Social Reintegration and Reduction of Social Exclusion Of

Structured Questionnaire 28 on

Social Reintegration and reduction of social exclusion of

drug users

Methodological information

Introduction

Enhance the effectiveness of drug treatment and rehabilitation by improving the availability, accessibility and quality of services is addressed in the current EU Drugs action plan 2009–12, specifically in Objective 7. This objective calls on Member States to deliver existing and develop innovative rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes that have measurable outcomes.

The tasks of the EMCDDA comprise the monitoring of the state of the drugs problem and of the responses to drug-related problems, including social reintegration. The Centre is furthermore charged with the development of tools and instruments to facilitate the Member States’ and the Commission’s monitoring and evaluation of their respective drugs policies.

Objectives

This structured questionnaire on social reintegration and reducing social exclusion of drug users addresses the policies and interventions Member States have established to protect drug users from further exclusion and to improve their social inclusion. It is aimed at collecting data through which a European synopsis of the policies relevant to the social inclusion of drug users can be drawn up, and an overview of availability, accessibility and diversification of interventions improving social inclusion and more particularly the employability of people in drug treatment.

Questionnaire Structure

A – Information on Policies to improve social reintegration and reducing social exclusion of drug users

Section A collects information on national policies regarding social inclusion and protection of social exclusion. Please note that the questions in this section address all drug users.

B – Information on interventions to improve the employability of people in outpatient and residential treatment

Section B collects information on interventions in a number of areas relevant to improve the employability of people in drug treatment. In the present section, information relates, when possible, only to people in outpatient and residential treatment. The questions follow, when possible, a hierarchical structure starting with interventions available to the general public (macro), followed by interventions for vulnerable groups, in which drug users may or may not be included (meso), and finally interventions specifically addressing only the needs of clients in outpatient and residential treatment (micro).

Please note that in case obstacles and/or interventions should differ between outpatient and residential treatment clients in specific questions of this section, please report the difference and specify the nature of this difference in your answer.

C – Information on social reintegration policies and interventions for problem drug users in other contexts

Section C includes a few questions regarding social reintegration policies and interventions for problem drug users in other contexts than outpatient and residential treatment.

Definitions:

Employability

Employability refers to a person's capability of gaining initial employment, maintaining employment, and obtaining new employment if required (Hillage and Pollard, 1998). For individuals, employability depends on the knowledge, skills and attitudes they possess, the way they use those assets and present them to employers, and the context (e.g. personal circumstances and labour market environment) within which they seek work. Crucially, the ability to realise or actualise ‘employability’ assets depends on the individual’s personal and external circumstances and the inter-relationship between the two. Personal circumstancesinclude caring responsibilities, disabilities, and household status which can all affect their ability to seek different opportunities and will vary during an individual’s life cycle.

Treatment

Treatment comprises all structured interventions' specific pharmacological and/or psychosocial techniques aimed at reducing or abstaining from the use of illegal drugs (EMCDDA Structured Questionnaire 27, treatment programmes). In the Pompidou Group-EMCDDA Treatment Demand Indicator Protocol, the following definition is provided: treatment is any activity that directly targets individuals who have problems with their drug use and which aims to improve the psychological, medical or social state of those who seek help for their drug problems. This activity often takes place at specialised facilities for drug users, but may also occur in the context of in general services offering medical and/or psychological help to people with drug problems (Pompidou Group-EMCDDA Treatment Demand Indicator Protocol version 2.0, 2000).

Residential treatment

Treatment programmes which require participants to live in a hostel, home or hospital unit. These programmes generally strive to provide a positive drug-free environment in which residents are expected to participate in a full-time programme of counselling, and group work developing social and other life skills (UNODC, Demand Reduction, A Glossary of Terms). Therapeutic communities are an example of residential treatment.

Outpatient treatment

Outpatient treatment is treatment where the patient does not spend the night on the premises.

Primary health care:

Primary care is the term for the health services that play a central role in the local community: GPs, pharmacists, dentists and midwifes. Primary care providers are usually the first point of contact with the health system for an individual.

Education

‘Education’ in the context of the present structured questionnaire is defined as a specific learning opportunity for former or current drug users. This implies that education is defined as the learning or upgrading of literacy or numeric skills but does not include specific training for a given kind of job.

For definitions of the three educational levels, please refer to the International Standard Classification of Education I S C E D 1997 (

Please also consult the Eurodice document available on our website on the description of the structures of the education systems from pre-primary to higher education (ISCED 0 to 5). This document illustrates in a clear way what primary, secondary and tertiary education corresponds to in each country and that according to the relevant ISCED categories.

Vocational training

Vocational or technical training is mainly designed to lead participants to acquire the practical skills, know-how and understanding necessary for employment in a particular occupation or trade or class of occupations or trades. Successful completion of such programmes lead to a labour-market relevant vocational qualification recognized by the competent authorities in the country in which it is obtained (e.g. Ministry of Education, employers’ associations, etc.).

