Northwest Regional
Drugs Task Force
Supply Reduction Prevention Treatment & Research
NWRDTF STAFF
Sean O'Connor has been working as the Coordinator for the Task Force since 2006. His role is to implement the national drugs strategy on a regional basis. This role involves managing team of staff and overseeing 18 projects being funded by the Task Force throughout the North West region: Contact details: 087 9959091/drugtaskforce@nwdrugtaskforce.ie
Tracey Mitchell, Development Worker for the Drugs Task Force, provides support and guidance for all Donegal based projects in relation to their progress, needs and funding arrangements.
Contact details: 087 7410956/tmitchell@nwdrugtaskforce.ie
Lorna Curry, Development worker for the Drugs Task Force, covering Sligo, Leitrim & West Cavan provides support and guidance for all Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan based projects.
Contact Details: 087 6983653/lcurry@nwdrugtaskforce.ieMaev Gallagher, Administration, provides administrative support to the Task Force Coordinator and the Development workers. Maev can be contacted on 071 9143027 and drugtaskforce@nwdrugtaskforce.ie
SUPPORT WORKER - WHITE OAKS REHABILITATION CENTRE, DONEGAL
Dermot Mc Donough is the Support Worker funded by the NWRDTF in White Oaks Rehabilitation Centre who manages and implements programmes for residential aftercare, day aftercare and drugs awareness for young people. Whiteoaks provides a 37 day residential treatment programme based on the Minnesota Model for people addicted to drugs and alcohol. Through one to one counselling, group therapy, lectures and spiritual practices, individuals are encouraged to live creative, productive happy lives. Individuals commit to a weekly aftercare programme when they leave treatment. The centre also provides family therapy while the client is in treatment.
Dermot can be contacted on: 086 2537993/derms69@gmail.com/whiteoaksrehabcentre@hotmail.com
YOUTH DRUG AND ALCOHOL WORKERS - LEITRIM, SLIGO AND DONEGAL
.bmp "Vanessa Scahill (2)")
Foroige were awarded with the tenders to provide youth drug and alcohol workers for Counties Sligo and Leitrim and Donegal (funded by the NWRDTF). Grainne Wynne (Leitrim) and Collette Gallagher (Sligo) and Vanessa Collins (Donegal)are responsible for developing and supporting a community wide approach to drugs education ensuring the involvement of young people and their parents in the design and delivery of drug education progammes.
Collette can be contacted on: 086 2316303/collette.gallagher@foroige.ie Grainne can be contacted on 071 9620555/ grainne.wynne@foroige.ie Vanessa can be contacted on 086 0481977/vanessa.schaill@foroige.ie
ASSERTIVE OUTREACH WORKER - DONEGAL
Mary Healy is the Outreach Worker based in Letterkenny CDP who engages with drug/alcohol mis-users between 18 and 30 to help them access treatment through existing services and initiate community based programmes of care to reduce the harm caused by drug/alcohol misuse. The overall aim is to address a common trend in recent years of the number of young adults who have become poly drugs users in letterkenny and surrounding areas, using a more flexible community based holistic approach. Letterkenny CDP has also been funded to make provision for an holistic therapy service programme in conjunction with existing services and organisations, initiating new avenues to treatment and rehabilitation. Referrals are accepted from GP's, addiction services, community and voluntary groups.
Mary can be contacted on 087 7752142
ASSERTIVE OUTREACH WORKER - SLIGO
Jessica Mannion is the Outreach Worker for Sligo who engages with individuals with substance misuse in Cranmore and North Ward with a view to reducing the harms caused by substance misuse by increasing access to drug and alcohol supports and services. She is currently developing the addiction support helpline DASH, linking in with other services and developing group supports, (launch photos above). Jessica can be contacted on: 085 1324187/assertiveoutreach@gmail.com
SUBSTANCE MISUSE WORKER WITH THE HOMELESS IN SLIGO
Leonard Taylor has been appointed as the Substance Misuse Worker for the homeless in Sligo based in Sligo Social Services. Leonard works with homeless drug and alcohol users and links them with mainstream and specialist services in order to sustain them in accommodation. Part of his role involves increasing the knowledge and understanding of the service among relevant agencies in Sligo and promotes referrals and service integration. Ceramic classes and organic gardening classes have been successfully undertaken by a number of clients to date which are proving to be extremely popular and beneficial to all those involved.
