Analysis of the Technical and Economic Potential for Mid-Scale Distributed Wind: December 2007 - October 31, 2008

This report examines the status, restrainers, drivers, and estimated development potential of mid-scale (10 kW - 5000 kW) distributed wind energy projects

The bridge between social identity and community capital on the path to recovery and desistance

It has long been recognised that changes in social networks (and the underpinning changes in personal and social identity) are strong predictors of both desistance from crime and recovery from substance use. Building on existing work attempting to measure and shift social networks and transitions to prosocial groups, the current study provides pilot data from prisoners and family members about a visualisation technique widely used in specialist addiction treatment (node-link mapping) to map opportunities for linkage to prosocial groups and networks. The data presented in the paper are from a small-scale feasibility pilot. This suggests both bonding and bridging capital in prisoner populations due for release and the diversity of community capital opportunities that exists in this population. The implications of this work are significant for substance users and offenders pending return to the community, and has implications around resettlement and reintegration support for probation staff in prisons and in the community. The paper emphasises the importance of mapping connectedness as a key component of planning for reintegration back into the community for those working with offenders who are aspiring to achieve desistance and recovery

Promoting Recovery from Substance Misuse through Engagement with Community Assets: Asset Based Community Engagement

© The Author(s) 2019. Evidence shows that engagement with community resources can aid the process of recovery from substance misuse, yet systematic approaches to mapping resources and building bridges to these for recovery populations are limited. If done successfully, engagement with resources that are pro-social and afford access to meaningful activities not only provides a platform for personal development, but also has the ability to trigger a social contagion of positive behaviour and improve connectedness within communities. The current paper uses Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) as the basis for an enhanced version called Asset Based Community Engagement (ABCE). The work of ABCD has been pivotal in encouraging citizen-led, strengths-based approaches to community development, yet scientific support for it remains limited. While this approach has gained much traction, it has been subject to criticism for being too optimistic and unsystematic. In response to this, the new framework, ABCE, offers a more structured approach to mapping community resources. It does however advance previous work by acknowledging the need to identify current levels of community engagement and barriers to engagement, in order to support empowerment, maximise personal capital and address barriers to engagement. Identifying barriers to engagement should not draw ABCE away from its strengths-based focus but instead, provide a platform for person-centred, holistic support to be provided to those in recovery. To support the new framework, a workbook has been developed, offering a practical output that is intended to be used by the individual in recovery alongside a member of staff within a professional service supporting the individual

'Education, education, education' : legal, moral and clinical

This article brings together Professor Donald Nicolson's intellectual interest in professional legal ethics and his long-standing involvement with law clinics both as an advisor at the University of Cape Town and Director of the University of Bristol Law Clinic and the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic. In this article he looks at how legal education may help start this process of character development, arguing that the best means is through student involvement in voluntary law clinics. And here he builds upon his recent article which argues for voluntary, community service oriented law clinics over those which emphasise the education of students

Social identity, social networks and recovery capital in emerging adulthood: a pilot study

Background It has been argued that recovery from substance dependence relies on a change in identity, with past research focused on ‘personal identity’. This study assessed support for a social identity model of recovery in emerging adults through examining associations between social identity, social networks, recovery capital, and quality of life. Methods Twenty participants aged 18–21 in residential treatment for substance misuse were recruited from four specialist youth drug treatment services - three detoxification facilities and one psychosocial rehabilitation facility in Victoria, Australia. Participants completed a detailed social network interview exploring the substance use of groups in their social networks and measures of quality of life, recovery capital, and social identity. Results Lower group substance use was associated with higher recovery capital, stronger identification with non-using groups, and greater importance of non-using groups in the social network. Additionally, greater identification with and importance of non-using groups were associated with better environmental quality of life, whereas greater importance conferred on using groups was associated with reduced environmental quality of life. Conclusions Support was found for the role of social identity processes in reported recovery capital and quality of life. Future research in larger, longitudinal samples is required to improve understanding of social identity processes during treatment and early recovery and its relationship to recovery stability. Keywords Social network Social identity Emerging adult Substance use Treatment Recovery Quality of lif

A tale of two towns: A comparative study exploring the possibilities and pitfalls of social capital among people seeking recovery from substance misuse

Background: Social capital has become an influential concept in debating and understanding the modern world. Within the drug and alcohol sector, the concept of ‘recovery capital’ has gained traction with researchers suggesting that people who have access to such capital are better placed to overcome their substance use-related problems than those who do not (Cloud and Granfield, 2008), leading to requests for interventions that focus on building social capital networks (Neale & Stevenson, 2015). While accepting that the concept of social capital has enormous potential for addressing the problems associated with drug use, this paper also considers its ‘dark side’. Methods: Data were drawn from semi-structured interviews with 180 participants including 135 people who use drugs and 45 people who formerly used drugs. Results: High levels of trust, acquired through the establishment of dense social networks, are required to initiate recovery. However, these ‘strong bonds’ may also lead to the emergence of what is perceived by others as an exclusive social network that limits membership to those who qualify and abide by the ‘rules’ of the recovery community, particularly around continuous abstinence. Conclusions: Depending on the nature of the networks and the types of links participants have into them being socially connected can both inhibit and encourage recovery. Therefore, the successful application of social capital within the drugs and alcohol field requires a consideration of not only the presence or absence of social connections but their nature, the value they produce, and the social contexts within which they are developed

Are members of mutual aid groups better equipped for addiction recovery? European cross-sectional study into recovery capital, social networks, and commitment to sobriety

An increasing body of evidence shows that informal mutual aid groups benefit those in addiction recovery. However, attention for mutual aid groups in practice and policy varies internationally and is only recently emerging in continental Europe. Existing evidence is mostly limited to studies of Alcoholics Anonymous groups in the United States. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the relationship between membership of a variety of mutual aid groups and recovery capital, participation in social networks, and commitment to sobriety for individuals in drug addiction recovery (N ¼ 367), living in the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium. A convenience sample of participants completed an extensive assessment about their recovery experiences. Sixty-nine percent of participants reported lifetime (ever) membership of different mutual aid groups. Analyses reveal that membership of mutual aid groups is strongly associated with more participation and (self-reported) changes in social networks, greater levels of recovery capital, and a stronger commitment to sobriety. The findings suggest that participation in mutual aid groups may support addiction recovery through multiple mechanisms of change in favor of recovery. These findings highlight how mutual aid support may complement formal addiction treatment.National Institute of Health Researc

The Global Research Neglect of Unassisted Smoking Cessation: Causes and Consequences

Simon Chapman and Ross MacKenzie review the evidence and argue that health promotion messages should emphasize that the most successful method used by most ex-smokers is unassisted cessation

Re-envisioning Addiction Treatment: A Six-Point Plan

This article is focused on improving the quality of addiction treatment. Based on observations that patients are leaving treatment too early and/or are continuing to use substances during their care, the authors propose six actions that could help reorient and revitalize this kind of clinical work: (1) conceptualize and treat addictive disorders within a psychiatric/mental health framework; (2) make the creation of a strong therapeutic alliance a core part of the healing process; (3) understand patients’ addictions and other problems using models based on multiple internal parts, voices, or modes; (4) make contingency management and the use of positive reinforcement systems a standard and central practice in all treatment settings; (5) envision long-term change and healing through the lens of identity theory; and (6) integrate the growing developments in recovery culture with formal treatment