Social housing

Social housing refers to housing that is let at low rents and on a secure basis to all people in housing need. It is generally provided by councils and not-for-profit organisations such as housing associations.

Transitional/half-way housing

Transitional/half-way housing addresses the transitional accommodation needs, in most cases after leaving residential treatment, with continuous and supervised staff support

Supported living

Supported living refers to independent apartments with some form of psychosocial support of staff.

The person has their own home and support is put in place to help them live independently. This could mean that they are supported for a few hours a week, everyday, overnight or 24 hours a day. The support is carefully planned to meet their needs to live independently.

Open labour market

An area of economic exchange in which workers compete for jobs and employers compete for workers

Intermediate labour market

The intermediate labour market is a supportive system which bridges the gap between (long-term) unemployment and open labour market employment and which is generally targeted at disadvantaged individuals (e.g. through social firms) and which also includes occupational and voluntary work.

Supported employment

The European Union of Supported Employment defines supported employment as “providing support to people with disabilities or other disadvantaged groups to secure and maintain paid employment in the open labour market”.

Outcome

An immediate or direct effect of a programme. Outcomes are frequently stated, for example: by a specified date, there will be a change (increase or decrease) in the target's behaviour, among the target population.

Outcome indicator

Outcome indicators relate the results of a project in the target group to its specific objectives (and the underlying working hypothesis).

For further definitions, please consult the online EMCDDA Best Practice Portal glossary.

Internal identification

EMCDDA data collection year

Report identification

Country

Year of data

Name of the person submitting this structured questionnaire

Institutional affiliation

E-mail address

Other experts involved in providing information for this structured questionnaire

Methodology used to fill out this Structured Questionnaire

PART A

Policies to improve social reintegration and reducing social exclusion of drug users

Social Reintegration and the National Drug Strategy

1.1Does your National Drug Strategy or Action Plan include a social reintegration-specific section?

Yes
No
No information
No National Drug Strategy or Action Plan available

Comment:

National Social Protection and Inclusion Policies
Primary health care

2.1Does your country have a national primary health care strategy?

Yes
No
No information

2.2If yes, are drug users explicitly addressed in your national primary health care strategy?

Yes
No
No information

2.3If not mentioned explicitly as a group, is there information available about drug users addressed within other target groups?

No information

2.4If yes, please describe

Comment:

Housing

3.1Are the accommodation needs of drug users explicitly addressed in yourNational Social Protection and Social Inclusion Plans[1]?

Yes
No
No information

3.2If yes, please describe:

3.3If not mentioned explicitly as a group, is there information available about drug users addressed within other target groups?

Yes
No
No information

3.4If yes, please describe

3.5Are there separate national or regional social inclusion or housing strategies or action plans addressing specifically the accommodation needs of drug users in your country?

Yes
No
No information

3.6If yes, please describe and provide references.

3.7Please assess the importance of supporting the accommodation needs of drug users in the written drug policyof your country (National Drug Strategy or Action Plan)

Priority in written drug policy
Mentioned in written drug policy
Not explicitly mentioned in written drug policy
Not known
Not applicable

3.8If applicable, please list the objectives/actions in your National Drug Strategy or Action Plan to support the accommodation needs of drug users

Comment:

Education

4.1Are the educational needs of drug users explicitly addressed in yourNational Social Protection and Social Inclusion Plans?

Yes
No
No information

4.2If yes, please describe.

4.3If not mentioned explicitly as a group, is there information available about drug users addressed within other target groups?

Yes
No
No information

4.4If yes, please describe

4.5Are there separate national or regional social inclusion or education strategies or action plans addressing specifically the educational needs of drug users in your country?

Yes
No
No information

4.6If yes, please describe and provide references.

4.7Please assess the importance of supporting the educational needs of drug users in the written drug policy of your country (National Drug Strategy or Action Plan)

Priority in written drug policy
Mentioned in written drug policy
Not explicitly mentioned in written drug policy
Not known
Not applicable

4.8If applicable, please list the objectives/actions in your National Drug Strategy or Action Plan to support the educational needs of drug users.

Comment:

Employment Policies
Employment

5.1Are the employment needs of drug users explicitly addressed in your National Employment Plans[2]?

Yes
No
No information

5.2If yes, please describe.

5.3If not mentioned explicitly as a group, is there information available about drug users addressed within other target groups?

Yes
No
No information

5.4If yes, please describe

5.5Are the employment needs of drug users explicitly addressed in separate national/regional/federal plans that correspond/answer to/implement the National Employment Plans?

Yes
No
No information

5.6If yes, please describe and provide references.

5.7Please assess the importance of supporting the employment needs of drug users in the written drug policy of your country (National Drug Strategy or Action Plan)

Priority in written drug policy
Mentioned in written drug policy
Not explicitly mentioned in written drug policy
Not known
Not applicable

5.8If applicable, please list the objectives/actions in your National Drug Strategy or Action Plan to support the employment needs of drug users.

