Russell has extensive experience in the planning, design and review of drug treatment services dating back to his work at Drugscope (then SCODA) in the early 1990s.

He has undertaken well over 100 assignments, centring on three key areas:

1. Needs assessments - Russell has conducted assessments of the substance misuse treatment needs of young people in Westminster, Bedfordshire, Norfolk and the London Borough of Southwark. He has also carried out studies into the need for day programmes, needle exchanges, and crisis intervention services.

2. Service planning -  Russell has helped a number of boroughs plan a complete reconfiguration of drug and alcohol treatment services. He has advised others on implementing the Government's blueprint for drug treatment, Models of care. He has also helped others to plan aftercare services.

3. Service evaluations - Russell has evaluated the performance of many different substance misuse treatment services. He uses evaluative criteria drawn from the international evidence base, QuADS Standards and Models of care advice.

In all these studies, Russell prioritises gaining the views of service users and local drug and alcohol users not in treatment.

Russell is an acknowledge national expert in drugs and crime issues, full details of which can be found here.

He has also developed significant expertise in the field of drug markets, he has led or participated in seven large scale assignments in this area, mainly in partnership with the Institute for Criminal Policy Research at King's College London.

Other issues in which Russell has particular experience include:

• Dual diagnosis

• Access to residential rehab

• Young people's services