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).