This report was prepared by the Addiction Research Centre for the Health Services Executive Regional Drug Coordinating Office, Waterford, and is part of a wider study of substance misuse problems and policy implementation in the region. The report is concerned with developing a treatment framework for responding to adolescent alcohol and drug problems in the four local areas in the HSE southeast (Carlow / Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford). In each of these areas there is a substance misuse team consisting of a substance misuse coordinator, an education and training officer and addiction counselor or counselors. There are also a number of community-based drug initiatives funded through Youth Facilities and Services Fund. Each area also has alcohol and drug counselors as part of mental health teams.

The report builds on the Report of the Working Group on Treatment of Under 18 year olds presenting to Treatment Services with Serious Drug Problems (referred to as the Under 18s Report), which advocated a 4-tier model of service delivery, corresponding to primary prevention, secondary prevention, specialist treatment and extra specialist (residential) treatment. Specifically the southeast report addresses issues and recommendations in the implementation of the four-tier framework within the southeast. One issue of overriding concern is preserving a regional policy and strategic commitment to integrating alcohol and drugs within a single intervention framework...