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Cycle of Change

About the teams

In-volve HIAH employs individuals on the basis of qualifications, experience, and their positive approach towards this area of work. Many of HIAH’s clients become volunteers and staff members in this and other substance misuse services.

The team consists of 5 ‘streams’, which are Treatment, Social Care, Outreach, Youth Offending, and Training and Volunteering.

Treatment team

The treatment team consists of a Family Counsellor, Complementary Therapist, Mental Health Nurse, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and a Prescribing Doctor.

Social care team

The Social Care team consists of a Social Worker and Generic Drug Workers.

Working closely with Birmingham Social Care and Health, HIAH has a Substance Misuse Social Worker for Looked After Children.

HIAH’s two Generic Drug Workers see clients from across the whole spectrum of referral and liaise with other members of the team to coordinate and deliver holistic care packages.

Outreach team

HIAH currently delivers an outreach service for young people within a limited capacity.

HIAH are currently specifically commissioned to provide outreach services in the south west of the city and within St. Basil’s.

We have recently gained the new role of assertive outreach worker who works in different areas of Birmingham alongside agencies such as Healthy Gay Life and Homeless Services to encourage referrals from those young people who may be more vulnerable and less able to access services.

Criminal justice team

The HIAH Criminal Justice Team is made up of five named Substance Misuse Workers and three Floating Support Workers who are based across the city’s five Youth Offending Teams.

HIAH workers provide a comprehensive assessment of any young person whose offending is related to their drug use, agreeing a care plan around the individual stabilising, reducing or stopping their use. Young Offenders will be referred to the main HIAH service for complementary therapies, family counselling or prescribing as necessary.


Training /volunteers team

HIAH employs a Training and Development Officer whose job it is to co-ordinate internal staff training and workforce development, and provide external training to partnership organisations or agencies which request it - this may include professionals, carers and young people. This individual also recruits, trains and co-ordinates HIAH’s volunteers.


Administration Team

The administration team provide an effective administrative service to all the teams working within HIAH and are able to provide help and point young people, friends and family who may phone or contact HIAH towards the right person for information and help in dealing with substance use issues.

Further Information

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In-volve HIAH is commissioned by Birmingham Drug Action Team and funded also through Social Care and Health, Health and the Youth Justice Board.

Since 2000, HIAH has grown from a staff of 5 to a multi-disciplinary team of over 35, in order to meet the diverse needs of the young people living in the UK’s second city.

The name HIAH, which was created by a young person who won the competition to find a name for the project, stands for ‘Holistic Innovative Approaches to Health’, The young people we work with are comprehensively assessed not just taking into account their Drug and Alcohol use but also their Family Background, Education and Employment, Leisure Activities, Criminal Involvement, Physical and Emotional Health.

In-volve HIAH aims to provide a free, accessible, comprehensive, youth orientated, competent, efficient and exclusive service to young people in Birmingham with any issues relating to substance use.