Telford STaRS is a confidential and easy to access service for people living in Telford and Wrekin who need support for their alcohol or drug use.

Provided by Inclusion, part of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, the service works with adults and young people (aged 10-18) to support with their recovery journey, offering a range of evidence-based interventions. It also works with families and carers who are worries about a loved one’s substance use.

Case study

Patient X self-referred into Telford STaRS in September 2023 seeking support with his alcohol use as he was drinking daily due to a breakdown in relationship and being unable to see his child. In October 2023, he was detoxed in hospital where a Telford STaRS team member jointly worked with the Drug and Alcohol Liaison Team (DALT), receiving daily updates on the patient’s condition. The team organised for a discharge plan for the patient to move into the Telford Aftercare Team (TACT) where he would receive additional support for his alcohol use in the form of 1:1 support and through groups and activities.

He engaged well with the team member to address his alcohol use and relapse prevention support. A referral was also made to the Telford STaRS Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner to help the patient develop coping strategies for dealing with his emotions, such as anger, anxiety and depression which contributed to his triggers to his alcohol use. The patient engaged well with this service also. Once our psychosocial interventions were complete, he was still abstinent and was accessing mutual aid in the community, but felt that he would benefit from more support in the form of groups for more peer support. He was therefore referred onto the Telford STaRS recovery group where he continued to engage well. After completing this the patient was referred to the Willowdene Day Group, which he thoroughly enjoyed and aided him in remaining abstinent. The patient also regained contact with his son, which also promoted his recovery.

For more Telford STaRS case studies, visit https://www.telfordstars.org/case-studies. For more information about the service, including how to access support visit https://www.telfordstars.org