Workshop Session
This presentation shares a collaboration of two agencies - Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) and Singapore After-Care Association (SACA).
The current dominant evidence-based approach in effective case management practice is Risk, Needs and Responsivity (RNR) model, which prescribes the use of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to address offenders’ criminal thinking and behaviours. While CBT is useful in working with individual offenders, the systemic approach opens the possibilities of intervention by examining past and current familial interactions that may influence client’s current drug use behaviour.
A systemic approach seeks to understand an individual in relationship with others, i.e. the family that he or she would return to rather than in isolation. This would mean having a view of recovery through the lens of the family and as a key partner and resource in recovery. The whole family, including the offender is supported to improve communication, increase cooperation, and develop more functional patterns of interaction, leading to long-term positive changes in the family system.
To develop and test this approach, SANA and SACA began a family work project with two families, integrating a systemic lens with existing assessment and intervention practices to the family in recovery.
The presentation will share the journey of the person-in-recovery and their family as well as reflections from the team. The team will share the broader use of RNR assessment to include a systemic perspective to support the practice. This method provides a structured way for case managers to work with families with more clarity and confidence in Singapore.
Charlotte Stephen joined Singapore Prison Service (SPS) in 2000s as a counsellor. She worked extensively with youth, women, and people with drug abuse challenges, as well as those with criminal thinking. In her more recent time with SPS and with Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) Charlotte has raise community awareness of issues and challenges with drug use with a focus on youth, women and addiction through webinars. She also was chair of a local Conference that sought to amplify the voices of drug desistance in the community. Her interests the past few years was on desistance for women and while at SANA, she co-authored and produced a book to capture the stories of these women with SPS colleagues A Woman's Journey Home: Stories of Hope & Empowerment. She also was interested and has been trying to understand the journey of the families who have a member who is in recovery too from illegal drug use.
Charlotte works with practitioners and clients alike in providing quality care. She was recently seconded to Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) is a Self Help Group established in 1991 to uplift the socio-economic status of the Indian community in Singapore.
Charlotte has a Masters in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy and is a certified Substance Abuse Counsellor and has a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Supervision.
