Sandra Machado's Recent Activity

"EACH provides inclusive services that empower and meet the needs of individuals and families from diverse communities affected by drugs and alcohol, mental health and domestic violence. We have developed culturally sensitive and gender specific services to meet the needs of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) communities. EACH recognises that certain communities experience additional difficulties and barriers to access appropriate services due to cultural and religious practices where alcohol and drug use is forbidden. Thus, people from BAMER communities often find it hard to disclose, which can lead to the problem escalating and remaining hidden, particularly where they also experience mental health issues, like depression and anxiety. For women from these communities it is more difficult to access services as disclosure of alcohol or drug problems can damage their honour, bring shame, and further isolate them from their families and communities. This can result in women unwilling to disclose and seek help, particularly where children are involved. Sometimes, she may also be experiencing mental health and violence and abuse issues alongside her drinking and drug use and therefore require support on all of these issues. EACH’s services respond to BAMER groups and women to address their inter-related issues of alcohol and drug use, mental health and domestic violence. Staff are competent to work with people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and speak the relevant community languages. Advice, information, counselling and support groups are provided in the key community languages. We undertake outreach and satellite work to raise awareness, provide health education and engage with the community. Gender specific groups on alcohol and drugs and domestic violence are provided to Asian women, Somali women and Tamil women as well as on alcohol and drugs to Asian men and as part of our day care programmes. Services for BAMER families and carers in community languages are available across our centres as they are often isolated, feel anxious and unaware of how to cope with the impact of alcohol and drug use by a relative on them. For more information see: http://www.eachcounselling.org.uk/"
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