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CONCLUSIONS OF THE COURSE
OF SENSIBILISATION
ON THE SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL
APPROACH
TO ALCOHOL RELATED AND
MIXED PROBLEMS
(Hudolin’s
Method)
Cerrreto, 2 - 7 September 2002
From 2
to 7 September 2002 the Course of Sensibilisation on the social
ecological approach to alcohol related and mixed problems was held in
Cerreto (Prato) organised by A.N.P.A.S. Solidarietà Internazionale,
Scuola Europea di Alcologia e Psichiatria Europea, Università degli
Studi di Firenze, Associazione Eurocare Italia, Associazione Provinciale
Club degli Alcolisti in Trattamento di Firenze, – Centro Collaborativo
per la Ricerca e la Promozione della Salute sui Problemi di Salute
Alcol-correlati, , Osservatorio su Fumo Alcol Droga – Istituto Superiore
di Sanità, in cooperation with Italian Association of the Clubs of
treated Alcoholics – A.I.C.A.T., Regional Association of the Club of
treated Alcoholics – A.R.C.A.T. – Toscana, Centre of Alcohology,
University of Florence (Careggi Hospital), Collaboration Centre for
Research and Health Promotion on Alcohol Related Health Problems –
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome (Italy), Local Association of the
Club of Treated Alcoholics, Florence.
The
participants thank Dr. Guido Guidoni as Director of the Course, Dr.
Valentino Patussi and Dr. Franco Marcomini as Codirector for their
precious co-operation, , the group leaders Tiziana Codenotti, Annabella
Muckermann and Angela Tilli, Sandra Tempestini for secretarial work,
the teachers Giuseppe Corlito, Francesco Piani and Daniele Pieralli. A
special thank to all the families and servant teachers in the Clubs that
have been visited.
The
participants to the Course came from Bielorussia, Greece, Lithuania,
Rumania and Italy, with total number of 24.
The
presentations, the discussions in the groups, the friendly and warm
relationship among the participants and the visits to the Clubs, have
led to the following conclusions:
1.
The core of Prof. Hudolin’ s methodology is the Club of Treated
Alcoholics.
2.
The Club of Treated Alcoholics is structured in a simple way: between 2
and 12 families gather once a week in a multi-family community within
the local community, based on a family approach.
3.
The Club of Treated Alcoholics must follow these fundamental rules:
a)
Fixed meetings, date, time, place and punctuality;
b)
Smoking is not allowed during the Club meetings;
c)
When the Club reaches 13 families, it must be split up. It is advisable
that this happen at least once a year, to encourage more families to
join the Club.
d)
The discussions within the Club are confidential.
4.
The servant-teacher should provide simple and clear information to the
new families joining the Club, at the Local School on Alcohol Related
Problems. The Local School on Alcohol Related Problems is
structured in three levels:
1st
level: 10 meetings for new families (no more than 10 families). The
teacher must always be the same.
2nd
level: 1 updating meeting every two years with the same teacher for
those families who are already in the programme.
3rd
level: 2 to 4 meetings for the general population.
5.
Training and updating of servant-teachers are organised as follow:
a)
Basic training: a Course of Sensibilisation on alcohol related and mixed
problems;
b)
Updating courses on alcohol related and mixed problems (alcohol and
drugs, alcohol and psychiatry etc.)
c)
Intermediate Courses of two/three days (anthropological spirituality,
relapse, family approach, etc.)
d)
School of Specialisation, the so-called “300-hours School”.
6.
Prof. Hudolin’s methodology includes the possibility to introduce
families with alcohol related problems and mixed problems in the Clubs.
Mixed problems are the combination of an alcohol-related problem and the
use of psychoactive substances, psychiatric troubles, religious,
political and social troubles, homelessness and other particularly
complicated troubles. It is not safe to have more than 20% families with
mixed problems in a Club.
The conditions for such families to enter the Club are:
Families with mixed problems have to inform the Club about their
own situation and the Club has to decide whether such families are to be
accepted.
The
Club and the servant-teacher must be specifically trained and updated on
mixed problems
The
servant-teacher must also co-operate with the professionals (for example
psychiatrists) who are actually treating the people with mixed problems.
7. The
Club works well in the handling of relapse which is not a tragedy but a
common evolution in the history of families with alcohol related
problems. Relapse has an important role in the work of the Club. Usually
relapse is considered in terms of drinking alcohol again. Yet, a more
frequent form of relapse is a withdrawal to the old behaviour and
lifestyle. The alcoholic’s whole family may relapse. Other forms of
relapse may be caused both by the behaviour of the servant teacher as
well as of the whole Club, and by the relapse of the local community
where the Club works. Relapse is an acceptable situation in the Club, it
should not be dramatised, but everything should be done to eliminate it.
Besides, we should not forget that the Club exists because people who
drink do exist and consequently people who relapse exist.
8. It
is important to stress that this methodology is based on the family and
its spiritual and material bonds. If a member has no family it is
necessary to find a substitute family, which has the same
responsibilities as the other families.
9.
Anthropological spirituality was included in Professor Hudolin’s
methodology. By spirituality he didn’t mean a spiritualistic or
religious approach, but an expression of the general human culture,
which combines both science and humanities.
10.
The principles the Club’s methodology is based on fit very well into the
health promotion principles included in many international documents,
such as the Alma Ata Declaration, the Ottawa Charter, the Adelaide
Conference, the Principles of Health for All in 21st Century,
the Copenhagen Declaration, the Jakarta Declaration, the European
Charter on Alcohol and the latest Stockholm Declaration.
11.
During the Course most participants from different countries said they
would start a Club of Treated Alcoholics as soon as they return to their
countries.
12.
All participants will be informed about any International Course of
Sensibilisation organised in Italy. They will do their best to spread
the news about this course in their community in order to encourage
people to attend it.
13.The
participants asked for information and promotion material. The
organisers will provide it in Italian and /or English. It is up to the
participants to translate it.
14. All Participants asked whether it was possible to organise a
short visit (1/2 days) of the Italian members of the Association in each
country to promote Hudolin’s method. This visit should be done in no
later than one year. In countries where are 3-4 Clubs working, a Course
of Sensibilization may be organised.
15.The
participants coming from Bielorussia said they would write articles on
five different papers and magazines to promote Prof. Hudolin’s method
for alcohol related problems, organise a meeting at University and open
3 new Club in October 2002.
16.The
participants coming from Greece said they would soon meet to keep in
touch and discuss about the development of the Club movement in their
country.
17.
The conclusions of this Course will be published on “Camminando Insieme”,
AICAT News, “The Globe”, ANPAS News and other international publications
and in web side’s
www.aicat.net,
www.arcattoscana.org.
e
www.anpas-internazionale.org Besides, a short communication
will be sent to scientific reviews, which will report on the initiative.
18.
These conclusions will be also sent to the World Health Organisation-
Regional Office for Europe, namely to the Alcohol Drug and Tobacco Unit.
19.
Each participant has the duty to spread these conclusions in their own
country to health and social authorities and to non-governmental
organisations.
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