Charlie talks about the need to recognise relapses as part of the process of getting clean. He points out that people should be supported in clean houses [houses where residents are required to stay clean as a condition of residence] with the understanding that they are likely to relapse. Relapse should be seen as part of recovery and staff should be trained to understand this in order to deliver effective care and support – Mat Amp [Groundswell’s point of contact for community reporters]

…that’s what I’m saying. The lapses should be part and parcel of a clean house, You’re supposed to expect it. So, that’s why I say it is important to have trained staff, specifically trained staff in the houses so they can go through the detox again. It’s like when I work with someone with mental health issues, which is my little niche, is mental health. When I’m working with them, I expect them to to relapse, to get the depression back, to get all the different types of things back. But if what you find is that after two weeks they go back into their shell,  then you pull them out of their shell again and the next time it lasts for four, five, six weeks, but it happens again. And then you get them out their shell again then. The next time It’s about three, four months. And then you might have a little one that’s a two week one and they go back into it. But then the next one after that may be about six months, it’s a process you work through and that’s what these trained staff should know and be working with in these houses, is [the knowledge] that they are going to relapse. But you’re trained and you’re shown how to bring them back online with it.