Frances Black (Independent)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for the invitation. It really is great to be here with guests from Northstar Family Support Project Limerick, the Family Addiction Support Network, Coolmine treatment centre, FARI and Uisce.

I will try not to talk for too long because I understand time is precious. I will just speak very briefly about what RISE does. The previous speaker has covered the exact impact on families and how devastating addiction is for them, so I will not go there. I will just say a little about what we do.

RISE is a primary care organisation that supports families in their own recovery, and in their resilience because the impact is so devastating. The aim of RISE is to help individuals manage the situation and empower families to rebuild relationships, develop healthy coping strategies and, to be honest, reclaim a little hope.

RISE has a five-fold approach. The first element is to support family members in their own recovery, because families need their own recovery process separate from that of the person who engages in problematic drug or alcohol use or gambling. Second, we try to educate families about the impact of addictive behaviour on them, not only on the addicted individual. Third, we try to break the cycle by encouraging self-care and boundary-setting. Fourth, we try to help families emerge from powerlessness with renewed strength and courage. Powerlessness can bring families into a devastating place, as the previous speaker said. Fifth, reflecting why we are here today, we try to raise public awareness about the ripple effect of addiction on families. Our core programmes are delivered by a team of eight experienced counsellors. We have an online family programme, which entails a weekly three-hour session. We offer one-to-one counselling and aftercare.

Today, I am not going to talk too much because I am conscious of time. However, it is important to ask the committee to recognise the importance of family support as part of a comprehensive public health approach in Ireland. It is vital. We need a national body like FARI, which is represented today and that represents the voice of families affected by problem substance misuse. We need investment to expand online capacity and train more staff in evidence-based family therapies. We need support for partnerships with treatment providers, primary care networks and community organisations to ensure seamless referrals and holistic care, which is vital. With appropriate funding and policy support, we can reach more families in need and reduce the long-term human and societal costs of addiction and strengthen the fabric of families across our communities.

The RISE Foundation offers a proven, compassionate and scalable model for supporting families affected by addiction, along with the work of the other wonderful organisations represented here today. I work very closely with Ms McKenna from the Family Addiction Support Network and I have been speaking to Ms Breda Fell from FARI, and I see the phenomenal work of all the other organisations in this area. I thank the members for their time and consideration and welcome any questions they have.