Tales of recovery at engaging Addictions Services conference

Characters from a Back to the Future-themed addictions conference staged by CNWL made guest appearances, during which inspiring tales of recovery were heard.

The conference theme, chosen and developed by service users, enabled people to think about the future - both for themselves and for Addictions Services.

The Engage Conference is a regular event that brings together service users, CNWL staff and stakeholders.

Held at Notting Hill's Essex Church, and attended by more than 120 people, it included a variety of talks from professionals about services and new research; from service users and peer support workers about recovery, co-production and the future shape of services as well as prizes to service users.

Among these was Senior Mental Health Worker Leon Eckford who spoke of the stigma that still exists towards recovering substance misusers and his work as a service user representative against this.

Conference attendees also heard from a group called Dual Diagnosis Anonymous of Oregon, whose recovery model CNWL is looking at, considering substance misusers often have both mental health and addiction problems.

The conference also heard from CNWL Senior Service User Coordinator Paul Barrett who is bowing out from the Trust after eight years.

He said: "I feel very privileged and proud to have worked at CNWL. I've got so many memories, including the work we've done on peer support in Tanzania and seen so much hope among the people we've worked with."

Head of Addictions, Jody Lombardini, said: "This has been such an inspiring conference. We heard so many tales of recovery and hope. I was so touched by the bravery of the service users who were prepared to share their stories.

"For me the conference is important as it has given me the opportunity to reflect and to remind myself why I work in this field and why it's important to fight to all aspects of addictions care."  

Editors' notes

The photos show CNWL's Club Drug Clinic founder Dr Owen Bowden-Jones; service user Hendrik de Vries (dressed as Doc Brown); mental health worker Leon Eckford; andPaul Barrett.

For more details:

Contact Senior Communications Officer Jeremy Dunning on 0203 214 5756 or emailjeremy.dunning@nhs.net

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Stephenson House, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL
Tel: 020 3214 5756 e-mail:communications.cnwl@nhs.net