Nova Trust

All of our residents are living with a medical condition that imposes a significant burden in their life both socially and physically. The effects of chronic alcohol or drug use leads to a range of known health issues that we see in many if not all of our residents including irreversible liver damage and gastrointestinal issues, as well as significant neurological complications and higher incidences of diabetes and cancer. A history of relapsing alcohol or drug addiction also presents significant social issues for our residents whose condition also coincides with poor quality family relationships and social networks as well as legal and employment issues.

Because of the broad and pervasive impact of relapsing alcohol or drug addiction, many of our residents present to Nova Trust as highly complex cases who are unsuitable for community-based treatment programmes and have few treatment alternatives. A recently analysis of Nova Trust admissions revealed that more than one in three (36%) presented at the facility with no home address.

Nova Trust’s alcohol and drug rehabilitation programme provides three to six months of supported accommodation and the opportunity for residents to become engaged in the activities and work skills programme. Individual counselling is provided by trained staff and complements the work skills programme with a focus on supporting resilience strategies that will help reduce the risk of relapsing. Nova runs compulsory educational groups with a focus on rehabilitation from alcohol or drug dependence, held 1 to 2 times per week by our Case Managers. Nova has a regular schedule of guest speakers from outside agencies for special topics. Residents are encouraged to participate in outside education and community support groups and Nova provides transport to these courses.

Nova offers a work skills and activities programme with residents having the choice of either participating in the horticulture and farming aspects or attending to daily living skills/activities within the lodge and flower gardens. Nova offers the residents the opportunity to obtain a NZQA qualification in horticulture, through Primary ITO. From the period from June 2014 to July 2015, 22 residents have gained either a Level 1 or 2 Horticulture Certificate.

Our work provides care for people whose clinical addiction to alcohol or other drugs has imposed serious health and social burdens upon their life. In helping these people to achieve wellness and positive community integration our service encounters an increasing level of financial and staff resources to best support their complex needs.