As with the 2010 Soccer Tournament it had to be an interagency event as this is what Social Inclusion is all about and gives it that touch of something special.  This means that the event was to be a combination of teams from various organisations just like DROP – providing services to people whose lives are affected by addiction.  Following many phone calls the three agencies to be involved were The Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Outreach Project, the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Community Addiction Team and Bray Community Addiction Team.  Each team being made up of Staff and Service Users.

Caoimhe Mc Mullan, Link Worker with the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Outreach Project was tasked with organising the day.  Through a chance phone conversation between herself and the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council she made contact with the brilliant Stephen Gore of Leinster Rugby.  Stephen was great from start to finish, he gave his time to provide training, rugby balls and tags so that each team could practice and make it look like they knew what they were doing on the day of the Tournament.  Loughlinstown Leisure Centre played host to the event, free of charge we would like to add, on Thursday, 13^th October and we had a very special guest in the guise of the Heineken Cup who came along compliments of Leinster Rugby.  This gave a great buzz to all those in attendance and we even had the chance of a few paparazzi moments which we will cherish for a lifetime.

Through sheer skill, a lot of energy, sweat and near tears the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Community Addiction Team triumphed on the day and took the cup back to Sandyford.  Not all was lost as the community of Dun Laoghaire had provided many spot prizes which were given out on the day and no one went home empty handed as everyone left with a medal for their participation.  We may be stuck in the midst of a recession but that didn’t stop people putting their hands in their pockets and donating to us.  You feel you have accomplished something big when you look back on an event and see a whole community come together to share generously and without a doubt the 2011 Social Inclusion Tag-rugby tournament saw this in bucket loads.

We would like to say a special thanks to The Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Local Drug Task Force, Tesco Bloomfields, Musgraves Sallynoggin, Dubray Books, Shaws, Tierneys, Remanés Jewellers, M&S, Costello Flowers, Treat Your Feet, O’Mahony & Ennis Pharmacy, Dun Laoghaire Pharmacy, John’s Corner Shop and Poppies  for their generous support.

Cocaine is one of those hidden problems.  The development of problematic use can often go unnoticed by the user and others around them for a long time. Many people using a lot of cocaine on a regular basis manage to continue to hold down their jobs and maintain relationships, albeit with some difficulty.  However, as with all drugs, there may be repercussions to extended cocaine use for which a person could need support.  Experience has taught us that some of the issues arising from prolonged cocaine use can be difficulties with relationships; employment; education; finances; the law; mental and physical health.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Outreach Project Cocaine Service was established in 2007.  Our ethos is to provide a confidential space in a relaxed, non-judgemental atmosphere.  Our aim is to help people regain control of their lives and to provide them with a clearer insight into their cocaine use and the impact it is having on their bodies and their lives.

We have morning and afternoon appointments on Mondays and Wednesdays.  On a Thursday we run from 10am until 9pm.  All our services are free of charge and are on a one-to-one basis

For an appointment, please call Clara on (01) 280 3187 or text 086 3636402.  You can also check out our website www.drop.ie to see more about the Cocaine Service and other services available here in DROP.

Representatives from local psychiatric services; local hospitals; general practitioners; the Gardai; Probation Service; Legal Aid; and Employment Assistance Programmes were in attendance.  Our understanding and experience has been that all these services encounter people experiencing problems with cocaine/crack cocaine use in their everyday work.  The purpose behind inviting professionals in was to provide information about what we do and to offer services the opportunity to refer people on to us.

Our ethos, our work and our commitment to care was made explicit to all those who attended.  We provided the opportunity for people to ask questions and see for themselves what DROP Cocaine Service is all about.  Everyone who attended was provided with a service handout detailing the work and history of the Cocaine Service – this document is available to download from this website.

The Open Day provided the opportunity to create and maintain links with other relevant services in the area and we are pleased to say that the day was a success.  In these times it is fundamental that organisations providing a service to the public be transparent in their work and be open to providing information, support and advice to anyone who may seek it; from the point of view of the Cocaine Service in DROP, we are happy to be part of that process.

Cocaine Service June 2011

Open Day Powerpoint Presentation

Specific recommendations were made and issued raised under each heading, however on a whole the findings were positive.  The key results were:

- Impressive development over 10 years

- Ability to deal with difficult conditions and problems

- High levels of commitment

- Good financial management

- Good reputation

DROP was found to be well respected in it’s field, have a team of highly motivated and committed staff, often working under difficult conditions and a good reputation with funders and other agencies.  Main weaknesses were a lack of strategic planning and uncertain funding structures.  It was felt that good governance will be essential for DROP if it is to survive and prosper in what is a difficult economic climate, which could also see a rise in drug use, mental health issues and unemployment.

Following on from this organisational review it was agreed that DROP develop a three year strategic plan.  Strategic planning is about asking the people whose actions will create the future what they want that future to be.  Where do you want to be in three years?  Not where do you think you’ll be, not where do you forecast you’ll be but where do you want to be.  Once the organisation identifies where they want to be they ask the next big question.  What has to change in order for us to get there?  Those changes are articulated as a small set of strategic goals with implementation plans that start immediately.

The purpose of our action plan is to provide a vision for the immediate future of DROP in the form of a document that addresses how individuals and families experiencing addiction issues can be better served through a coordinated approach which is properly resourced.  This action plan will also allow the staff and board of management of DROP to highlight the accomplishments to be achieved over the next few years, in what will be difficult financial times.

The action plan has both internal and external audiences.  The internal audiences consisting of staff, board of directors and management committee members.  The external audience will be more wide-ranging, including funders and financial sponsors, local community agencies and providers of addiction rehabilitation/prevention services.

Why not take a look at DROP’s Strategic Plan here Strategic Plan 2010-2013

Minister attends Ten Year Anniversary at DROP

Minister attends Ten Year Anniversary at DROP

John Curran, Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Drugs, attended an Open Day to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Outreach Project Ltd (DROP) on September 17th 2008.

The Minister talked to staff, service users and visitors about the importance of having community-based responses to addiction, in particular he emphasised the vital need to support families to develop coping skills to deal with the impact of a family member’s addiction.

DROP runs Family Support services for individuals and groups. Other services at DROP include a three-year structured rehabilitation programme for drug users, one-to-one supports for people who cannot yet commit to rehabilitation, an evening service for people using cocaine with or without other drugs, and a facilitated drug-free support group.  All of DROP’s services are client centred, free and confidential, and include holistic needs assessments, drugs interventions, counselling, complementary therapies and group work.

DROP liaises with local agencies to support a continuum of care in areas such as parenting and housing supports, educational and skills development, work placements and training to support career progression.   Through its own Community Employment Scheme DROP can provide supported work placements for up to 34  long-term unemployed people who want to engage in meaningful work, this work is undertaken within 19 voluntary or community host agencies, each of whom is building greater social inclusion in Dun Laoghaire. DROP also hosts the Local Drugs Task Force’s Education and Development staff.

Through these services DROP seeks to fulfil its mission of providing a range of responses to meet the needs of individuals, families and communities who are affected by addiction.  Anyone wishing to have further information about DROP‘s services  can contact the Manager Sandra Kelly on 01 280 3187 or by email at manager@drop.ie.