Social assistance needs of opioid substitution therapy clients in the Kyrgyz Republic and solutions
Abstract
Increasing the effectiveness of achieving the goals of treatment of people with dependence on the use of psychoactive substances is achieved with a combination of medical and socio-psychological
interventions. So the clients of opioid substitution therapy have, in addition to health problems, other problems in other areas of life, such as the restoration of family, work, documents, and so on.
Despite the ongoing activities, there is no clear mechanism of interaction between social and medical services in the Kyrgyz Republic. Social issues are solved with the help of non-governmental organizations working in the field of providing services to drug users.
Social workers work mainly among segments of the population such as pensioners, the disabled, and so on. But they don't know how to work with patients with drug addiction. In order to build an organizational structure of medical, psycho-social assistance to persons with dependence on the use of psychoactive substances, it is necessary to find out the needs for social assistance from the clients of opioid substitution therapy programs themselves.
My presentation I would like to address to my PhD project and discuss the questions: "What are the needs of opioid substitution therapy clients in social assistance? What are the possible solutions?".
The study is based on the use of qualitative research methods, such as interviewing clients of opioid substitution therapy, employees /doctors of substitution therapy points, NGO employees working in the field of providing services to people who consume psychoactive substances.