Source: Guidance for community-based

treatment and care services for people affected

by drug use and dependence in the Philippines
1. a unified body of individuals: such as a
state, people with common interests living
in a particular area, an interacting
population of various kinds of individuals in
a common location. A group of people with
a common characteristic or interest living
together within a larger society. A group
linked by a common policy,  a body of
persons or nations having a common
history or common social, economic, and
political interests.
Treatment provided in the community is less
invasive than other treatments such as residential
or inpatient treatments, and less disruptive to the
family, working and social life, thereby fostering
independence of the client or patient.
It is expected that the implementation of
community-based drug treatment will enable
people with drug-related problems to have
improved access to a range of quality services
from education, information and drug counselling,
to assistance in stopping or reducing drug use.
 Components Responsibilities Key actors Tasks
Community • Awareness • Community • Identifications of
Raising members drug users
• Public • Community- • Preliminary
education based workers screening and
• Health • NGO peer basic needs
promotion outreach assessment
workers • Basic
• Others counseling and
individuals and support
organizations • Referral of
operating in the people who are
community believed to
• ADACs have a
substance
abuse to health
centers.
Components Responsibilities Key Actors Tasks

Community • Provision of • Health center • Provision of basic

health basic health staff health education and
centers care including • Community brief counseling on
assessment volunteers risk of drug-related
and • Representativ problems.
management of es from local • Provision of support
minor injuries authorities. to drug users who are
and diseases not drug-dependent
• Liaising with NGO’s in
the community
organizations for
follow-up and
aftercare
• Referral of drug users
to DATRC’s or DOH
accredited physicians.
 Components Responsibilities Key actors Tasks
Treatment and • Treatment of • Health • Assessment
Rehabilitation complicated care/medical and diagnosis
centers, hospitals/ cases staff of substance
medical centers • Provision of • volunteers use and
medical, dependence
surgical,diagnos • Diagnosis and
tic and treatment of
emergency drug use
services disorders and
• Counseling and potential
rehabilitation comorbidities
• Medicated
detoxification (if
required)
• Psychosocial
counseling
• Mental health
examination
• Treatment of
medical
problems.
Aspects to be considered in a treatment plan (in the context
of hospital or specialist clinic)
 Components Responsibilities Key actors Tasks
Non- • Ensure a • NGO staff • Education about the
Governmental continuum of • Volunteers effects of drugs
Organizations care including HIV
• Provide ongoing prevention education
support to to the community.
clients and • Training of drug use
family disorders to law
• Focal points for enforcement
client • Collaboration with
management other stakeholders
and and organizations in
coordination of the community.
care. • Psychosocial
counseling
• Help support
groups.
 Components Responsibilities Key Actors Tasks
Law Enforcement • Consider • PDEA, PNP, • Collaboration
options other and other law with the
that arrest enforcement community
• Direct referral to agencies members and
residential organizations in
centers for drug the identification
users and preliminary
• Assist drug screening of
users in drug users.
receiving help in • Discussion with
the community. drug users and
families of
options for
treatment.
There are fundamental differences between
drug dependence treatments and law
enforcement procedures. In the treatment
context, drug dependence is considered a
complex health problem combining social,
mental and physical aspects. In the context
of law enforcement, illicit drug use is
regarded as criminal behaviour.
Dignity of patients, human rights, and “voluntary’
admission are primarily considered to provide the
highest attainable standards of health and well-
being.

Evidence-based good practice and scientific

knowledge on drug abuse guide all interventions.

Focus special attention on sub-groups—

adolescents, women (including pregnant women),
sex workers, ethnic minorities, homeless people,
LGBT and PWDs
Good clinical governance- clearly defined
policies, treatment protocols, programs,
procedures, definition of professional roles
and responsibilities, supervision and
financial resources.

Heath care system management rather than

the criminal justice system.
The journeys of the people affected by drug
use through the system of treatment and
rehabilitation BEGIN and END in the
COMMUNITY.