The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched a nationwide training programme for its counsellors to standardise rehabilitation practices and improve the quality of care provided to people battling substance use disorders.
The training, which began at the NDLEA Academy in Jos, Plateau State, brings together more than 100 counsellors from the Agency’s formations across the country.
Coordinated by the Directorate of Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation (DCTR), the exercise is designed to equip NDLEA counsellors with modern therapeutic skills while ensuring that rehabilitation services across the Agency’s facilities conform to national and international standards.
Speaking at the commencement of the first phase of the training, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), represented by the Director, Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, ACGN Bashir Ibrahim, said the initiative would help address inconsistencies in rehabilitation services and strengthen the Agency’s drug demand reduction efforts.
Marwa described the training as a major step towards revitalising staff morale and improving the capacity of counsellors to respond to the changing nature of substance use disorders.
He said the programme would also ensure that clients receiving treatment in NDLEA facilities have access to evidence-based and quality interventions.
According to him, the training will focus on harmonising counselling and rehabilitation practices through uniform protocols across state command rehabilitation facilities, improving clinical proficiency in dealing with emerging psychoactive substances and co-occurring mental health disorders, and aligning NDLEA practices with global standards.
Other areas include strengthening professional ethics, confidentiality and quality assurance; improving data management for evidence-based policymaking; promoting continuous professional development through peer review and clinical supervision; and improving rehabilitation outcomes.
The NDLEA said the programme is the first Agency-driven capacity-building exercise of its kind for its counsellors in several years.
Participants have welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important investment in the professional development of the counselling workforce and the broader rehabilitation component of the Agency’s mandate.
Marwa assured that the NDLEA would continue to invest in the capacity of its personnel, stressing that effective drug control requires a balanced approach that tackles both the supply and demand sides of the illicit drug problem.
He said the Agency would continue to entrench best global practices in its drug demand reduction efforts while strengthening the country’s treatment and rehabilitation framework.