The Welcome Programme

The struggle to get off drugs or alcohol is always hard. Without support, it’s nearly impossible. The pressures of daily life and all of the normal worries that come with it don’t help. Even if you manage to stop using drugs or alcohol, there’s still a tough battle ahead to remain drug-free and sober. This is where the Welcome Programme can really help…The Coolmine Welcome Programme offers a 12-week stabilisation day programme designed for people contemplating a reduction in their use of drugs, or a drug-free lifestyle. Clients do not need to be drug-free to attend, they just need to be motivated to look at stabilising their drug use. Their long-term plan may be to give up drugs and/or alcohol completely but this is not a requirement for participating in the programme. Participants attend a structured group programme held in our city centre premises in Dublin. The programme runs Monday-Friday from 10:45am to 3:30pm.

Welcome Programme clients get the chance to meet other people in the same position as themselves. Clients are encouraged to support one another so that they can learn from each other’s experiences. This peer-level communication is very often one of the greatest helps and comforts our clients get from the programme. Clients experience both group work and one-to-one sessions with a key worker, who is assigned to them when they join the programme. Their key worker works with them to assess their needs. Then, together the client and key worker identify a care plan and review progress every week.

The Welcome Programme group work content includes modules on Drug Awareness (including an introduction to drug support services); Drug Education/Health Promotion; Relapse Prevention; Art; Computers; Acupuncture/Yoga; and a weekly Open Support Group.

Welcome Programme participants also have the opportunity to speak with other service providers (such as Merchant’s Quay and the Ana Liffey Project) so that they are made aware of the range of options available for their next step, whether that step is towards a drug-free lifestyle or simply getting further structured support in their addiction. Coolmine Therapeutic Community maintains strong links with agencies offering accommodation, employment and education opportunities, so whether our clients have a short term goal, such as finding a safe place to stay, or a more long-term ambition, such as training for a career, we can find them the support that the need.

The main aims of the Welcome Programme are to give clients a safe space to get some respite from their often pressured, chaotic lives and to give them the best opportunity to communicate, contemplate and make informed decisions about their future.

Welcome Programme Update December 2008

A joint partnership / venture between Coolmine and the Ana Liffey Drugs Project began in August 2008 with the launch of a special pre-entry programme designed specifically for homeless people and those wishing to access the various services available to them.

Information / work groups are held every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon’s between 2-30pm and 5-00pm. The programme has a very casual approach and encourages people to “drop in” as and when they wish.

The pre-entry programme is directly linked to the Welcome Programme although not exclusively; information is provided on all services available throughout the city and beyond. The pre-entry programme can be regarded as a “first step” to recovery with no criteria for the client other wanting to be there.

The Welcome Programme now has a full staff team comprising of 3 project workers and 1 team leader and can operate with a total population of 15 clients.

To find out more please contact The Welcome Programme Manager on 01 6770691 (via Focus Ireland) or by email: ita@coolminetc.ie

Find out what a typical day in The Welcome Programme would be like… You might also like to watch John & Derek’s video diaires about  their experiences on the Welcome Programme.