One to One Support

BCAT employ Project/Key Workers who provide one-to-one support (key-working) to people with alcohol and/or drug problems. When you access BCAT, if you would like individual support, the person on duty will meet with you and discuss the supports you require. Once this happens, within a week you will be allocated a key worker to work with you. The key worker will contact you and meet with you, where a more detailed discussion will occur around the supports you require.

You and your key worker will then look at putting in place a ‘Care Plan’ which will identify the areas of your life you want to change, and you will work towards changing those areas you wish to change. Throughout the course of your work with the key worker, you can adapt and change your care plan, to meet your needs as they arise. It may be the case that you would benefit from a coordinated approach to addressing your issues if you are involved with a few different services due to issues in your life, ie, if you are accessing homeless services, may have legal issues, may be involved with probation services, etc. If this arises we would discuss the idea of a Case Manager with you, that would mean one person would be assigned to ‘manage’ your ‘case’, liaise with other agencies with your consent, try to move things forward with you in a ‘shared care’ plan, and would try to remove gaps and blocks that may hinder you from achieving your own goals. Depending on your circumstances, your key worker can also be your case manager or you may have a different case manager to your key worker. This will depend on the level of supports you require and your preferences.

BCAT's system of key working, care planning and case management is aligned to the principles outlined in the National Rehabilitation Framework (NRF). For information on the NRF please see htttp://www/drugs.ie/resources/ndric1/.

Initial Steps

• You can walk in without appointment or you can ring up and arrange your first visit
• You will be met with by the Person on Duty for 20 minutes to get a sense of what you need
• New people are allocated to a new worker every Wednesday afternoon. If you come on a Thursday/Friday and you think you cannot wait for a week please indicate this and we will facilitate an earlier allocation and appointment.
• You will be allocated a key worker within a week of your first face to face contact with BCAT
• The worker you are allocated will ring you to arrange an appointment for your first meeting

Care Plan

• Throughout the initial meetings with your key worker you and the key worker will compete an Initial Assessment to build up a picture of the key issues which are affecting your life
• We will specifically ask you if you want to include a family member or friend in your care because this type of involvement will be of a support to you and we can also offer family support to your family members. The inclusion or not is your choice.
  All areas of your life will be looked at if that is your wish, and not just your drug/alcohol use. So for example if you have legal issues, family problems, housing issues, mental health issues, we will set goals with you to address these while at the same time addressing your drug/alcohol issues.
• You will pick the areas of your life you wish to address, and you will be able to monitor how you are doing over time
  The essential message for you to remember is that the plan is your plan, the goals are your goals, and your worker will assist you step by step, to reach specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely goals.
• You and your worker will review your plan at least every two months, to see if you are happy with your progress, if you want to adapt your plan, and if other elements will be added to your plan
• You and your worker will plan for weekly meetings to work on the issues in your care plan
• Throughout your care plan process, your worker will take an active role in assisting you and if you are someone who has a lot of involvement with other state agencies your worker will advocate for you, support you and accompany you in your involvement with other agencies, if this is your wish.
• Some people may require additional support more than others. It may be helpful for you to have one person from one agency coordinate your care plan with you. This person would be your ‘case manager’. You may already have a ‘case manager’ in another agency who will coordinate your care
• To find out more about about the evidence based interventions/approaches we use please go to Our Approach section and see Practices

To find out more about about the evidence based interventions/approaches we use please go to Our Approach section and see Practices