Training

Welcome to CHNI’s training page.

We offer a number of training and professional development opportunities, including OCN accredited programmes and bespoke training. Our training and development opportunities are grouped in General homelessness and Substance Use programmes.

****recent news*****

Mephedrone ban in the UK. Following the completion of the parliamentary process today, mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives will become illegal throughout the UK as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 with effect from 00.01 on Friday 16 April 2010.
A Class B drug carries a penalty of up to five years in prison or an unlimited fine for possession and up to 14 years in prison for supplying the drug. All the cathinone compounds will be brought under control of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in Class B, Schedule I by way of a generic definition. (except for API Bupropion which has medical uses) - in addition, importation of these was banned on 29 march 2010
ACMD are also now looking at napthyl analogues of pyrovalerone and other such analogues (I believe this is know as NRG 1) and will report in the near future. The ACMD and the Home Office (HO) are considering how we can move quicker on these substance in the future, perhaps by way of introducing a new classification that would ban such substance while evidence is being gathered. However this would require a change to UK legislation. To this end I understand that the ACMD intend to provide the HO with further advice on the possible control of 'legal highs' concerning recommendations and advice that is broader than the scope of individual or classes of compounds.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drug's report "Consideration of the cathinones" is available at: http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/acmd/ACMD-cathinones-report.html
The cathinones derivatives controlled as Class B drugs which have been added to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 via a generic definition cover a wide range of cathinone derivatives including: 4-Methylmethcathinone (mephedrone); 4-Methoxymethcathinone (bk-PMMA/ methedrone); 3-Fluoromethcathinone; 2-Methylamino-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)propan-1-one (bk-MDMA/methylone); 2-Methylamino-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)butan-1-one (bk-MBDB/butylone)

Methadrone Study. Link (pdf): http://www.lifeline.org.uk/docs/M-cat%20report%20small.pdf
The findings of this study contain some practical advice and harm reduction interventions. However it should be highlighted that the sample size is small and there is a distinct absence of prior clinical literature on this substance, so caution is warranted.

Other methadrone / mephedrone articles
NI Direct Mephedrone and legal highs - the facts
Drugscope website, Mephedrone, methadrone, and methylone
British Medical Journal website, editorial: What should be done about mephedrone?
Guardian Newspaper online, Mephedrone: the anatomy of a media drug scare
Transform (Drug Policy Foundation), blog entry: Mephedrone and the ACMD: lessons from BZP and New Zealand's 'Class D' experiment?
Transform (Drug Policy Foundation), blog entry: Mephedrone and Methadone - keep calm and review the evidence
Please note, potential sources of information cannot be endorsed by CHNI, as they are third party and the content has been checked by our staff - exercise your judgement re. suitability.

OCN Supported Housing information & Application form: (PDF version) (WORD version).

Queries

For General Programme: Lesley Morrison, training@chni.org.uk; tel: 90246440
For Substance Use programme: Kathy Henry, kathyhenry@chni.org.uk; tel: 90246440

Calendar

Scroll down to view current calendar (Jan-June 2010). Click to access Sept- Dec 2010 training calendar.

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