Exchange House Drugs Project
The project aims to develop a response to the needs of Travellers in the South Inner City who are at risk of becoming involved in drug misuse and addiction.

Exchange House Drugs Service aims to deliver a service that is client-centred, non-judgemental, collaborative, and governed by a code of practice to ensure transparency and accountability.

The project so far
Within the Traveller community, changes have taken place in the lifetime of the project. People are now open to discussing the problem of drug misuse and willing to look at programmes and treatment options that are available. As in Irish society at large the problem of drug has become more visible and in some ways more socially acceptable within the Traveller community. In order to be effective, programmes have be targeted at specific groups and tailored to local needs.

A significant client base has built up with self referrals and referrals from other services increasing. Much of the time of the Addiction Counsellor, in addition to delivering an individual counselling service, involves linking clients to other services, introducing them to key people within services, and encouraging Travellers to avail of the many mainstream facilities available in the south inner city area.

Two education programmes have been delivered, one to parents in Labre Park and the second to boys in the Ballymun area, in conjunction with Travellers Youth Services. Feedback from these programmes will inform future work in relation to the development of appropriate information materials.

The addiction counsellor also visits Travellers in prison who may come into contact with drugs while inside and is available on their release to assist them to engage with services.

Lessons from the project so far
Much has been learned so far in this new area for Exchange House.

The issues faced by the Traveller community in this area are no different to those faced by the rest of Irish society. These issues include misuse of alcohol, polydrug misuse, the social acceptability of cocaine use.

It is impossible to separate the problem of drug misuse from the other issues facing Travellers, such as inadequate accommodation, discrimination, poor experience of education and consequent low self esteem among many young Travellers.

Working within a family support agency such as Exchange House means that issues other than drugs misuse can also be addressed, such as welfare rights entitles, debt management etc.

An outreach approach is proving effective in reaching people who may not be in touch with any health services.

Educational programmes targeted at Travellers have resulted in increased awareness of the possibility of addressing the drug problem among the Traveller community.

Ongoing networking, support and liaison among statutory, voluntary and community agencies is raising awareness of the needs of Traveller drug users.

Due to the concern among Travellers that mainstream agencies may not be able to address the needs of Traveller drug users, a holistic, integrated approach in addressing ill health among the Traveller community is needed.

Very often, once a person has participated in a comprehensive assessment interview at a treatment centre, they are then informed that there is a long waiting list. This is a significant deterrent and points to the need to increase the service provision for all drug users in the Dublin area.

The results from the Drugs project are positive so far in that the project succeeded in engaging Travellers in this sensitive area. The challenge is now to move on, in conjunction with other providers in the south inner city area, to develop an integrated approach with managed entry and exit points so that people who are ready to address their drug or alcohol problems will find a ready and accessible pathway to assist them.