Prevention

dar100

I was talking on a post not to long ago regarding prevention in Ireland, or lack of prevention to be correct.

Here is an excellent example of prevention in youth substance misuse from Iceland, and they say the only difference between Ireland and Iceland is the letter C, go figure

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/iceland-knows-how-to-stop-teen-substance-abuse-but-the-rest-of-the-world-isnt-listening-35428000.html

JuliusCaesar

very interesting, and supports a lot of work in the drug field, saying that the reason people go on drugs, and stay on drugs, and go back to drugs after rehab, is to do with social and interpersonal connection.

but this quote:

State funding was increased for organised sport, music, art, dance and other clubs, to give kids alternative ways to feel part of a group, and to feel good, rather than through using alcohol and drugs, and kids from low-income families received help to take part. In Reykjavik, for instance, where more than a third of the country’s population lives, a Leisure Card gives families 35,000 krona (£250) per year per child to pay for recreational activities.

Thank heavens for the GAA here.

One major obstacle is that while in Iceland there is long-term commitment to the national project, community health programmes in the US are usually funded by short-term grants.

Does ANYTHING get long-term funding here? Not just for pilot projects (how sick I am of the term!) but committment to a project that will last past the next election?

dar100

The funding model here is an absolute joke, especially if you are not in the Public Sector. The Service Level Agreements under section 39 funding for community and voluntary sectors are annual, so basically you can't plan for more than a year. Ironically, strategic plans are established on a 3 year cycle:(

JuliusCaesar

You'll be astonished at this, so! http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/Mentalhealth/vfcguidance.pdf

page 13:

Community partnership and development
The community itself is a valuable resource (Department of Health & Children, 2006) with a range of community services
required to augment the core interventions provided by CMHTs (see Figure 1). Many community services are supplied by
the voluntary sector, including advice and information services, advocacy services, befriending and voluntary schemes,
self-help groups and service user groups (Boardman & Parsonage, 2007).
The community development model promotes a partnership approach. CMHTs need to develop partnerships with their
local community and voluntary groups as well as at a higher interagency level (Combat Poverty Agency, 2007). This
partnership must include service users and due attention must be given to the process of this partnership to ensure it
does not become hierarchical or therapeutic in nature (National Disability Authority, 2005).
Through partnerships, it is possible to reduce stigma, create new community-led resources and develop new
connections between individuals, groups and organisations (Seebohm & Gilchrist, 2008):
› Multi-disciplinary team members need to:
› Establish a detailed understanding of all local resources relevant to the support of service users they work with.
› Develop positive partnerships and active communication with key agencies and voluntary groups in the
community as well as mainstream health services (e.g., primary care teams and other referring agents); social
welfare; education services and housing authorities (MHC, 2007).
› Spend time liaising with primary care staff in establishing referral practices and developing shared care for
individuals with complex presentations (Burns, 2007).
› Regularly review these liaison arrangements (Burns, 2007).
› Build community capacity by developing the abilities and skills of the members of the public and organisations
in such a way that they are better able to identify and help meet the needs of people using mental health services
(Department of Health, 2005). This can include providing learning and training opportunities; helping develop
structures and providing practical support e.g. to housing providers.

Any opinions?

dar100

The idea of shared care plans I feel is an excellent method of working from a case management perspective, and is something that The National Drugs Rehabilitation Framework has provided guild lines on for the Addiction Services.

Also, in general using a community development method of working is good practice, inter-agency etc.

However, and please correct me if I'm picking this up wrong. But, it seems to me, maybe cynically of me, that this is a plan to pass responsibility onto the community and voluntary sector for the care of these individuals, a sector that receives most of it's funding through section 39?

the services in question are already under funded as it is, staff are paid a lot less than their counterparts in PS.

JuliusCaesar

But, it seems to me, maybe cynically of me, that this is a plan to pass responsibility onto the community and voluntary sector for the care of these individuals, a sector that receives most of it's funding through section 39?

That certainly occurred to me!

The Black Oil

A former lecturer of mine used to write about substance use and was involved in a drugs task force, but by the looks of things, he hasn't done so since the early 2000s.

On section 39, etc, I did read some stuff about this before Christmas, but can't find it now. I have attended some briefings before and have found people from the disability sector get quite anxious about what's in the pipeline. Almost like it's just more reporting and paperwork being piled on. Can't say I blame them. Says he who is slightly cynical, mind.

dar100

Regarding the disability sector, I wonder if this anxiety around paperwork is due to talk of the funding model, where the funding follows the person and is link directly to the persons Care Plan.

Apparently it is more effective with this model

The Black Oil

It was more than the paperwork, tbh. The vibe I felt was a real fear of mergers in the voluntary and community sector.

Have to come back to you original link, when I've more time.