Substance Misuse - Consistency
Be consistent
- Explain to patients what the policy is and to be consistent in its
application.
- It is important to know that giving in to demands is
often not helpful, and can be undermining for a patient who is actually
expecting the security of a firm decision.
- If ‘no’ is the decision, it is important to follow it through confidently.
Involving the police
If the behaviour is clearly unmanageable, it potentially becomes a criminal matter.
- This should be made quite clear to the patient;
- if the patient fails to co-operate, the police should be called to remove
the patient;
- where theft or clearly witnessed unacceptable behaviour or injury has
taken place;
- may be more valuable to press criminal charges than to appear to avoid the
inconvenience of legal confrontation;
- the message of a firm course of action soon gets communicated to other
patients.
On to: Who does what in the team?
Back to: Substance misuse home page
Written by: Michael Harris
Last update:
07 May 2007
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