Our Community Based Drugs Initiative is countywide and works with individuals, families and communities in who are either directly or indirectly affected by substance misuse. We provide a range of community based support services including education, prevention and harm reduction interventions which can be offered throughout the individual’s continuum of care.

This work is completed by our qualified team of support workers through:

  • Drugs Outreach
  • Assessment & Referral
  • Access to Treatment & Rehabilitation Facilities
  • Drug Information and Awareness Programmes
  • Harm Reduction information
  • Family/Concerned Persons Support
  • Health Promotion

Our outreach programme provides brief interventions which support client motivation, behavioural change and engagement with relevant services, advocating on behalf of service users to ensure appropriate service provision. To reduce drug and alcohol related harm for those using or at risk of harm through provision of information and development of service user capacities.

These services can be accessed in various FDYS locations throughout the County including Enniscorthy, Gorey, New Ross and Wexford Town.

Core Activities for Drugs Outreach Service & CBDI Project Workers Include:

  • brief interventions which support client motivation, behavioural change and engagement with relevant services, advocating on behalf of service users to ensure appropriate service provision.
  • To provide needs based key working and case management to service users who require it.
  • To support a needle syringe programme in partnership with the HSE or other providers.
  • To reduce drug and alcohol related harm for those using or at risk of harm through provision of information and development of service user capacities.
  • To provide community based drug related Education and Prevention Programmes

Programmes Delivered:

ACRA/CRA

The Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (ACRA) and the Community Re-enforcement Approach is a comprehensive behavioural program for treating substance-abuse problems. It is based on the belief that environmental contingencies can play a powerful role in encouraging or discouraging drinking or drug use.

The aim of ACRA & CRA is to facilitate participants in identifying how to enjoy life again without the use of substances.

ACRA & CRA allows participants to be in complete control of their learning & therapeutic process. ACRA &CRA uses social, recreational, familial, and vocational re-enforcers to assist participants in the recovery process. Its goal is to make a sober lifestyle more rewarding than the use of substances. ACRA is a widely researched treatment modality which has a proven success confirmed by both medical research and clinical studies.

Specific elements of the programme include:

  • Functional Analysis of Substance Using Behaviour & Pro-Social Behaviour
  • Happiness Scale and Goal Setting
  • Communication Skills
  • Drink/Drug Refusal Skills
  • Relapse Prevention
  • Sobriety Sampling
  • Problem Solving
  • Social & Recreational planning
  • Progression Planning

Drug Awareness Programme

The Drug Awareness Programme aims to improve awareness of substance use, increase understanding of the reasons why people use substances, develop participants’ ability to identify substances, their effects, signs and symptoms, and increase their ability to respond positively to issues caused by substance use.  This programme is adapted in order to address participant needs, either self-reported through a needs analysis or identified by a co-ordinator or group leader.  Special emphasis can be placed on a particular substance such as alcohol, should the group be identified as ‘high-risk.’  The course aims to address attitudes to substance use, encouraging a harm reduction approach, improve participant’s decision-making and their ability to promote positive, healthy alternatives to substance use.

Putting the Pieces Together is a resource to be used in substance use education for people working with young people of mixed abilities in out-of-school settings.  The manual encourages the use of a range of activities that utilise experiential learning techniques and provide relevant, up-to-date information on alcohol and drugs, their influences and effects.  The aim in training people in the use of the ‘Putting the Pieces Together’ manual was to improve their skills and provide them with the necessary resources to enable them to co-facilitate drug awareness programmes with C.B.D.I. workers.

Strengthening Families Programme

The Strengthening Families Programme is an evidenced-based, 14 week family-skills programme which seeks to provide a whole-family intervention.  The programme has been proven to help parents and their teens build new, healthy parent/child communication skills that build up positive relationships within families, address family behaviour management while allowing families to have fun in the process.  The course actively improves family relationships, parenting skills and within teens/younger children, social and life skills.  The programme includes a family meal, a Parent Programme, a Teen Programme (12-17) and/or Children’s Programme (7-11), a Family Programme, and the provision of Transport and Childcare for younger children.

Parenting when Separated

A Positive and Practical Course for Parents who are Preparing for, going through or have gone through a separation or divorce.

Parenting when separated can be challenging and confusing. This course hopes to help you:

  • Solve co-parenting problems in a positive way that helps you and your child.
  • Cope with the emotional impact of separation and learn stress management techniques.
  • Help your children cope with the impact of the separation both emotionally and practically.
  • Enhance communication with your child and your child’s other parent.

Parents Plus 6-11 years

This is a Children’s Programme a DVD based parenting guide to managing behaviour problems and promoting learning and confidence in children aged 6-11.

Topics include: Solving childhood problems; Play and special time/ Positive time; Best way to play with children; Encouragement/Consequences; Encouraging homework/ Sanction systems; Assertive Parenting/Prevention plans; Step-by step discipline; Problem solving with children; Problem solving with families.

Parents Plus teenage is a DVD based guide to handling conflict and getting on better with older children and teenagers aged 11-15.

Topics include: Getting to know and connecting with your teenager; Communicating effectively & positively; Negotiating rules and boundaries; Teaching teenagers responsibility; Managing conflict; Solving problems together.

Drug information sessions

Drug information sessions are delivered on an ongoing basis. They sometimes follow on with a drug awareness programme; other times are a one off session depending on the needs of the group.  After a needs analysis has been completed in the planning stage for the information session, the level of information is gauged and the session is delivered according to the participants perceived level of understanding.  Age appropriate information is given to young people.

Please find a service near you here.

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