The Midland Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force and its sub-structures bring together members, representing the community, voluntary and statutory sectors, public representatives and key interest groups to develop and co-ordinate a collective and integrated response to drug and alcohol problems in the midland region which covers the catchment area of Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly.
In 2017, a new prevention, early intervention, treatment and rehabilitation, and family support service comes on stream. The aim is to ensure that everyone who has (or is at risk of) a drug or drink problem, has access to the supports they need, when they need them across the midland region.
As the Task Force looks ahead to 2020, we want to hear your views on what else we, and the agencies we bring together, should do. Ideally, we might try the kinds of things that reflect the combined citizens first / quality management approach taken in Canada. There, the emphasis is on identifying service needs, priorities and expectations from the client, family and community point of view, and then meeting or even exceeding these by ensuring services of perceptible quality.
The 'Empower 2020' strategy, which we want you to help shape, will highlight what the partner groups on the Task Force could do to maximise the collective impact of the range of services and supports provided. A consultant, Mr Kealan Flynn, has been engaged to assist in the work and the Task Force has organised four public meetings for you to give your view:
- Longford Arms Hotel, Longford - Wednesday 18th May 2016, 10.30am – 12.00pm
- The Prince of Wales Hotel, Athlone – Wednesday 18th May 2016, 2.30pm – 4.00pm
- Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore - Thursday 19th May 2016, 10.30am – 12.00pm
- Portlaoise Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise Town – Thursday 19th May 2016, 2.30am – 4.00pm
You can also email your views directly to the Consultant, Mr Kealan Flynn at email: Midland2020@ici.ie before 20th May 2016.