IDTS is an initiative that aims to improve the clinical and psychosocial drug treatment services offered within prisons. The clinical interventions will be supported by a range of intensive psychosocial interventions delivered by prison CARAT teams. Treatment programmes will be continued within the community via DIP teams ensuring continuity of care to other community providers.

The North East region has a total of eight prisons with IDTS funding. These include HMP Acklington, HMP Durham, HMP Low Newton (women's) and HMYOI Deerbolt in Phases 1 and 2, HMP Holme House in Phase 3 and HMYOI Castington, HMP Frankland and HMP Kirklevington Grange in Phase 4. All stated prisons have additional clinical funding to enable these developments.

The key aims of IDTS are to:

• Integrate drug treatment provided by prison healthcare with those services provided by CARATS
• Provide a range and choice of treatment options including mutual aid and recovery support
• Increase the availability, consistency and quality of these services
• Provide a 28-day structured care package of psychosocial support for prisoners with problematic drug use
• Diversify the range of treatment options available to those in prisons
• Strengthen continuity of care for drug users entering, moving between and exiting prisons
• Raise the standards more comprehensively to the National Treatment Agency Models of Care levels to ensure that following triage and comprehensive assessment, a range of fully co-ordinated and structured services is available
• Strengthen links to community services including primary care trusts, criminal justice integrated teams (CJITs) and drug treatment providers
• Integrate the involvement of service users and carers in treatment services within prisons.

For further information contact Lynn Dougan, Deputy Regional Manager and North East Regional IDTS Lead.