11th April 2022
People with an interest in addiction issues from across the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area, including staff, service users and carers are invited to take part in a Harm Reduction Café on Friday 6th May, 12-3pm, in the beautiful courtyard garden at St Luke’s Hospital, Armagh.
Organised through ‘So Hope’ the Harm Reduction Café aims to provide people with substance misuse, family members or the community information regarding the impact of substance misuse and information on where and how to access support both within the trust and from community and voluntary sector providers.
So Hope is a partnership between health and social care staff and people with addiction issues who work together to help improve addiction services.
Julie-Ann Gray from the Community Addiction Team explains: “We are very aware of the importance of involving the people who use our services to help shape and continually improve them for everyone. Through So Hope, staff and service users have come together to form a common ground, wanting to share their experiences and make positive changes both in their own journey and also for the recovery of others. So far the group has been a great success, forming a support group, influencing a number of service changes and establishing Harm Reduction Cafes.
“So Hope believes that where there is hope there is help – so we warmly invite anyone with an addiction or perhaps their family member to come together to our Harm Reduction café where, in a very open but confidential environment, people can obtain information regarding the impact of substances on their health and be advised of how to access services within local community or trust facilities.”