RSA Whole Person Recovery: a user-centred systems approach to problem drug use

Whole Person Recovery is the RSA’s second major investigation into UK drug policy following the well reported Drugs – Facing Facts published in 2007.

With Whole Person Recovery, the RSA set out to understand in a holistic way how problematic drug and alcohol users become trapped in cycles of addiction, what helps or hinders their journey to recovery, and how their recovery can be sustained.

Located in Bognor Regis and Crawley, Whole Person Recovery is a partnership between the RSA and the West Sussex Drug and Alcohol Action Team. For the past 18 months the project has involved more than 200 former and current drug and alcohol users in the design and development of the services and institutions they require to better meet their needs and will continue to support a core group in taking forward the ideas in the final phase between now and March 2011.

The findings from the report make a case for initiatives and services that are more personalised and user centred, better balanced between psychosocial and medical interventions and better able to draw on a whole community response to the problems associated with problematic drug and alcohol use.

This free event launches the report. If you would like to attend please contact janet.hawken@rsa.org.uk or visit our website