UK Parliament Commendation for FASS Adapt

Thank you to Neale Hanvey MP for celebrating our work with an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the UK Parliament and mentioning us during the Misuse of Drugs Act debate in the House of Commons. It's greatly appreciated!

You can view our EDM here: https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/58707/fassadapt-supporting-substance-misuse-in-fifes-communities-during-the-covid19-pandemic

You can read the debate here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-06-17/debates/A1B14B26-EBB7-415F-9AA8-1620726307C5/MisuseOfDrugsAct

It is an privilege to help our Fife community.

Volunteer Stories

One of our Volunteer Counsellors has shared a story.

What motivated me to become a counsellor?

An unexpected conversation with my niece changed the direction of my life. In the family lounge of the hospice where we visited my sister for many weeks, my niece remarked that I should become a counsellor as I was always listening and supporting other relatives while we waited to see her mum.

Although I’ve always been told I’m “a good listener” and seem to be the kind of person that people feel they can tell their troubles to, I didn’t know very much about what counselling involved. I did a bit of research and thought it sounded interesting. So, I enrolled in an introductory course at the local college and discovered that it was definitely a path I’d like to explore further. I then did a follow-on course before I enrolled at university to study for a Masters Degree in Counselling, which I’ll complete this summer.

As part of the course we complete two years working as a volunteer trainee counsellor in a placement setting and I was lucky to join FASS in 2019 where I received specialist training before I began working with clients who were looking for support to change their problem drinking.

The whole team at FASS are such a great source of learning and support – my supervisor, fellow trainees, experienced counsellors and admin staff – have all been fantastic, both professional and supportive. I’m learning so much but mainly that the learning never stops!

I’ve also met so many lovely people both in face-to-face counselling sessions and, since lockdown, on the telephone: men and women of all ages and from all walks of life. It’s such a privilege to listen as they share their stories. In FASS we have a person-centred approach. Everyone is unique and I enjoy collaborating with clients to find what works best for them as they change their behaviour around alcohol and we explore the underlying issues that may be at the root of their difficulties, helping to identify and develop the skills they need to move forward in their lives.

Recently, I’ve been reading about the importance and power of connection for those seeking help with difficulties in life: maintaining good connections with the people around us that we trust and are supportive, as well as wider social connections to gain purpose and direction in our lives can have a really big impact.

Developing trusting relationships with clients and offering them hope that they can make changes are fundamental to how I see my approach as a counsellor. It might be a cliché, but l feel lucky to be doing something that I love, that is worthwhile, is making a contribution to our community and that might make a difference to someone’s life.

You out more about volunteering for FASS here: https://www.fassaction.org.uk/support-us-volunteer/

FASS launches local Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Service

FASS (Fife Alcohol Support Service) will, in April, launch East Central Scotland’s first local Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder service. FASD is a result of pre-birth exposure to alcohol and is a life-long condition with no cure. FASD Fife will provide local peer and one-to-one support for parents and carers of those with FASD and raise awareness of the condition locally.

Evidence points to the fact that the little known disorder is 3 to 6 times more prevalent than autism and little diagnosed. Even so, FASS knows already of at least 20 families in Fife caring for someone with FASD. A National Lottery award from The National Lottery Community Fund will help those families connect and uptake local resources that can help. The funding was made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

Down the Lane with ADAPT

Dave Dempster, Substance Misuse Manager recently took part in the Down the Lane podcast produced by the Linton Lane Centre in Kirkcaldy. Dave talked about about our ADAPT service, which he manages, and explained how it supports people in Fife with Drug and Alcohol problems. Also, their partners and other family members.

Dave talked about ADAPT as the primary Triage service in Fife for drug and alcohol issues. He explained that drug problems or alcohol problems are often linked to other difficulties experienced in life and these need to be taken into account if we are to help people with care and attention. His staff and volunteers are trained to assess people's needs and find the right services within the NHS, Fife Council and among Voluntary Organisations. ADAPT supports people through the whole process of entering and engaging with these services.

You can listen to Dave on the Down the Lane podcast here

Dave also spoke about the latest service to commence in ADAPT. Acudetox helps treat addiction, stress, anxiety and low mood. Similar to acupuncture, Acudetox also known as Auricular or ear acupuncture helps relieve these symptoms. The service is available by appointment in the Linton Lane Centre and in venues in Glenrothes.

If you're looking for Acudetox or otherwise need help with a drug or alcohol issue why not call ADAPT on 01592 321321. They really can help.