Mid West Regional Drugs & Alcohol Forum Action Plan
| Action | Goal | Method | Timeframe |
| Education & Prevention | To increase knowledge and awareness of education and training opportunities for clients. To identify gaps and to work collaboratively to bridge the gaps in education and training To provide clients with opportunities to educate/retrain and a possibility to re-enter the workforce | Communicate with services such as ETB to provide education and training opportunities such as community addiction studies in the mid- west. Advertise Education & Training Bursary for community based and third level education programmes. i.e. UL Diploma; Drug & Alcohol Studies, Smart recovery training Saor training | ongoing |
| Treatment and Rehabilitation | Hold a subgroup with various agencies addressing current local and national issues in relation to treatment and rehab and access to same To share information on trends & issues in treatment & rehabilitation across services and work together to respond to challenges arising in a collaborative manner. | Identify gaps in treatment & rehab service provision Dual diagnosis-To work with relevant bodies for the roll out of dual diagnosis MDT teams nationally Advertise annual Treatment Funding Pool for services | ongoing |
| Traveller drug and alcohol network | Linking with members of Traveller Health Primary Care Programme, familiarizing them with drug services in the region and enhancing their knowledge around drug & alcohol issues so that they can share this with their community. | Organizing visits to treatment centres. Providing tailored training to PHCP Workers & Advocates, developing resources specific to the Travelling Community (which also used in mainstream services ie Benzo leaflet ‘ What’s in your tablet’ – just need to check title of leaflet | ongoing |
| Community Engagement & Representation | Engage with individuals & local organisations where no network exists. Encourage participation at decision making forums. Maintain links with other networks in the region to create awareness on D&A issues | Facilitate Community networks, support community representative on MWRDAF and other decision-making forums. Disseminate drug & alcohol information within communities. | 1st Quarter 2023 |
| Third Level Drug & Alcohol Network (Early Intervention) | To provide a co-ordinated response to drug & alcohol issues within the third level student population. | Develop & facilitate Drug & Alcohol Network. This network is made up of key players form MI, UL & TUS campuses, HSE, Gardaí & MWRDAF To develop initiatives such as early intervention measures-Safe use during race week Develop a QR code with business cards and posters to provide support services so 3rd level students can reach out as soon as possible. | 4th quarter 2022 |
| Drug Litter Working Group | Provide a co-ordinated response to drug litter in the Mid-West. Develop a Drug Litter Working Group to include key stakeholders. | Facilitate a drug litter working group made up of key stakeholders from CCC, LCCC, Ana Liffey, HSE, MWRDAF & Gardaí. To work at reducing the harm caused to the public, and providing safer disposal information. | |
| Arrest referral (Promote alternatives to coercive sanctions for drug related offences) | To work with probation, HSE and other relevant bodies in relation to arrest referral | ||
| Voluntary Drug & Alcohol Sector Midwest | To support the Voluntary D&A Sector in their work sharing information, raising challenges and other issues which can be raised at the MWRDAF meetings through their representatives & to their own national structure.. The sector includes prevention, treatment, rehab & family support organisations. | Supporting admin of quarterly meetings and their nomination process to the Task Force | ongoing |
| Research and development (evidence based outcomes and strategy implementation) | To keep up to date with relevant research in relation to drug and alcohol issues. To disseminate the information to relevant services To work with various agencies in the mid-west and identify gaps in research in the area. | Research in to the health impacts of crack cocaine in Limerick city | Last quarter 2022 |
| Integrated care pathways (Minimise harms caused by use and misuse of substances) | To develop a case management framework with in the Mid-West in line with Slaintecare and NDS and NDRF. | A working group has been established to Develop a framework to work with relevant services in the roll out of the framework. | 1st Quarter 2023 |
| Communications, Information & IT | Respond to requests for information at local, regional & national level. Support awareness of D&A services Email national information to relevant networks | Updating website for target audience to access information to supports easily. Develop a directory of services to make access to a range of services in the area. Share useful / current information via MWRDAF twitter account. Update regularly. | Ongoing/Last quarter 2022 |
| Family supports | To provide services with supports and information in relation to drug and alcohol issues as well as help for concerned family members | To roll out 5 step training in the Mid-west To inform services of the various supports available including family respite in the Mid-West | 1st Quarter 2023 |