RAPT Aftercare
The RAPt Aftercare department acts as advocate to all RAPt Graduates both in custody and in the community, to ensure they are given fair access to appropriate services essential for them to maintain their long-term recovery from both addiction and offending behaviour. The Aftercare department liaises closely with the CARAT teams in the prison estate to ensure continuity of care. The support offered by the Aftercare department includes helping Graduates to secure a place in residential treatment upon release, access appropriate accommodation in the community, as well as education, training, volunteering and employment opportunities.
For further information please contact the Aftercare team:
Aftercare Manager - Liz Martin
liz.martin@rapt.org.uk
020 7820 6737
Aftercare Worker - Froydis Twist
froydis.twist@rapt.org.uk
Case Study
A case study from a RAPt graduate who has received support from the Aftercare team:
When I first came on RAPt (in prison), I stayed very isolated, only talking to a certain few, on one landing with 30 men. Then it all became apparent that I'd have to reach out and ask for help.. something I've always found very difficult as no-one knows anything except for me.. I soon realized that I didn't know it all and I'd have to swallow that pride.. I wasn't laughed at or ridiculed. I began to trust the strangers..and found that we were all the same.. we all had one thing in common - our addiction. I soon began to believe in myself and the strangers became my friends. My new found confidence was soon to be tested when I moved to Ford open prison.. but RAPt had given me certain tools.. NA, AA and CA meetings, stay away from high risk situations, stay with people who aren't using, stick with other graduates. I came close to a relapse when my funding went wrong, and anything else that could go wrong did go wrong. But I kept going to meetings and stayed with my fellow peers from another RAPt programme in Coldingly.. we helped each other.. and I made it.. I'm writing this the day before my release and my funding is in place with the help of the RAPt Aftercare team who I will be forever grateful to.. and myself, for having faith and believing that I can stay away from drugs..get myself a productive future than a destructive one.
I would say to anyone who is really looking to change, try it - what have you got to lose when there is so much to gain?