Services for adults in Bolton

There are a number of agencies in Bolton who provide treatment for people who have a drug or alcohol-related problem.

Bolton Drug Service (BDS) provides counselling and medical treatment for drug use, and the Community Alcohol Team (CAT) for alcohol use.  Addiction Dependency Solutions (ADS) are the first port of call for alcohol users, they provide counselling and will refer people on to the CAT if this is necessary.  The Moving On Service, also run by ADS, provides counselling-based treatment, plus support around education, training and employment for drug users. 

Some people decide they want to stop using drugs altogether. There are options for people who want to find out more about stopping completely in our community abstinence service, which is run jointly by ADS and Bolton Drug Service. 

Safe injecting equipment and advice are available from the needle exchange at BDS.

For more information about each service, click the links to the left.

Drug and alcohol services in Bolton see people as individuals and know that there isn’t one type of treatment that will suit everybody. So, when you first contact (or are referred to) a drug service, you will be asked to come to an Options meeting, where workers from the Bolton drug treatment system will talk to you about your choices for treatment, including possibly becoming abstinent, or developing your skills and education if this is something you want to do.

Workers at the Options meeting will help you decide which service or services are most suited to your needs. A worker from this service/s will then help you to assess what is going on in your life, what your aims are and help you put together a personal plan of what might best help you to achieve them.

We recognise that your goals can, and will, change over time - your plan will be reviewed regularly to make sure that you are getting the most out of your treatment.

It is important to remember that 'Treatment' is not just about medication. It can focus on many different aspects of your life, like accommodation, work, and relationships. 

Treatment choices can include one, or more likely a combination, of:

• Information and advice
• Counselling
• Needle exchange
• Medical - basic health care, and prescribing of substitutes (e.g. methadone) for some people
• Detoxification in the community and support to help you stay abstinence
• Detoxification in a residential unit if this is right for you
• Residential rehabilitation, again, if this is the best thing for you

All services are confidential, unless the worker believes that you or somebody else, particularly a child or children, is in danger, or if there is a police investigation into certain types of crime.                        

All Bolton’s drug services are aware that different people have different wants and needs, and the drug worker or alcohol worker who works with you will make sure your treatment is focused on your goals and make your treatment journey personal to you.