Treatment

Institutions and organisations providing treatment in Georgia.

CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND PREVENTION OF ADDICTION (CMHPA)

Provider of diverse treatment and harm reduction services
Detoxification of alcohol and drug addicts – inpatients and outpatients
Treatment of psychotic disorders due to alcohol and drug use
Providing of Simultaneous –psychiatric and addiction treatment services in case of dual diagnosis (psychiatric inpatient department on 80 beds; outpatient department)
Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) (The service received up to 800 patients per year)
Check up on narcotic and alcohol use and dependence
Opioid substitution therapy (OST)

SERVICE PROVIDED BY CMHPA IN ADDICTION FIELD

“One Window” system to provide OST, Hep C treatment with new generation medications, rehabilitation, treatment of dual diagnosis
Long-term psycho-social rehabilitation in average 6 months for OST patients (funded by GFATM)
Primary (short-term) medico-psychological rehabilitation (state funded)
Rehabilitation
3 outpatient rehabilitation day centers
2 week medico-psychological care in State programs after hospital
Short, sporadic programs, mainly with international funding
Group psychotherapy
Individual psychotherapy
Family psychotherapy
Aertherapy
Bibliotherapy
Sport activitie
Tsi-gun
Telephone-based councelling
VCT and peer education
Methadone treatment in penitentiary system
Long-term methadone detoxification up to 6 month in 2 prisons
Service is operating by CMHPA
2214 inmate beneficiaries since y. 2008
Needs
Primary prevention services are limited and insufficient
There is limited number of well trained staff for selective and indicated prevention services
There is not sufficient expertise and confidence to implement internet-based treatment interventions and counseling.
There is not sufficient technical resources for implementation of internet-based treatment interventions and counseling (there is not computerized programs, guidelines etc).

Threats of current policies for Rehabilitation

Non-friendly legislation diminishes early detection and care of persons with drug problems including.
Non-friendly attitudes in the society lead to stigmatization of drug users and hampers development of sufficient services.

OST Clients
2014 – 4500
2015 – 6000
2016 – 5500

Drug market – eclectic, dynamic, changeable
Basic trends:
Opioids
Homemade stimulants
Poly-drug abuse
New Psychoactive Substances
Pharmaceutical drug abuse

http://aumag.org/2014/07/18/harm-reduction-in-georgia :
Sabelshvili notes that they cannot collect used needles for a needle exchange program as many other countries conduct, because anyone caught with a syringe containing even a trace amount of an illegal substance risks jail time of up to fourteen years and huge fines.