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Guttempler in Deutschland were founded in 1884 as an independent organization within the world wide International Organization of Good Templars. Today the mutual help and support groups and the after care for addicted people and their relatives are the most prominent parts of our volunteer work. Prevention work, alcohol control policy, children and youth work, education and training for volunteers are further main topics of the activities. The IOGT idea is based on the general principles
Thus the recovery from alcohol or other substance related problems is seen as a starting point for further personal growth and development of the individual and his / hers relatives. Mutual help groups are not only focussed on overcoming the addiction but come together and work to regain self-esteem , confidence and the power to seek for a better life. This includes the family, working place, the local environment and society as a whole.
Guttempler in Deutschland is a non-profit non-governmental organisation. The cooperation with the professional system for help and recovery in respect to addiction problems is very close. However the mutual help groups and the member groups are seen as a totally independent track. The organization acts local through its groups in respect to mutual help, prevention and after care and the youth and children groups and activities. “Act local and think global” is one of the key-notes for the work.
Guttempler in Deutschland cooperate very close with other organizations in Germany in the field of mutual help. The organization is active member in one of the biggest social welfare organizations in Germany (Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband) and in the German Centre for addiction issues (Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen). With regard to alcohol control policy the organization is members Eurocare.
Guttempler in Deutschland had in 2004 about 900 mutual help and member groups. Every week these groups are attended by about 21.000 women and men from which about 8.000 are members of the organization. Guttempler can be found in nearly all counties in Germany. They are organized in eleven districts. Help and support is offered without any payment or charge to everyone in need.
The first steps towards recovery are normally done in the so called “Gesprächsgruppen” where mutual help and support in overcoming the addiction problems is the main topic. The member groups are focussed on personal growth and development but also take care of proper and knowledge based aftercare. The volunteers are recruited in these groups. To get engaged in mutual help and support for others means an important step towards personal growth. Beside that it helps to stabilize the abstinent way of live and helps to prevent relapses. In 2004 about 2.500 volunteers were engaged in the various activities of Guttempler in Deutschland. They make use of the broad variety of education and training courses offered by the organization. Beside the group work there are at some places local telephone help lines and the possibility to start the contact by a visit at home.
In the programme and statutes Guttempler in Deutschland express their will to
For further information contact
Wiebke Schneider
Guttempler in Deutschland
Adenauerallee 45
D-20097 Hamburg / Germany
Phone: +49-40/245880
e-mail: Schneider.OZ@Guttempler.de
The KREUZBUND Soc. Inc. (Germany)
Objectives of the Kreuzbund
The Kreuzbund Society Incorporated is the Catholic self-help and helpers' community for addicts, ex-addicts and their relatives in Germany. It is a specialized association of the German Caritas charitable institution and the numerically greatest German self-help organization for addicts. Kreuzbund is a member in the German Main Office for Addiction Problems (DHS).
The association aims at the prevention and after-care of addicts, problem users or drinkers and their relatives. The aim of the self-help groups is for individuals to achieve stable recovery, including personal growth and well-being. Objectives are the rehabilitation and integration of sufferers from addiction into family, profession and society. Kreuzbund contributes significantly to the consolidation of an abstinent lifestyle by offering useful leisure time activities without alcohol.
Self-help in addition to professional help for sifferers from addiction
At the moment the Kreuzbund is represented in Germany by 1,600 self-help groups and consists of some 15,000 members; these are complemented by another 15,000 persons (approximately) who come to the groups every week and who are not yet members of the association. Kreuzbund can be joined by anyone who sees the objectives and tasks of the association as positive; sufferers from addiction have to commit themselves to abstinence.
The help offered by Kreuzbund is essentially characterized by group work and conversation. The groups and the voluntary helpers are often the first institutions contacted by sufferers from addiction and their relatives who are looking for help. They become involved during out-patient or in-patient treatment and cooperate with professional specialists such as physicians, psychologists and social workers.
Kreuzbund is thus an important link and indispensable component of the system of help for sufferers from addiction. Years of experience and statistics have shown that the success of any therapy is positively influenced by the attendance at a self-help group. Approximately one third of the persons attending a self-help group manage to find their way to a life free of addictive substances without recourse to out-patient or in-patient treatment.
Some 90 per cent of the sufferers from addiction, who are long-term members of a Kreuz-bund group, remain permanently abstinent. The relapse ratio is less than ten per cent.
The story of the Kreuzbund
Kreuzbund has its roots in the Catholic Church. Father Josef Neumann, a catholic priest, founded the Kreuz-bund in the city of Aachen close to the border to Belgium and the Netherlands in 1896.
Josef Neumann had realized that much alcoholism was due to poverty, which was widespread at that time. He wanted to create a lively counterweight in the tradition which valued moderation and abstinence. He, himself, chose an alcohol free way of life. As a result of this background the Kreuzbund was known as a wholly and entirely an "abstainers’ society" until the sixties of the 20th century. The members at that time practiced abstinence in solidarity without being addicts themselves.