Comment:

Other policies
Other social reintegration-related interventions

6.1Please list the main social reintegration–related objectives and actionsincluded in your National Drug Strategy or Action Plan other than those already mentioned in the previous questions of this section.

Comment:

Sources and references for PART A

PART B

Interventions to improve the employability of people in outpatient and residential treatment

The welfare benefit system

1.1Are there legislations attached to the welfare system that facilitate the movement of people in drug treatment to the labour market (e.g. tax reduction to employers, incentives, facilitated administrative procedures, etc)?

Yes
No
No information

1.2If yes, please describe

Comment:

Primary health care

2.1Are there any obstacles preventingpeople in drug treatment accessing primary health care that is available to the general population in your country?

Yes
No
No information

2.2If yes, please illustrate with examples (e.g. fees, medical cards, availability of service, prejudice). Please also describe how obstacles, if any, are being removed.

2.3Are there any specific primary health care interventions available to people in drug treatment in your country in addition to the primary health care available to the general public?

Yes
No
No information

2.4If yes, please describe.

2.5Please assess the overall coverage of the treatment population’s needs

Full: nearly all people in drug treatment in need of primary health carecould obtain it on request
Extensive: a majority but not nearly all of them could obtain it on request
Limited: more than a few but not the majority of them could obtain it on request
Rare: just a few of them could obtain it on request
Not available
No information

2.6Please provide some further contextual information regarding your rating

Comment:

Housing

3.1Are there any obstacles preventing people in drug treatment accessing the general housing market in your country?

Yes
No
No information

3.2If yes, please describe.Also, please specify which of these obstacles are drug-use related and different fromthose of other socially vulnerable groups (e.g. documented policy of exclusion of people in opioid substitution treatment, etc)

3.3Are there programmes/services to facilitate the access of people in drug treatment toindependent living within the general housing market (e.g. treatment-related subsidies)?

Yes
No
No information

3.4If yes, please describe.

3.5Are there social housing facilities targeting socially vulnerable groups which are accessible to people in drug treatment?

Yes
No
No information

3.6If yes, please describe.

3.7Are there any criteria/conditions attached to accessing these social housing facilities for people in drug treatment (e.g. not being in opioid substitution treatment, etc)?

Yes
No
No information

3.8If yes, please describe these criteria/conditions, as well as known problems attached to these conditions.

3.9Are there specifichousing facilities available to meet the accommodation needs of people in drug treatment? Please describe according to the following 3 categories:

Emergency accommodation (hostel, shelters)

3.10Are there specific housing facilities available to meet the emergency accommodation needs of people in drug treatment?

Yes
No
No information

3.11If yes, please describe.

3.12Are there any criteria/conditions attached to accessing these specific emergency accommodations for people in drug treatment?

Yes
No
No information

3.13If yes, please describe these criteria/conditions, as well as known problems attached to these conditions.

3.14Please assess the overall coverage of the treatment population’s needs

Full: nearly all people in drug treatment in need of emergency accommodationcould obtain it on request
Extensive: a majority but not nearly all of them could obtain it on request
Limited: more than a few but not the majority of them could obtain it on request
Rare: just a few of them could obtain it on request
Not available
No information

3.15Please provide some further contextual information regarding your rating

Comment:

Transitional/half-way housing

3.16Are there specific housing facilities available to meet the transitional accommodation needs of people in drug treatment?

Yes
No
No information

3.17If yes, please describe

3.18Are there any criteria/conditions attached to accessing transitional/half-way accommodation for people in drug treatment?

Yes
No
No information

3.19If yes, please describe these criteria/conditions, as well as known problems attached to these conditions

3.20Please assess the overall coverage of the treatment population’s needs

Full: nearly all people in drug treatmentin need of transitional accommodationcould obtain it on request
Extensive: a majority but not nearly all of them could obtain it on request
Limited: more than a few but not the majority of them could obtain it on request
Rare: just a few of them could obtain it on request
Not available
No information

3.21Please provide some further contextual information regarding your rating

Comment:

Supported living

3.22Are there specific housing facilities available to meet the supported living needs of people in drug treatment?

Yes
No
No information

3.23If yes, please describe

3.24Are there any criteria/conditions attached to accessing supported living for people in drug treatment?

Yes
No
No information

3.25If yes, please describe these criteria/conditions, as well as known problems attached to these conditions.

3.26Please assess the overall coverage of the treatment population’s needs

Full: nearly all people in drug treatmentin need of supported livingcould obtain it on request
Extensive: a majority but not nearly all of them could obtain it on request
Limited: more than a few but not the majority of them could obtain it on request
Rare: just a few of them could obtain it on request
Not available
No information

3.27Please provide some further contextual information regarding your rating