Counsellor supplied drugs 'to help addicts get clean'

sambuka41

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/counsellor-supplied-drugs-to-help-addicts-get-clean-2313727.html

How on earth could this man have thought what he was doing was right? Pretty unbelievable, I work in this area and can understand the frustrations at the lack of services available but to go to these lengths seems unreal.

A question I have is in relation to his age, in the article it says that he is 26 and at that age he is assistant director and Manager? I have seen this in one place i worked where the management range between 24-28,which is too young imo. But i thought that place was a one-off, apparently not.

I was wondering what other peoples opinions are about someone of 26 being in such a position of authority and responsibility. (which of course in this case he did not respect his role but in general?)

Valmont

I'm confused, why did he give them drugs if he wanted to get them onto a detox program?

Drella118

The nature of what he was doing isn't exactly clear from the article.

However, what I expect was going on was that he was giving oral morphine or a similar drug, such as Oxycontin to heroin users as an alternative to heroin. If this is the case, essentially what he was doing was similar to prescribing methadone as an alternative to injected, impure street drugs.

It's a difficult situation to call, whether he was really helping drug addicts to avoid adulterated drugs for injection or if he was just feeding drug users habits.

As someone who works in drug addiction treatment, I can really see both sides of the story.

Valmont

Drella118 wrote: »

As someone who works in drug addiction treatment, I can really see both sides of the story.

Do you think a prison sentence is bit harsh?

sambuka41

I suppose he seen it as harm reduction in the extreme. Is it the ignorance of youth i wonder? Thinking that he knows better than the system,I mean granted its not fun compiling statistics and appealing for additional services but to be so convinced that you know better then anyone and take the lives of vulnerable people into your own hands seems reckless to say the least.

Im not sure about prison sentence but he was supplying drugs and he did put those people in great risk. The road to hell being paved with good intentions and all.

Valmont

sambuka41 wrote: »

Thinking that he knows better than the system

This is the HSE we're talking about right? It's hardly a paradigm of universal truth and success.

sambuka41

Valmont wrote: »

This is the HSE we're talking about right? It's hardly a paradigm of universal truth and success.

Ha ha true,very true. But it is the system and you wont change it by going outside of it the way he did. He experienced it from the other side and still chose a career working within it. Its an awful system,no doubt, but for the meantime (wishful thinking!!) it is the system thats in place and to work successfully in it requires a realistic acknowledgement of that fact. Its all red tape bulls**t but thats the way it is.

JuliusCaesar

Valmont wrote: »

This is the HSE we're talking about right? It's hardly a paradigm of universal truth and success.

There's a huge difference between a dysfunctional organisation, and the professionals who work in it - who are professionally responsible and uphold ethics.

I can say nothing about the case in point, as I know nothing about it bar the newspaper report; but I presume he belonged to a professional organisation and is therefore signed up to an ethical code, which usually contains some paragraph about working within your professional limitations.

(I can't remember what my contract with the HSE said, but it probably covers issues of confidentiality and non-malfeasance.)

Its all red tape bulls**t but thats the way it is.

Sometimes, just sometimes, the "red tape bull****" is there for a reason. All the checking you go through pre-op is there for a reason, though it may be a pain in the ar*e when you're saying yes, that's my name, yes, that's my date of birth for the fourth time.

The problem is the lack of resources, and mismanagement of the the HSE from the Minister down.

Valmont

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

The problem is the lack of resources, and mismanagement of the the HSE from the Minister down.

Looking at the budget and the wage bill for the HSE would lead me to believe that it is simply the case of mismanagment rather than a lack resources. Perhaps a few thousand less job-for-life bureaucrats might free up some money for beds or improved mental health and addiction services.

*Just curious why you edited my post? It doesn't look any different.

JuliusCaesar

Valmont wrote: »

*Just curious why you edited my post? It doesn't look any different.

I just mistakenly clicked the 'edit' button instead of 'quote' -

Odysseus

Firstly, I must check up but I wonder if this person was a therapist. Often any worker in the drug field is considered to be a counsellor. I could be wrong, but I would guess that this person was "in recovery" themselves, as often these are the people who think they have all the answers, as they where addicted themselves, and what worked for them has to work for others.

I hate when things like this make the press as it shines a negative light on those of use trying to work within a system. It’s not the first time things like this have happened. Prison visits became more difficult a while ago are a worker "in recovery" relapsed and was caught trying to smuggle drugs into one of the prisons. Though I want to be careful here and not tar all people in recovery with the same brush.

I know the system is not perfect as I am stuck in it most days, but things like this highlight the quality of training for me. The addiction services have a very low qualification entry level and this is often used by addiction agencies outside the HSE. Quality training is no guarantee that things like this won't happen, but I think it would reduce the frequency of these events