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The opening of a high care hostel for problem drinkers
Author(s) -
BRETHERTON HARRIET
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1992.tb02675.x
Subject(s) - clarity , openness to experience , agency (philosophy) , feeling , set (abstract data type) , personal care , psychology , voluntary sector , public relations , nursing , social psychology , sociology , political science , medicine , family medicine , social science , biochemistry , chemistry , computer science , programming language
This paper gives a personal and practice based account by one of the Team Leaders of the opening of a high‐care hostel for problem drinkers in North London. The hostel, Rugby House, was set up to provide detoxification and assessment facilities for thirteen residents. It was pan of the Rugby House Project, an alcohol agency in the voluntary sector. The paper explores the processes involved in setting up a new project; how the new paid employees turn a committee's vision into practice; how a group of individuals become a team; the importance of clarity about boundaries and underlying values and assumptions; the need for openness about negative as well as positive feelings; and the recognition that some of the experiences of staff will resonate with those of the residents for whom giving up drinking is a major life change.