NCJ Number
62540
Date Published
1979
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF HONG KONG'S ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (AA), AN ORGANIZATION OF FORMER DRUG ADDICTS, IS DESCRIBED IN THE AFTERCARE OF EX-ABUSERS, DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION, AND COMMUNITY ACTION.
Abstract
THE SOCIETY FOR THE AID AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ADDICTS (SARDA) WAS ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG IN 1961 TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE BUILDING OF A TREATMENT CENTER FOR DRUG ADDICTS. SINCE THAT TIME, SARDA HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE DRUG-FREE REHABILITATION THROUGH INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT. AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF SARDA'S PROGRAM IS THE AFTERCARE COMPONENT. THIS IS MANAGED BY AA, A SELF-HELP AND MUTUAL-SUPPORT ORGANIZATION COMPOSED OF AND MANAGED BY EXADDICTS. EX-PROGRAM CLIENTS HAVE HOUSING PROBLEMS OR FAMILY DIFFICULTIES MAY BE PLACED TEMPORARILY IN ANY ONE OF FIVE HOSTELS OR HALFWAY HOUSES RUN BY THE AA. DECENTRALIZED AFTERCARE IS PROVIDED AT FIVE AREA OFFICES, WHERE SOCIAL CASEWORK, GROUP WORK, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES ARE RENDERED BY TEAMS OF PROFESSIONAL WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF AA IS TO REINTEGRATE THE AFTERCARE CLIENT INTO THE COMMUNITY AS A DRUG-FREE, CRIME-FREE, AND PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY. SUPPORTING OBJECTIVES ARE TO ENHANCE FAMILY RECONCILIATION, VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND PLACEMENT, SEVERANCE FROM THE DRUG SUBCULTURE, READMISSION TO TREATMENT ON RELAPSE, AND THE PROVISION OF WHOLESOME FRIENDSHIPS THROUGH MEMBERSHIP IN DISTRICT CHAPTERS OF THE AA. A COMPARISON OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 100 NEW MEMBERS OF THE AA AND 100 NONMEMBERS WHO CHOSE NOT TO JOIN THE AA UPON RELEASE FROM TREATMENT SHOWED THAT AFTER 2 YEARS OF FOLLOWUP, 57 PERCENT OF THE AA GROUP WAS ABSTAINING FROM NARCOTIC DRUGS VOLUNTARILY, COMPARED TO 9 PERCENT OF THE NON-AA GROUP. THE AA ALSO HELPS SARDA WITH CASE FINDING AND CRISIS INTERVENTION, WHILE AA COMMUNITY ACTION TEAMS REACH INTO 'HIGH-RISK' NEIGHBORHOODS TO HELP THOSE VULNERABLE TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE DRUG SUBCULTURE. TABULAR DATA AND NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)