Drug and Alcohol
Support
Drug and alcohol use can affect people in different ways and at different points in their lives.
For some people it becomes a way of coping with difficult experiences or poor mental health. For others it develops gradually and begins to affect relationships, health, housing or financial stability.
If you are thinking about making changes to your drug or alcohol use, there are a range of organisations that offer advice, information and peer support.
The links below provide access to different approaches so you can explore what feels right for you.
If you are a friend, partner or family member affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use, support is available for you as well.
If you are struggling with gambling, you can also access specialist help and advice here.
How Support Works
There is no single route into recovery.
People may be looking to reduce harm, prepare for residential rehabilitation, take part in structured recovery programmes or access ongoing support once they are further along in their journey.
Our team helps individuals to understand what they want, what feels achievable and what support is most appropriate at that time. Services are designed to reduce risk, build confidence and support sustainable change.
Prehab Support Homes
For many people, moving directly into rehab can feel overwhelming, particularly following homelessness, custody or periods of significant instability.
Prehab Support Homes provide structured residential support for people preparing to enter rehabilitation, and offer time, space and support to prepare emotionally and practically for that step.
The service typically runs over eight weeks and includes group work and on a one-to-one basis. We look at building routines, understanding recovery options and developing the skills needed to engage fully with rehabilitation.
From there, people may move into You Matter’s residential rehab services, access alternative recovery provision or take next steps that feel right for them.
Ongoing Support & Transitions
Bridging Support
Transitions between services can be a point of vulnerability.
Bridging Support helps people move between stages of recovery without losing connection or momentum. This may include before entering rehab, after completing a programme or when moving between accommodation and community-based services.
The key aims are continuity, reassurance and reducing the risk of disengagement during periods of change.
Recovery Support Team
The Recovery Support Team provides ongoing, relational support across You Matter services.
This team works alongside people who are reducing substance use, maintaining recovery or managing relapse, offering consistency and connection over time.
Support may sit alongside housing, mental health or other services, recognising that recovery does not happen in isolation.
Harm Reduction Support
For some people, stopping substance use immediately may not be realistic or safe.
Harm reduction support focuses on reducing risk, improving health and supporting safer choices, without judgement or pressure. This approach recognises where people are in their lives and works to improve wellbeing while longer-term change is explored.
Harm reduction is integrated across You Matter services rather than treated as a separate pathway.