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Sakeena

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Category: Sakeena

Published on Tuesday, 03 May 2011 16:30

Written by rightstart

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Aims

Deliver drug awareness workshops and offer counseling, support and advice, in a culturally sensitive and competent manner, to women from the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali and Yemeni community who are affected by drug misusing partners, family members and friends. Ultimately RSFI wishes to assist these women to help drug misusers in the rehabilitation process.

Why project?

Many women from the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali and Yemeni communities have limited, if any, knowledge about drugs or the affects of drugs on individuals. They are exposed to unpredictable behavior from drug misusers resulting in abuse low-self esteem, lack of confidence and ultimately a break down of the family unit. According to National Statistics online, the number of young people taking drugs has increased. This is more apparent amongst these hard to reach communities, where lack of knowledge amongst other elements, is resulting in more young people turning to drugs and crime. This project provides mothers, wives, partners, daughters and sisters who are struggling emotionally with unpredictable or even abusive behavior with tailored counseling, support and advice that address their issues. More importantly this project helps women be in a position where they can help the drug misuser in their family, through the treatment and rehabilitation process.

Why Women from these communities?

The Pakistani community is the largest ethnic minority community residing in Birmingham, with the Bangladeshi community following shortly behind. The Yemeni and Somali communities are relatively new arriving communities, but have been exposed to the same problems regarding drug abuse. Within these communities the women play a pivotal role in the day-to-day running of the household affairs. A study carried out by the University of Central Lancashire in 2003 highlighted several themes which require urgent attention by services to improve accessibility of BME communities. Of these themes, one was to improve delivery, retention and outcomes to all members of the communities, which drug services served. It was also evident that there was a lack of knowledge about the nature and extent of drug use amongst the BME groups as well as fears of confidentiality being breached. With service providers there was a lack of understanding of Black and ethnic minority cultures, language and having insufficient number of staff from Black and ethnic minority groups.

How?

RSFI has strong ties and connections with established institutions from the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali and Yemeni community, which these women access. This is one platform, which RSFI will utilise to deliver the Sakeena message in a culturally sensitive and competent manner. By coming to our fully equipped premises off Broad Street and drop-in sessions in established community institutions serviced by our trained and dedicated female staff, we hope to treat, support and advise women affected by the Drugs problem.

What and where?

Following intensive ground research RSFI believes we can engage targeted communities in Birmingham through established community institutions to deliver the following services:

• Drug awareness workshops

• Provide counseling, support and advice to women

• Provide awareness about the effects of drug misuse within their families

• Equip women with the necessary skills to help and support drug misuser in the rehabilitation process

• RSFI assists women by providing them with various therapies to address underlying problems and to equip them with the knowledge and skills to help drug misusers in the rehabilitation process. These therapies include:

• Counselling

• 5 Step-Approach

• Social Behaviour Network Therapy (SBNT)

• Motivational Interviewing