Lyons, Suzi
(2011)
Annual review of the Tallaght Rehabilitation Project.
Drugnet Ireland,
Issue 39, Autumn 2011,
p. 25.
The Tallaght Rehabilitation Project (TRP) is a community-based rehabilitation day programme for people with drug or alcohol addiction who are currently drug or alcohol free or who are stable on methadone. The annual review for 2010 is now available on the TRP website.1
There are 17 places on the day therapeutic programme, which runs alongside family support activities, aftercare and outreach. During 2010, 57 people were referred to the day programme, of whom 17 were given a place, 20 were referred on to other services and six were awaiting assessment. Some of the main activities of the programme were: key working (433 hours); relapse prevention/ addiction awareness (254 hours); therapeutic group process (246 hours); and ‘move on’ module (95 hours).
Several participants completed the move on module, which provides job-seeking skills alongside relapse prevention. In 2010, the aftercare service, through a service level agreement, was included in the module to further improve the successful transition from TRP.
The Community Employment (CE) scheme in TRP had a very successful year in 2010. Currently all those on the day programme have a ring-fenced position, while a further 10 people are employed on the CE scheme to support the activities of the project. Five of the day programme participants are now in employment (either full-time or CE) and two are in full-time third-level education. One CE staff member has returned to full-time employment and another is now a third-level student working part time.
In order to provide a holistic service to the people attending, other services are provided, including: family intervention, a play therapist, outreach and a partnership with Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
The Tallaght Wide Aftercare service (TWA) expanded its services to five evenings a week in 2010 and employed a second project worker. In 2010, 46 people were referred to this service, of whom eight were referred on, 24 accessed the services regularly, and 14 disengaged. Activities undertaken included: social (485 hours); key working (175 hours); peer support group (74 hours); and stress management (70 hours).
The report notes that, despite the 10% reduction in funding, TRP has been able to maintain its standards and level of staff, but warns that any more cuts will inevitably have a negative effect on the project’s ability to provide the same level of service.
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