When a friend or relative enters treatment you will feel a mixture of emotions: relieved that they have sought help, angry that you have been left to cope without them, afraid of what will happen to them during and after their stay in treatment and probably a bit sad and lost without them. All of these emotions, and more, are normal in this difficult situation and we at Oxygen will do our best to help you understand what is happening.
How you can help the recovery journey
- Complete our family questionnaire to help us understand the consequences of the illness from which your relative/ friend is suffering - the more information we have the better we can tailor their recovery programme. We will always ask the resident for permission to obtain this information before we approach you.
- Accept an invitation to a family conference at which you, the resident and staff can discuss the effects the illness has had.
- Life in treatment is very structured and the resident will be facing many new challenges. Encourage your relative/ friend to fully participate in the treatment process - by doing this you will be helping them on the road to recovery and a life free of drugs and alcohol.
- Keep in contact with your friend or family member by letter or by telephone.
- Contact us whenever you have a question about the resident or the treatment they are receiving, or to check on general well-being.
Initial contact
- During the first two weeks at Oxygen Recovery a new resident will not be allowed to make or receive telephone calls or visits - this is to help the settling-in process by detaching them from outside influences.
- A client is allowed to contact their family on arrival in treatment to put people’s minds at rest. Family and friends are more than welcome to contact us during the two week detox period to check how clients are. We will let them know that you have been in touch.
- After the first two weeks you can contact the resident on the office telephone after 7.00pm during the week or at weekends. Once a Client is in the secondary stage they will be allowed to have their mobile phones and contact will become much easier.
- After the first two weeks clients are allowed three phone calls a week (received or made).
Visits
Clients are not permitted visits for the first four weeks of treatment. After this they are allowed two in-house visits from family and children over a weekend. The second visit, if agreed with by the team, allows clients out of the house for an hour. After their second visit clients can request visits out of the house for up to two hrs. In the later stages of treatment clients can request a day visit out of the house.
All visit are subjected to the client’s engagement within the programme and must be cleared by the team. Whilst on visits children are not permitted to go into the clients room or upstairs in the house and will need to be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Clothing
Clients can have clothing brought up on visits or they can have it sent through the post. All clothing brought or sent is subject to a staff search before it can be given to the client.
Electricals
Clients are able to have music devices within their bedrooms and can have CD’s sent to them or brought up on a visit. Clients are not allowed laptops, iPods or MP3 players in their rooms. We can make allowances for the access of private laptops when required, however we have our own laptops which the clients can request to use to access the internet. Once again this will have to be cleared with the key worker and the team.
Money
Clients are permitted £25 each week to spend. They can have money sent in or brought during a visit, which will be recorded and kept in our safe. A client can request to spend money outside of their £25 allowance. This will have to be cleared by the key worker and the team.
Post
There is no limit on the amount of letters a client can receive or send through the post, and stamps can be sent to the clients also. Please ensure if you are sending money through the post that it is sent as a recorded delivery as we cannot be liable for any lost post. We are unable to cash postal orders made to Druglink, they will need to be addressed to the client directly.