Beyond Treatment: Building Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care in Pakistan
ISSUP in Pakistan presents Beyond Treatment: Building Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care in Pakistan, a webinar with Ms Asia Ashraf.
Date: Tuesday, 20th January 2026
Time: 4:00 PM Pakistan | 11:00 AM GMT
This webinar explores the importance of extending substance use support beyond formal treatment settings, using Pakistan as a contextual case example. It draws on practice-based experience and international recovery frameworks, with relevance for practitioners working in resource-constrained settings.
Key discussion points will include:
- A brief overview of the current substance use situation in Pakistan, including treatment capacity and commonly available services.
- The conceptual and practical distinction between treatment and recovery, and why treatment alone is insufficient for sustained change.
- Challenges faced by individuals following discharge from treatment facilities, including relapse risk and limited continuity of care.
- An exploration of “real recovery” as a long-term, multidimensional process that goes beyond abstinence.
- Introduction of Recovery Clubs and Recovery Lounges as practical, community-based models that have supported recovery capital, social connection, routine, and reintegration.
Intended audience:
- Substance use treatment and prevention professionals
- Recovery support workers and peer practitioners
- Programme managers and service coordinators
- Policymakers and planners in drug demand reduction
- NGOs and community-based organisations
- Students and early-career professionals in substance use and mental health fields
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the webinar, participants will understand the current substance use treatment landscape in Pakistan and key system gaps and be able to:
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Distinguish between treatment and recovery and explain why ongoing recovery support is essential.
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Identify common post-discharge challenges and the importance of continuity of care.
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Understand recovery as a multidimensional process involving recovery capital, community connection, and long-term support.
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Recognise how Recovery Clubs and Recovery Lounges can function as practical models to support sustained recovery in community settings.
Presenter:
Ms Asia Ashraf
Director of Rehabilitation at the Greenfield Hospital of Psychiatry in Pakistan
Ms Asia Ashraf is a substance use and recovery professional with over 18 years of experience in addiction treatment, rehabilitation, prevention, and recovery support. She is a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow in Substance Abuse Education, Treatment, Policy, and Prevention at Virginia Commonwealth University, USA.
She serves as a Global Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) and National Trainer (UTC Basic and Advanced) for UNODC and the Colombo Plan, and is an Internationally Certified Addiction Professional (ICAP-4) accredited by the Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification (GCCC), Sri Lanka. Ms Ashraf is also a global trainer for the Recovery Allies and WISE curricula developed by the Colombo Plan.
Ms Ashraf pioneered Islamabad’s first Recovery Club, advancing community-based, recovery-oriented models in Pakistan. She currently serves as Director of Rehabilitation and Consultant Psychologist at Greenfield Hospital of Psychiatry, supervising the female treatment unit. She is actively engaged in regional and global recovery networks and serves as Secretary of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) Board.
References:
Webinars and online events delivered and hosted by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) are provided for informational purposes only. They are educational in nature and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.