The use and abuse of mood altering drugs and substances, has increased the awareness of the need for more adequate treatment facilities and programs.

Crescent Clinic, situated on Main Road, Claremont, is Cape Town's premier Psychiatric and Chemical Dependency Unit.

The clinic deals with the whole range of psychopathology and dependency and has a dedicated multi-disciplinary team comprised of Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Occupational therapists and psychiatric nursing staff.

The Chemical Dependence Unit for the Clinic is run by Dr Andre Raats Medical Director and a mutli-disciplinary team consisting of Specialists in the field of Addiction (Psycholigists, Social Workers, Counselors, as well as a CDU Co-Ordinator).

Through our Chemical Dependency Unit Program our goals are simply:

• To enable the individual to live a substance-free life.
• To establish a therapeutic environment, in which the individual feels safe to trust and take risks, to expose original hurt(s) that started the destructive dependency process, and to focus on alternative and more constructive ways of being.
• To improve the physical, psychological and social functioning of the individual.
• To create a support network for the individual, family members and other members of the community involved.
• To assist the individual to establish a healthier lifestyle, including aspects of nutrition, stress management and exercise.
• To provide aftercare on an out-patient basis that makes provision for regular follow-up and support.
• To further education of existing support networks within the community.

The CDU Program

The pre-admission assessment with family and the patient is done: this determines the individual's specific needs, requirements appropriateness for the program.

The program is based on a client centred and holistic approach which is focused on intensive in-patient treatment, with regular aftercare follow up.

The intensive therapy program follows the medicated detoxification period.

Various aspects which are covered in the program include the following:

• Resolving denial.
• Differentiating between substance abuse and dependence.
• Components of the addictive personality.
• Faulty belief systems.
• Relapse prevention.
• Family and the process of enabling.
• Co-dependency.
• Adult children.
• Addiction in the workplace.
• Biochemistry of addiction.
• These aspects are covered through methods of family therapy
• Education of family
• Friends and the individual in treatment
• Interactive psychodynamic group therapy
• Individual psychotherapy
• Marital counselling. All sessions pertaining to the individual in treatment, are compulsory.

During treatment strong emphasis is placed on involving the family, partners and work in the treatment plan facilitated by collateral in-put and conjoint sessions.

Patients are encouraged to participate in the mini group activities in the Clinic. Special focus is geiven to life-skills such as stress management and assertiveness training.

We aim to de-stigmatize the illness of addiction, and integrate the Chemically Dependent individual back into society as early as possible. Encouraging the individuals to participate in established programs such as the 12-step fellowships ,Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous enhances this process.

Crescent Clinic have NA/AA speakers and ex-patient shares,several evenings a week to address addiction issues with the patients on a more personal level. A formal family program runs parallel to the patient's process on a weekly basis.

The Chemical Dependence Unit Team Members

Dr Andre Raats – Medical Director – Obtained MBCHB in 1987 from the University of Pretoria. Worked as a family Practitioner until 2003, when he joined the team at Crescent Clinic and has been Head of the Unit for the past six years. Dr raats manages the medical well being of patient's during the rehabilitation program and developed a special interest in detoxification regimes as well as dual diagnostic pathology in conjunction with referral Psychiatrists.

Peter Baker – Senior Addiction Consultant – Peter Baker is widely respected counsellor with more than 30 years of experience in the field. He is well known in the field and consults to several treatment centres, and provides individual, group and after-care services to a wide range of client populations.

Vivienne Pienaar – Program Manager – Social Worker experienced in Addiction family and adolescent interventions. She recently returned from Seychelles where she monitored the development and management of Centre Mont Royal, the only addiction treatment centre in Seychelles. This included the training and supervision of counselors and custodial staff.

Dr Lisbe Vos – Since registration in 1985 with the HPCSA as a clinical psychologist. Dr. Vos has practiced in a variety of contexts gaining experince respectively as a therapist, trainer and lecturer. In 1993/4 she did post-graduate training in General Systems Theory at Tavistock Clinic in Londonafter which she returned to South Africa to take up a position as a Senior Psychologist at Riverfield Lodge ( Chemical Dependency Rehabilitaiton Centre ) in Johannesburg. In 1999 she was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at UJ ( then RAU) where she was a member of the team responsible for the training of post graduate psychology students. At this time she also had a part time private practice at Park Lane Clinic specializing in post natal depression, addiction and relationship issues ( individuals, couples and families). She joined the Crescent Clinic CDU in September 2005. She works with both in-patients and out-patients and she runs a program for the familymembers of in-patients.

Dr Neil Gibbon – Is a Clinical Pschologist with over 10 years epxperince. He specializes in the mental health of adolescents and young adults, with a particular interest in addiction and recovery. He trained in Ireland following which he worked in the National Health Service in Ireland and London. He now works in private practice and consults to the Chemical Dependence Unit at Crescent Clinic. He is also a visiting lecturer at the University of theWestern Cape and the University of Cape Town.

Chandre Taylor – Senior Registered Nurse ( Psychiatric, Midwifery, Community and General) – Psychiatric experience of twenty years. She has worked at Crescent Clinic since 1998. Chemical Dependency Unit specializing in substance abuse and detox treatments for the past nine years.

Abeda Salie – CDU Co-Ordinator. She's completed her diploma in additions counceling and has many years of practical experience in program co-ordination and management.

Imraan Muscat – BSocSci Swk (Hons) UCT, Clinical Social Worker, 10 Years Personal Recovery. Through the use of Motivational Interviewing, the 12 Step Programme and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, I am able to offer a healthy way out of the cycle of substance abuse. Together we can enhance coping skills and life management. Working in both inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as Clinical Director at a t.reatment centres, I have vast experience in the field of substance abuse. I have been clinically trained at the University of Cape Town and combining both clinical experience and personal recovery, I can offer a holistic recovery plan for substance users as well as family members.