Only when alcoholism was recognized as an illness by the WHO and by the German Supreme Social Insurance Tribunal in 1968, addicts themselves found their way to the Kreuzbund. The "abstainers’ society" Kreuzbund became the "self-help and helpers' community for sufferers from addiction". For more than 30 years the self-help aspect of Kreuzbund has grown while the concept of the “abstainers’ society” has taken a secondary place.
Office of honour as basis of the Kreuzbund activities
Kreuzbund is divided into groups, diocese and Land associations and the federal association. Some 6,000 members have taken over functions of honour, as group managers as well as in the managing committee. There is a close cooperation between the voluntary helpers and the few full-time employees in the federal head office at Hamm. These employees are responsible for putting into practice the basic elements and ideas of after-care in the self-help field and for administration and organization.
The qualification of the voluntary Kreuzbund helpers is continuously improved by training and further training. Advanced training and seminars are offered nationwide as well at diocesan, Land associations or at the local level.
Kreuzbund is a non-profit-making association. It is financed by its own resources (membership fees, donations) and by earmarked outside means contributed by public and church authorities.
Kreuzbund cooperates with the welfare associations as well as with institutions and people who care for sufferers from addiction and also with public health bodies, church, political groups and public administration.
Public relations work and representation of interests
The public relations work of Kreuzbund includes the communication of information, prevention and the representation of interests of sufferers from addiction. With respect to the issues of social and health policy, Kreuzbund sees itself as champion and spokesperson for people dependent on addictive substances. It is the objective of Kreuzbund to make the public at large sensitive to a problem-solving approach to issues relating to legal and illegal drugs.
Prevention is another focus. Kreuzbund gives information about the origin and the consequences of the misuse of addictive substances as well as about possible help, particularly in schools and businesses.
HEINZ-JOSEF JANßEN
(General Secretary)
GUNHILD AHMANN
(Head of section press and public relations work)
c/o Kreuzbund Inc - self-help and helpers' community
for sufferers from addiction and relatives (federal association)
Münsterstr 25, D-59065 Hamm/Germany
Phone: +492381/6 72 72-0; Fax: -33
E-mail: info@kreuzbund.de
Internet: www.kreuzbund.de
INTACT zelfhulp voor verslaafden en hun naasten. (INTACT self-help for addicts and their relatives)
INTACT works with all addictions. In our groups all different addictions are represented.
We do not only do group evenings. We also set up courses and seminars for the group visitors and try to play a roll in the development of a healthy social life without consuming.
The roll of the relatives in the groups is very important. They have the opportunity to experience how the way out of consuming is possible for an addict, and they also enable ‘former’ consumers to support the struggle to improve of the social environment in which consumers are living.
INTACT zelfhulp voor verslaafden en hun naasten
Postbus 154
7400 AD Deventer
the Netherlands
tel. 0031 570 500132
fax. 0031 570 500115
e-mail: intact@tactus.nl
web: www.tactus.nl
RIO – Rusmisbrukernes Interesseorganisasjon
The Special Interest Group of Alcohol and Drug Addicts
RIO was founded in Oslo in 1996 and is still run by former alcohol and drug addicts. Today, RIO is a national organization with branches in Oslo, Drammen, Gjøvik, Trondheim, Fredrikstad and Tromsø. We are also planning an office in Bodø. Our goal is to establish branches in two new places annually. RIO has during this year and the previous established two youth organisations RIOUNG (RIO Young), one in Tromsø and one in Oslo. These organisations´ primary function is to work in the field of prevention.
RIO is denominationally and politically independent, and funded by Rusmiddeletaten (The Oslo City Service for Alcohol and Drug Addicts), Sosial- og Helsedirektoratet (The Directorate of Public Health and Welfare) and other contributors.
RIO works for all kinds of addicts, whatever substance they abuse. It is their addiction that is of importance.
RIO works to prove that a recovered addict is a valuable asset of vital importance to society.
RIO works to represent the interests of addicts.
RIO procures contact with relief organizations.
RIO procures information about social integration.
RIO is a connecting link between addicts and public services.
RIO organizes and takes part in conferences on alcohol and drug addiction.
RIO works for better coordination of public services.
RIO co-operates with other organizations and authorities and public services.
RIO participates in governmental panels on drug and alcohol related policies.
RIO participates in debates in the media.
Representatives of RIO lecture and contribute to the qualifications of public servants.
An addict is someone having or having had problems with chemical substances, legal as well as illegal. Such substances may be alcohol, narcotic drugs and medical remedies.
The substance of abuse is unimportant. What is important is to focus on the problems the abuse involves for the addict, his or her family and society at large. RIO maintanes that with the proper help and support all addict can use his/hers inherent resources in recovery.
RIO co-operates with both voluntary and public agents working to combat addiction of every kind, thus increasing its network.
An important part of this network is Idrett mot rus (Athletics Against Addiction), an initiative of RIO in co-operation with The Norwegian Athletic Federation and Civitan. Idrett mot rus is a national enterprise. RIO exploits this network to create user organizations all over Norway.
RIO´s main focus is on the integration process of every addict, aiming at making him or her part of society – based upon his or her personal interests and resources.
RIO´s work is founded on the experience of former addicts. Our involvement is rooted in our conviction that it is possible to escape addiction.
Actis - Norwegian Policy Network on Alcohol and Drugs was launched on the 1st of February 2003. The foundation meeting took place on the 31st of January 2003.
Actis is an umbrella for 26 NGOs, networks and foundations that have activities and expertise in the field of alcohol and drug problems. The main body of these organisations was formerly organised under The Norwegian Temperance Alliance (Avholdsfolkets Landsråd), which has now been dissolved. At the foundation meeting of Actis, about ten new organisations joined in, and together the organisations of Actis constitute the largest body of voluntary organisations in the field of alcohol and drug problems in Norway.
Actis will mobilise voluntary efforts towards reducing the damages resulting from the use of alcohol and drugs and focus on prevention, treatment and post-treatment care.
Chairman of the Board is Mr Dag Endal, who for the last ten years has been head of a voluntary environmental organisation. He is now a freelance writer. General secretary of Actis is Mrs Anne-Karin Kolstad. She has formerly worked as general secretary for the Norwegian Athletics Association, and she has broad experience from working in NGOs.
Actis has its main offices in Oslo. Actis will focus on aiding its member organisations in their work as well as contributing to the distribution of facts, information and research to governments and the media.
As one of very few Norwegian NGOs, Actis has an office in Brussels. The main task of the Brussels office is to ensure that Actis is updated on political issues in the EU concerning alcohol, drugs and public health, as this is of vital importance for Norwegian politics. Our local representative, mr Anders Ulstein, regularly provides Norwegian NGOs, politicians and the media with news from health and social politics in Europe.
Actis wishes to become an important factor in the field of alcohol and drug problems in relation to the government, the media and the public opinion. In particular, Actis will strive to develop extensive communication with Norwegian politicians.
Actis has launched a new web site, www.actis.no. It is Actis’ ambition to ensure that this web site becomes an indispensable database of useful and important information about alcohol and drug issues. Our Brussels office has its own web site, www.europanytt.no.
Italian Association of Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatment
ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA DEI CLUB DEGLI ALCOLISTI IN TRATTAMENTO
Piazza de Marini 3/75, 16123 Genova
Tel. 010-2469341 fax 010-2469348
E-mail info@aicat.net Sito Internet www.aicat.net
About Aicat
An association based in Italy, made of volunteers, who catalyse the work of over 2,200 Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatment, spread over all Italian regions and other 29 countries in the world, where more than 20,000 families gather every week to discuss their alcohol-related problems.
The Clubs follow a precise methodology, initiated by Prof. Vladimir Hudolin, first in Croatia in 1964, and then in Italy, since 1979. In our 27-year-old activity we estimate our Clubs have been attended by over 100,000 families.
Core of the methodology is the vision of the alcohol-related problems as disturbances of the behaviour, whereby the whole family has to attend these groups, to change the behaviour and solve the problems.
The AICAT Data Base has covered a sample of about 19,000 persons, and has shown a recovery ratio (abstinence from alcohol) of about 80% of the respondents.
Further researches have shown that 50% of the people attending the Clubs do not make any more recourse to hospitalisation, thus allowing the Italian Health Services to save about € 3,300 per head per year (in Italy alone, total saving is estimated at around € 33 million only on hospitalisation, without mentioning improvement at family and social level). Nevertheless we get no grants whatsoever from the Central Government, we just get local projects to be subsidized by regional governments.
Thanks to the dissemination of the Clubs all over Italy, the country managed to beat very easily the target of the W.H.O. (alcohol consumption to be reduced by 25% within the year 2000). In fact Italy has decreased the consumption of alcohol beverages by 35% during the period 1980-2000.
Acknowledgements:
EUROCARE Bruxelles (members)
European Commission for Health, Luxembourg (invited to the meetings as
stakeholders)
Italian Counselling Committee for Alcohol, Rome (3 members out of a total of 18)
European Mutual-help Network for Alcohol-related problems, Brussels (members)
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FARE (Spanish Rehabilitated Alcoholic Federation) is the most important mutual Help Spanish NGO for attention to alcoholism. Since 1976 it has aided alcoholic patients and their relatives so that they can obtain abstinence and continue to be throughout the time.
The fundamental base is the self-help, are: Group Psychotherapies, for Patients and relatives and free time, cultural and social activities.
The Population can take advantage of this is about 125.000 people and includes general population, Children, Youths, Adults and Families.
A lot of people take part in this project, not only rehabilitated alcoholics and theirs relatives but also volunteers and professionals: doctors, psychologists, social workers, monitors, lawyers, teachers and professors, and others…
There are 125 associations in 12 Regions around Spain. All the associations do both, internal activities and partner - communitarian. All the federations and associations collaborate in the different municipal and regional plans of drugs.
Among the 80 - 90% of the patients who participate in the mutual-help programs achieve abstinence to the alcohol.
About 1,000 people go to an annual congress which is celebrated at national level.
