Our Values

The values underpinning our work are:

Respect for clients and their choices.
Recognising that people have choices and the capacity to make decisions about those choices.
Recognising and valuing the diversity of clients and their needs.
A belief that people drink and use drugs to meet their needs rather than as a result of a pre-determined disposition.
Recognising that people make mistakes and can learn and develop from them.
Respect for client confidentiality.
Promoting clients finding their own solutions.
A belief that society has a role in promoting healthier and safer lifestyles.

Service Principles:

1. Alcohol and drugs services should be closely linked with primary health care services.

2. People also have a right to direct access to alcohol and drugs services.

3. Alcohol and drugs services should be available at the point of identification of use that is problematic.

4. Services should be safe.

5. Services should be effective.

6. Alcohol and drug services should be responsive to different individual needs.

7. Safer drinking and drug use enhances healthy lifestyles for individuals and safer communities.

8. The delivery of sufficient interventions necessary to achieve and sustain changes should be offered.

9. Recognising that people with more complex needs require more intensive services.

10. Services should offer clients a choice of interventions.

11. Alcohol and drug services should be available to the range of local communities.

How We Work:

Our methods are based on:

A functional understanding of drinking and drug use (ie people drink or take drugs to meet a need).
Understanding change as a process.
Achieving change requires both the desire for and the skills to change.
Drinking and drug use are learned behaviours which can be changed.
Changing drinking and drug using behaviour requires changes to thoughts, feelings and actions.
Change is a stage based process.
The therapeutic relationship is significant in enabling and maintaining change.
Learning arises from both positive and negative experiences.

Ensuring Quality Services:

Aquarius aims to provide services based on proven effectiveness through: