CATs are ‘Community Addiction Teams’ – new services in your local area which will provide support, advice, treatment and care to individuals experiencing problems with alcohol and drugs.

CATs bring together for the first time both Health and Social Work Addiction staff within one single team. CATs have been developed to:

• bring services closer to peoples' own home areas
• improve the quality of services – this means improvements in getting faster access to a wider range of more intensive support
• allow services to be delivered more effectively by reducing the number of different journeys individuals have to make to secure the best support for their needs
• give service users a bigger say in determining the type of support, treatment and care they receive
• making sure that the services individuals receive is the best available and matched to their needs in the least disruptive way

CATs will support, advise and assist individuals to think about the ways in which alcohol or drugs are effecting their lives, those around them and those whom they have responsibility for. CATs will help individuals identify problem areas and support them to make plans to tackle these.

Where individuals have more complex problems, staff from CATs will work with service users to look at the kinds of care and treatment that they might need in the short and long term. This might include:

• detailed advice and information
• counselling support and help
• access to groupwork
• help you with trying to access help from other services such as support from your doctor to help in the long or short term control or stop the use of alcohol or drugs
• help with physical health problems that alcohol or drugs might be causing or contributing to. This might include help with diet or nutrition, with wounds or dressings. Where these problems are more severe we can help in accessing more specialist help
• help with emotional and mental health problems that alcohol or drugs might be causing
• help with support that your family or people who care for you might need in coming to terms with problems caused by alcohol and drugs
• help for people who rely on you – especially children, who are affected by the use of alcohol and drugs