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Welcome to the Southern Regional Drugs Task Force
"Working in partnership to reduce the harmful effects caused to society by Drug or alcohol misuse"
The Task Force operates using Partnership Principles and has membership from the statutory, voluntary and community sectors alongside public representatives. The SRDTF employs a coordinator (Chris Black) and a Development Worker (Gordon Kinsley) who are employed to oversee the implementation of a Regional Strategy. The Coordinator is employed by the HSE but reports to the Chairperson of the Task Force (Tom Daly) for day to day operations
This website provides information on the activites, projects and initiatives supported by SRDTF - just follow the links above or to the left to navigate the site.
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2009 comes to an end
- Details
- Category: General Information
- Published on Tuesday, 22 December 2009 15:43
- Written by Chris Black
- Hits: 874
As 2009 draws to an end, the Southern Regional Drugs Task Force would like to express it's thanks to all the projects, project workers, advisory/steering committees and project promoters funded by SRDTF under the National Drugs Strategy.
Whilst 2009 has been a challenging year starting with reductions in budgets and ending with uncertainly about 2010, I feel the projects and the project workers have made significant progress in the region in addressing drug related issues facing them in local communities. They have shown dedication in the challenging work of supporting people using drugs (or at risk of using drugs) and I believe have made a significant imact upon the lives of numerous individuals, their families and communities.
Not only in the face to face work has significant progress been made, but progress has also been made also in aliging projects with the new National Drugs Strategy and in ensuring that the work funded by the task force is targeted very much at those who are using drugs, and uses evidence based techniques.
Whilst there has also been a significant reduction in the amount of funding available for 2010, SRDTF has managed to reach a point where existing staff hours can be maintained for 2010 and services will continue (albeit with limited access to additional financial resources). This would not have been possible without the support of HSE South who have made a financial contribution to a number of projects.
2010 will offer up challenges, as has 2009, but I feel that the Task Force is well placed to continue to fill gaps and provide an outstanding service to the communities of Cork & Kerry.
Chris Black - Coordinator - Dec 2009
Minister Currans Speech at Getting a Grip
- Details
- Category: General Information
- Published on Thursday, 22 October 2009 11:01
- Written by Chris Black
- Hits: 1408
Thank you for inviting me here this morning. This is my second time to attend this conference and much has happened in the intervening year, not least the launch of the National Drug Strategy 2009 - 2016 by the Taoiseach last month.
It is an “interim” policy pending the development of the broader Substance Misuse Strategy that is to be formulated in accordance with the Government decision of 31 March to include alcohol and drugs in a combined National Substance Misuse Policy. While mainly addressing the drugs issue, the new Strategy, also covers the responses required to deal with aspects of the prevalence of problem alcohol use particularly in the areas of treatment, rehabilitation and prevention.
The theme of this year’s conference “Reducing Drug and Alcohol Related Harm” is both appropriate and timely and is reflective of the need to address problem substance use in our society.
Dial to Stop Drug Dealing Continued
- Details
- Category: General Information
- Published on Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:59
- Written by Chris Black
- Hits: 970
Following the release of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 (interim), the Southern Regional Drugs Task Force welcome the announcement of the continuation of funding for the Dial to Stop Drug Dealing Campaign.
SRDTF would like to encourage people to continue to use the CONFIDENTIAL phone line to reports incidents of drug dealing, which between March and July 2009 received 125 calls from the region (Cork & Kerry).
SRDTF Coordinator Chris Black reminds people “When a call is made to the Dial to Stop Drug Dealing phone line the caller is never asked for any personal information which may reveal their identity, meaning the caller will not have Gardai visit them (unless they inform the operator that they wish them to do so), and the phone number never appears on bills”.
As a reminder, the phone number for Dial To Stop Drug Dealing is 1800 220 220.
Please note that the number cannot be used for an immediate response, as calls go through to a call centre outside of the state and are then passed on to the Garda National Drugs Unit, before being analysed for usefulness and passed down to relevant local Gardai. For immediate response, please contact your local Gardai directly.
National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 (interim)
- Details
- Category: General Information
- Published on Friday, 11 September 2009 10:02
- Written by Chris Black
- Hits: 854
The National Drugs Strategy 2009 - 2016 (interim) can be downloaded from the Health Research Board website, by following the link here.
Also available on the web, thanks to our friends at Drugs.ie, is video footage of Minister John Curran's Speech, and also a presentation given by Michael Conroy (Office for the Minister of Drugs) on the new NDS. These can both be found by following the link here.
The NDS is an interim strategy, in that the National Substance Misuse Strategy which will be launched in 2010, will marry the exisiting strategy with the inclusion of alcohol.
On a personal note - the introduction of the new NDS is welcomed and will allow the Southern Regional Drugs Task Force to continue its vital and supportive work in the Region. In particular the extension of Dial to Stop Drug Dealing is something that we had hoped for and also the announcement of funding for the HSE in the Region to improve treatment facilites is welcomed.
Overall the strategy appears to have a stronger emphasis on treatment and rehabilitation, this in turn strengthening the role of our Community Based Drugs Initiatives, where great emphasis is placed on supporting drug users and families in their own communities, working towards preparing drug users to enter onto a treatment path.
I feel that times will be difficult over the coming 12 months considering the economic climate, but I also feel that SRDTF are well placed to work within the strategy and to work in partnership with the community/voluntary/statutory sectors to deliver and improve targeted services for drug users.
