Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am only picking up some of the questions. I was very interested in Senator Ní Chuilinn's questions about the model. RISE is an online programme where we have a one to one service. We have a ten-week family programme and an aftercare programme. That model works very well when working with FASN in the north east, or any of the other family addiction support networks and peer to peer support groups. We have a team of eight therapists who are trained up specifically in the impact on family and working with that person individually. FASN would refer family members to RISE and they would come to our ten-week family programme. It is all online. We have three family programmes running at the moment, where 12 individuals come to us and they are in crisis, as other speakers have said. They do the ten-week family programme and then we refer back to others.

We also do a lot of surveys. For example, there was one on our new crisis intervention ten-week counselling service. We also do surveys on our family programmes. It is all evidence based. The recent report summarised it. It was a survey conducted with family members after completing ten counselling sessions. It highlighted the positive impacts on their mental health, coping strategies, awareness and overall well-being after ten weeks. We were not sure ten weeks were enough for the family members but they were.

The survey was designed to measure changes in the client's perspectives and behaviours as a result of the counselling process and we were amazed at the results we got. Before counselling, feelings of despair and hopelessness were prevalent with over 56% feeling lost, in trauma and with no real support. After counselling, feelings of despair and hopelessness decreased dramatically. I think 36.8% said they did not feel that any more or hardly at all. The extra supports and understanding were significant. I think 47% were feeling supported most of the time. The feelings of confusion and trauma were also reduced.

There is a huge benefit to the pre and post surveys we do with our family programmes, as well as our ten-week counselling programme. We hope to be evidence-based with our aftercare as well. Some family members come in, do the one-to-one counselling and then we refer them on to the ten-week family programme. The aftercare is the real work. When we refer them back to the Family Addiction Support Network, the family member has gone through an intense therapeutic process with the ten-week programme and then goes back into a peer-to-peer group in the network. The model works very well and we hope to expand that to other services and get a meeting with the south east regional family addiction support network as well. We are seeing unbelievable results. I am sure FASN can say a little about how the model works as well.