2012 Conference

[bp]

If I were you Anon33, I'd start making noises to my DAAT sooner rather than later. It may be a good time as they may have a few bob left in the cofers, not a massive amount but enough to fund your travel. I do hope you make it..............you too Simon.

B

[OP8S]

I doubt very much that even an employee from my kneck of the woods would be funded & if a service user could go they're not going to send the user that's shouting maintenance the loudest.

[bp]

Apologies if my reply came across as a bit thoughtless because I realise that your point is an extremely important and relevant one OP8S. Whilst it's important that all schools of thought are represented it would be extremely boring if it were to be too recovery orientated and that seems to be the theme amongst many services these days.

[OP8S]

Absolutely no offence taken bp. It's people like you & the others who do admirable work running the site & using your voice in the world of drug-treatment 2011, soon to be 2012. Also the members that post, a good bunch one & all. Should DSP workers ever contribute to the thread they may learn a thing or two.
Enjoy your New year 

[Anon33]

I am busting their arse about travel....n /i will shout loudly about MMT.....I always it at the front and make a lot of noise....will be interested to see what way the boat is rocking, will be interesting I'm sure

[OP8S]

I'll give it a try with the travel expenses. It would be something really "hip" for their latest edited news letter, where anything i've written has just been handed back to me. You have to show both sides of the coin though, & people would generally like to finish of their chemistry with the same substance that brought them into treatment in my humble opinion anyway. A utopia where every substance had passed quality standards & your substances were given to you by a trained profesional. So I never really expected anything about diamorphine prescribing to make it into their dirty rag, the fact it wasn't even taken in so that they could pretend to look at it says it all really.
Things are tight all over, if I make enough polite & civil noise about it who knows ? It certainly wouldn't hurt one of their keys to attend, as usual some of the SU's know more about pharmacueticals than they do.

[bp]

Jules  got us -Jules and myself- 2 returns London-Birmingham for £12 each. The problem is of course that one needs to book train as early as possible but to do that you need to know if youve actually got a place; it is a real conundrum.

B

[derek d j]

I'm in. Our wonderful DAAT takes care of booking and will put me on the right train. I don't need to lift a finger before the day. All I have to do is get up in time and find my way from New Street to the NEC centre adjacent to Birmingham's international train station, wherever that may be.

Have their DAATs made the arrangements for earlier contributors to this thread to attend? Would be interesting to see some of the faces behind the posts. I understand the conference is entitled 'We Stand Together'. Oh, yes. .

[OP8S]

I've yet to ask key but I imagine my session will be laughed out the building due to travel expenses. If I'd a few spare quid I'd contribute but the travel expenses are a tad more expensive for me.

[derek d j]

Maybe leave the key out of it - from your posts he doesn't seem the most helpful of chaps - and go directly to whoever controls the purse strings? A well-informed 'recovery champ' is worth the booking and train costs and you can argue it's vital the more remote Treatment outposts are properly represented. They may just be more amenable than you think.

[OP8S]

Your right there. Will email to the top of the tree. As for being a "recovery champ " I'm more of a belegerint champ according to Key his worry that it will come of his mileage claims i imagine, always harping on about lack of funding. Though they seem to recieve quite high salaries for what they actually achieve.

[usandthem]

I can not make it personally but will be keeping an hear out for the next conference. Money was the only issue stopping me from attending and helping to make up SU on maintenance and supporter numbers. I will hopefully keep up with whats been said and if there may be an open forum relating to birmingham 2012 DT in UK conference. Good luck all who attend. Props to the alliance, its members, supporters, and those that want fairness in DT UK

John 

[usandthem]

If I can get funding from my DSP for learning reasons and experience of drug treatment. I will bring myself along. Of course I can not promise this will happen as the DSP has other more important targets to reach than helping to educate their users on how the service is run. Anyway, Will try. Hope to be along myself. Good luck to all and of course:
 
Props to the alliance and all  that attend who strive for fairness in DTUK. Especially Service Users.


Ps: This is unrelated but I have just had to report my debit card as lost or stolen. Buggar

[Anon33]

Got a copy of the invoice.....so am going.....

[sapphire]

Same here really, would have loved to go, but finances did not permit.

I think for next time I shall ask my DSP if they can put any money towards funding me going?

Doubt it, they seem to be spending all their money on cooking, sewing, and "recovery coach" courses - all of which are of course of real use and importance to the average patient on maintenance. 

The course that made me chortle the most was "Women Together - Building Without the Need For a Man", brings to mind loads of purple loons, group hugging and slagging men off as if they were the spawn of Satan!
I did question it, as what if one were a lesbian? How would it work then??? Not very well thought through, and there don't seem to be many takers for their new courses (surprise surprise), I mean come on, who wants to spend one more minute at the DSP than they need to.
Most of them are depressing as hell and filled with loud mouthed idiots.

No one with half a brain at any rate! They seem to be filling these courses with the vulnerable types who either feel too scared or too put on the spot to say that they don't want to go to the courses, poor buggers. They'll have purple ribbons in their hair before they know it.

Is that a purple elephant I can see flying past my window?