Horizon is a free, confidential and professional drugs, alcohol and sexual health support service for Blackpool. At Dickson Road you can receive a range of drug and alcohol harm reduction interventions and our experienced sexual health team offer non judgemental guidance and support with any issue relating to sexual health and health and wellbeing.
- We recognise the issues facing those living with and affected by HIV, we see the
impact on individuals and communities - We understand the difficulties experienced by survivors of sexual violence
- We support the health and wellbeing needs of those within the LGB and T community
- We work with a range of vulnerable adults including sex workers and drug users
- We will complete an assessment with you to find out what your needs are
- We will work with you on a one-to-one basis to help you overcome your problems
- We will refer you to and connect with other people and services that can help you
Drug and Alcohol Assertive Outreach
Drug and Alcohol Assertive Outreach is part of the wider HORIZON Project for Blackpool.
The motivation of drug and alcohol clients fluctuates, resulting in missed appointments and reduced client outcomes. The drug and alcohol assertive outreach service will significantly improve re-engagement of clients dropping out treatment services, and will assist in the engagement of those most at risk of acute illness and early death, such as chaotic users and the homeless.
Although the assertive outreach service has this dual remit, to re-engage as well as to engage treatment naïve, it is intended that the bulk of the project work is to re-engage clients.
Assertive outreach service will work with clients in a variety of settings to ensure maximum engagement and re-engagement with drug and alcohol treatment services.
How do we do this
The Assertive Outreach Service offer:
- A flexible and creative approach to contacting and working with all clients who have dropped out of treatment services
- They aim to re-establish contact with clients who have a history of erratic or non-engagement with services or a history of erratic or non-compliance with treatment, or who have dropped out of treatment; and provide advice, support and guidance including the use of motivational interviewing techniques to encourage re-engagement with services
- They aim to successfully engage clients who have disengaged by assessing and provide interventions to clients.
- They also encourage dependent drug and alcohol users who are not known to services to access appropriate substance misuse treatment and main stream services
- Outreach work with acute and mental health hospital staff to transfer drug and alcohol related hospital admission patients into Horizon.
- The team support Alcohol Liaison Nurse Service at BVH to link drug and alcohol clients into community services
- They also offer “in reach” to hospital wards to form bridge between hospital and community services
- The team offer assertive outreach to street drinkers, providing support and advice and seek to engage street drinkers in treatment services. Collate data in relation to where street drinkers procure their alcohol to advise the public health licensing objectives.
- and provide outreach service to clients who have been discharged from hospital and not presented for substance misuse treatment.
You can contact the Assertive Outreach Team on 01253 311431 or for a direct referral into Drug &/or Alcohol Support and Treatment, call 01253 205157 or email hello@horizonblackpool.uk
Harm Reduction, in terms of alcohol and drug use, includes things such as:
- Providing clean needles and drug paraphernalia to injecting drug users, including steroid users
- Encouraging monitoring alcohol units via a drink diary and staying within safe alcohol unit guidelines
- Giving information on how to stay safe on a night out, whether drinking alcohol and/or taking drugs
- Giving information on how to stay safe when taking recreational drugs and so called ‘legal highs’
- Providing dry blood spot testing for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV plus vaccinations for Hepatitis B
If you would like any information or advice regarding the above, please contact us in confidence. Our Needle Exchange is also available for advice around safer injecting, to provide clean FREE injecting equipment and to offer dry blood spot testing and Hep B vaccinations.
FOR OPENING TIMES AND LOCATIONS OF ALL NEEDLE EXCHANGE SERVICES IN BLACKPOOL CLICK HERE
- Assertive outreach workers will support you to access treatment or maintain treatment appointments if you are struggling. The team work closely with peer mentors and will visit you in the community or at home.
- Advice and information on reducing harm to yourself when using drugs or alcohol, including injecting steroids.
- BBV screening and Hep B vaccinations
- Hep C Support, one to one support for those hep C positive
- Image performance enhancing drugs support, clean injecting equipment available in house and online from PinsAndNeedlesPro.co.uk & BBV screening.
- Needle exchange hub provides clean injecting equipment and paraphernalia and disposal services.
- Take Home Naloxone programme and overdose awareness training for service users and front line professionals.
Download and view our latest Harm Reduction Literature HERE 
For Steroid, Botox, Tanning and other cosmetic and performance enhancing injecting equipment, visit our sister site here:
