Merchants Quay Ireland’s CRIS Project is a community-based drug and alcohol recovery support service for the East Coast Region. CRIS offers a one-to-one service aswell as the option of a family support group, to provide you with support and practical information on how to navigate the challenges you are facing. Services are available for adults over 18 and their families across Wicklow (excluding Bray and Blessington) and South Dublin (between Grand Canal and Dun Laoghaire). With offices in Wicklow Town, Arklow and Dublin as well as treatment centres in Carlow and Dublin the CRIS project provides a range of supports for people struggling with addiction and their families.

The CRIS project has two Community Integration Workers responsible for the co-ordination of assessment, case management and care planning of clients and their families, who have been affected by drugs and/or alcohol use.

This is a free, confidential and holistic service that works with all relevant agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for clients. Each Community Integration Worker engages with a range of community, voluntary and statutory service providers, to provide a wide range of interventions:

Engagement with clients through an appointment-based assessment and ongoing case management service
Rehabilitation and aftercare group work
Information, advocacy and individualised supports to help clients reach their goals.
People can self-refer to the CRIS Project, or can be referred from any other agency.
The CRIS project provides Brief Intervention Councilling and has an outreach programme if required.
To make a referral, or to arrange an appointment, contact one of our Community Integration Workers on:

Phone: 0404 34009
Email: cris@mqi.ie
Web: MQI CRIS Project

BRIEF INTERVENTION COUNSELLING

Purpose:

The purpose of the Brief Intervention Counselling (BIC) service is to meet the needs of individuals affected by addiction issues. Clients are offered a short series of one-to-one brief intervention counselling sessions to assist them in understanding and managing their substance use. The counsellor supports the clients in making informed choices and decisions and assist them through a short series of goal focused sessions.

Service delivery:

The East Coast CRIS service Manager engaged an appropriately qualified counsellor; deals with all queries and organises client reviews where relevant. A psychotherapist, with appropriate addiction training, and 2 counselling psychologists were engaged, two female and one male, this allowed for gender balance. Engaging 3 counsellors assisted in accommodating the service geographically and ensured that the high numbers requiring a service would not have a lengthy wait. The counsellors were affiliated to a recognised body. They abided by their affiliated body code of ethics and adhered to the Department of Children & Youth Affairs Children first: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children.

Currently, a referral pathway approach has been adopted following the establishment of the Rehabilitation Integration Service. This service, alongside other ECRDATF funded agencies, refer into the BIC service. Where appropriate, following active participation in the BIC service, clients may be referred onto either Living Life Counselling service, Wicklow Child & Family Project therapeutic service or the HSE addiction counsellors.

Premises:

The BIC service is delivered from 3 separate premises: a unit in the Wicklow Enterprise Centre, 39A Wexford Road Arklow and the Wicklow Child & Family Project main office in Wicklow Town. The house in Arklow and the unit in the Wicklow Enterprise Centre also house the ECRDATF Rehabilitation Integration Workers and provide a meeting space for the ECRDATF.

Staffing:

Mr Adam Jensen – Counselling Psychologist

Ms Tracy O’Neill – Counselling Psychologist

Ms Bernie McGrane – Psychotherapist, Addiction Counsellor

Inter-agency collaboration:

ECRDATF & HSE Rehabilitation Integration Workers – Tiglin - Arklow Springboard - Living Life – Simon - HSE Outreach Team – Probation – GP’s.

Close links with ECRDATF and sub committees.

NDTRS Health Research Board:

Regular data is collected from clients accessing the BIC, (with their approval), and forwarded to the Health Research Board using the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS).

Community Recovery & Integration Supports Project

BRIEF INTERVENTION COUNSELLING

East Coast Regional Drugs and Alcohol Task Force