In the face of the closure of 31 rehabilitation centres in the UK during the past 24 months some 40 residential rehabilitation centres across the country came together in December 2010 to form’ The Concordat’ to collectively address this growing problem.

At the core of the issue is the sharp decline in addicts and alcoholics receiving funding to get into rehab – it is estimated that only 2% of registered service users ever get the opportunity to attend residential treatment. We would like to see this number rise to 15 or 20%.

Whilst the Government cannot currently increase the £800 million it spends on ‘treatment’ our aim to ensure that Residential Rehabilitation is guaranteed to get a much fairer slice of that money than the current 2%.

If we do not act then many more residential rehabilitation centres stand to close in the coming months. It really is becoming a desperate situation.

Ultimately we do not wish to exclude the evident benefits of the range of tier 3 services but rather work them with to ensure a full and accessible suite of rehabilitation options are on offer to their clients to achieve a life of total abstinence.

The Concordat realised the best ‘voice’ for the promotion of residential rehabilitation would be that of those who have graduated from their respective rehabilitation centres and on the 13th of July 2011 The Concordat Graduates were formed at a meeting in London.

On that day we decided upon the following:

* Our purpose to promote that residential rehabilitation works, that a life of total abstinence is eminently achievable and that residential rehabilitation should be an viable option to any addict wishing to  access it

* Our approach is to be ‘top to bottom’ – lobbying from the Cabinet to the local MPs to the local NHS directors to the local service provider commissioners  right down to the GPs

* Our message should remain wholly positive, offering no view on any other type of treatment, only that residential rehabilitation is an option that works

If residential rehabilitation was an essential part of your journey into a life of total abstinence then please, we urge you to register your support for what we are doing and enable our voice to become ever more powerful with those whose hearts and minds we seek to change…