Outreach Support

In the various stages of addiction and recovery a range of interventions are needed to support service users. Turas has developed over the past number of years an outreach/harm reduction service that offers support to service users across the continuum of care, by delivering harm reduction advice, motivational and cognitive behavioural coping skills sessions. In addiction individuals needs are multiple and often complex, therefore the service also offers a range of wrap around supports including liaising with other agencies to co-ordinate services to maximise training, education and employment opportunities and advocacy support on housing and benefits issues. This is an important element in supporting their re-integration within families and communities.

This service is an integral part of the psycho-social supports delivered as part of the Community Alcohol Detox Programme and as such receives a substantial number of referrals who are still actively mis-using substances. Brief interventions to support their increased motivation and reduction in use in preparation for engaging with the Detox Programme are offered as well as relapse prevention sessions when discharged from the nurse.

While supporting service users to reduce their use sufficiently to engage with counselling support and the Structured Day Programme services within Turas it is also an effective stand alone intervention to reduce their use and lessen the harm experienced due to their substance use.

Individual Interventions

• Brief intervention – signposting etc.
• Motivational Support
• Harm Reduction
• Reduce the use / Relapse Prevention
• Advocacy

Inter-agency working

The Outreach Service also provides:

• Harm reduction support within the Turas / Simon inter-agency process to support a particularly vulnerable service user group within the Dundalk Simon Community
• Delivers two morning clinics within the community (House in Coxes) which supports substance mis-users and concerned family members within the community accessing appropriate supports within the treatment services

If you would like to access this support referrals are accepted from G.Ps, Dundalk Simon Community and the greater community via the House in Coxs or contact Turas.