Who We Are - SERDATF

About SERDATF

The South East Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force (SERDATF) is one of ten Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces which was established nationally in 2003, as a key recommendation within the National Drug Strategy 2001-2008. SERDATF is funded by the Department of Health, and covers the catchment area of Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.

The role of each Task Force is to research, develop, implement, and monitor a co-ordinated response to illicit drug and alcohol use at a regional level. The SERDATF has been given a key role by the Government in responding to the drug and alcohol related issues. Its membership reflects the need to ensure locally-based responses that complement existing or planned drug and alcohol programmes and services in the south east region.

SERDATF currently fund eight projects that provide evidence based, safe, effective supports and interventions to those with drug and alcohol issues.

Membership of the SERDATF reflects a five county interagency collaboration that includes representation from the Community Sector, Voluntary Sector, Statutory Agencies and Communities of Interest, families and people who are experts by experience. The membership reflects the necessity of a shared perspective approach where each stakeholder offers their distinctive contribution and perspective.

How We Work

The SERDATF is committed to the principles and practices of Co-Production to achieve its aims and objectives.

What Is Co-Production?

Co-production is where people with lived experience and people, who work in the field, work together to plan, develop and implement responses in equal partnership. It can be defined as “a meeting of minds coming together to find shared solutions”. It is also about people working together so that we move away from “doing to” people to an approach that is “doing with”.

The SERDATF recognises that in order to achieve its aims and objectives it needs the equal partnership and participation of every ‘expert’; be that ‘experts by experience’ or experts with professional, clinical or technical expertise.

National Drugs Strategy

Ireland’s “Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery” strategy sets out the Government’s response to addressing the harm caused by substance misuse in our society over the next eight years.

It identifies a set of key actions to be delivered between 2017 and 2020, and provides an opportunity for the development of further actions from 2021 to 2024 to address needs that may emerge later on in the lifetime of the strategy.

SERDATF Strategy

SERDATF Challenge and Change: Tackling Substance Misuse in the South East Region, Reducing Substance Misuse Strategy 2020-2023

Our Vision is to reduce the impact of substance misuse on individuals, their families and our communities through a range of integrated effective interventions that help people make a difference for the better in their lives. We believe that the SERDATF should contribute to creating:

A safe and healthy community

Support services that treat people with dignity and respect

An effective partnership approach to tackling substance misuse

Our Vision is to support a collaborative approach to transform the way drug and alcohol services in the South East develop, manage, implement and evaluate the most up to date, safe and effective interventions for people experiencing substance misuse issues.

Our strategy aims to implement the goals of the National Drug Strategy (NDS) “Reducing harm, Supporting Recovery 2017-2025” by specific, measurable objectives over the three- year period 2020-2023. The strategy will also target the specific actions of the Drug and Alcohol Task Force as outlined in the NDS.