Substance Misuse Programme priorities

Our priorities are centred around improving capacity to offer world class treatment and recovery services and work across the system to improve access to peer support and employment opportunities as part of treatment and recovery progress. We also work to increase referrals and supporting into treatment and prevent deaths and suicide prevention linked to substance misuse.

We want people to be well-informed about the impact that drinking and abusing substances can have on their health. And when they need support to quit, we want them to know where to go to have the best chance possible in sustaining this.

Our priorities are to:

  • Increase the number of people accessing and completing treatment for substance misuse.
  • Increase the number of substance misusing people from vulnerable and priority groups engaged by someone from a multi-disciplinary outreach team.
  • Expand the treatment provision for substance misuse and alcohol dependence and address any gaps in service provision.
  • Effectively target our investment in and focus on early intervention and prevention.

To support these priorities, we will:

  • Collate new data and needs assessments to better understand the current and future health and service needs of our population.
  • Improve how we identify high-risk drinkers and offer support to them.
  • Increase referrals to substance misuse services from the police (custody), probation and criminal justice system.
  • Monitor how effectively we refer to and sustain people in drug treatment services upon their release from prison.
  • Make sure that residents in supported housing have access to a GP and get holistic support with any mental health and substance use problems.
  • Help rough sleepers to access drug treatment programmes via targeted outreach (also part of the homeless health programme).

Find out more

Lambeth Council’s guide to substance misuse help and support.