individuals should be empowered to adopt the approach to recovery that is right for them and local services should offer harm reduction, voluntary-sustained usage reduction and abstinence based approaches.

FURTHER INFORMATION