For more information on this service, please contact Sligo Social Services on: 071 9145682
THE STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAMME
:
SFP programme and facilitators who have been trained by the course developers (Dr K Kumpfer, Dr H Whiteside)
The Strengthening Families Programme is an evidence based life skills training programme. It emphasises the critical role of families in prevention and reducing risk. It is designed to build on protective factors by improving family relationships, parenting skills and improving young people's social and life skills. It also reduces the risk factors for behavioural, emotional, academic and social problems. The programme is available to families experiencing difficulties who would like family life to be less stressful and more rewarding and who are also open to trying new skills to tackle old issues and problems. The NWAF Ltd is the lead organisation in bringing this programme to the north west.
The Coordinator of the programme is Donna Butler and she can be contacted on: 074 9125596/sfp@nwaf.ie
The BILL W CLUB
The Bill W Club was set up in John Street, Sligo to provide an open door, drop in service for those seeking help from alcohol and drug addiction issues and to help minimise the threat of relapse. It is striving to provide an holistic mindfulness programme in response to a range of addiction issues in addition to providing a safe environment and operation of recovery and rehabilitation groups such as AA, NA, GA and Al Anon.
The Coordinator of the programme is Aubrey Melville and he can be contacted on:
086 8092015/billwclub@yahoo.ie
Education Courses funded by the NWRDTF:
The Diploma in Drug & Alcdohol Studies - 2011 - 2012 - .
Christina McEleney - Diploma Coordinator
The Diploma is accredited by the University of Limerick which aims to develop personal and professional growth of individuals working in statutory, non statutory, community and voluntary organisations who are actively engaged in responding to drug and alcohol issues across the spectrum from prevention and education to treatment and rehabilitation.application form can be downloaded on downloads section
Christina can be contacted on: 087 9369312/christinamceleney@donegalvec.ie
The Certificate in Addiction Studies - 2011- 2012.
The project is based the theme of 'prevention through education' with the aim of modifying interventions in drug and alcohol related issues. It is a fully accredited level 7 Certificate from NUI Maynooth which will assist and inform service providers and community activists in addressing addiciton related issues in their own communities and workplaces.
The Coordinator, Jim Penders can be contacted on: 086 1943546/jimpenders@eircom.net
Holistic Therapy Programmes provided in Sligo and Leitrim Family Resource Centres
The aim of the holistic therapy programme is to giving recovering addicts an alternative and complimentary ways of dealing and coping with their addiction.
The programmes are being coordinated in Co Sligo by Claire Dineen in the Ballymote Family Resource Centre, and in Leitrim by Helena Golden in the Breffni Resource Centre in Carrick on shannon.
Claire can be contacted on: 071 9197818/ballymotefrc@gmail.com
Helena can be contacted on: 071 9622566/brefcom@eircom.net
The Young Men's Programme
The aim of this project to reduce the risk for young Traveller men coming into contact with the criminal justice system as a result of drug and alcohol issues and to support the rehabilitation of Traveller men on release from prison to lessen their risk of re-abusing drugs and alcohol.
The Homework Club
The aim of the programme is to promote the value of education among the Traveller Community of Ballyfree to support young people to reach their full potential by modifying drug and alcohol misuse by providing a safe, consistent environment where young people and their families can learn to deal with these issues on an ongoing basis.
The Project Coordinator for the programmes above, Bernadette Maughan of Sligo Travellers Support Group can be contacted on 071 9145780
PARENT STOP
Parent Stop is a free confidential support to parents that offers one to one support sessions, a drop in service, and a telephone support service as well as parenting support group work. The service is for all parents in Donegal who need support. Amongst other supports Parentstop offers a listening ear, signposting to other services;advocacy support and networking opportunities. The service is offered in Letterkenny and Inishowen.
Project Coordinator is Patricia Lee and she can be contact on:0879880476
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"...to significantly reduce the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a concerted focus on supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research"
