The Practice Liaison Project

The three Drug and Alcohol Task Forces (DATFs) – Bray Local, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Local (DLR) and East
Coast Regional – have together established a The Practice Liaison Project. This project will work closely with
relevant services in HSE CH06 (Tusla DSE/Wicklow) who encounter children who have been impacted by
parental/caregiver substance use, and with marginalised communities regarding service accessibility and
substance use. The practice liaison worker is hosted by DLR-DATF, and funded through the Department of
Health’s Community Services Enhancement Fund (CSEF) 2023-25.
Project purpose:
The project has three basic aims.
First, the project will liaise between designated services1 in supporting the exchange of relevant information2
towards improving the support to families and children.
Second, the project will develop a community of practitioners who are committed to this work through the
following measures:
• Providing relevant training (specific to Hidden Harm).
• Information workshops
• Liaison support
• Networking meetings
Third, the project will outreach to and engage with targeted support organisations3 regarding alcohol or drug
related needs and, further improve their access to services within the community where appropriate.
Additional:
Part of this project will operate under the Hidden Harms Practice Guide and Strategic Framework⁴ developed
by Tusla and HSE, to assist services in supporting children and young people living with and/or impacted by
parental/caregivers’ substance use.
In general, the project will support the bridging of family and child services, and drug and alcohol services, in
favour of an improved service delivery in the community. Therefore, it is envisaged that this will not only help to
improve service collaboration and accessibility but will also increase the health and well-being of children, and
their families long-term.