Council and democracy

Tiered specialist drug and alcohol services

Tier 1 - generic social care offering basic advice and information and referral to specialist substance misuse services.

Tier 2 - open access advice and information services offering immediate access to a trained key worker. A comprehensive range of support services is provided county wide including a specialist needle exchange running together with a highly effective pharmacy needle exchange programme.

Tier 3 - services are divided into medical and non-medical interventions.

• Non-medical interventions comprise care planned comprehensive treatment including structured one to one, day care and group work. They are often offered at the same location as Tier 2 services.
• Medical services are provided by Hertfordshire Partnership Trust at 8 locations countywide. Each of these Community Drug and Alcohol Teams (CDATs) offer care planned prescribing services such as Methadone maintenance programmes and are overseen by clinical consultants.

Tier 4 - interventions comprise residential rehabilitation and medical inpatient detoxification. We make extensive use of these services for severely alcohol and drug dependent clients. Referrals are led by individual clients needs and a variety of providers are used both within and outside the County.