The Inter Church Addictions Project (ICAP), established three years ago by the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist and Roman Catholic Churches has called for the establishment in Northern Ireland of a residential treatment centre for young people, under 18, caught in the grip of addiction.
At present there is no such provision locally although the Roman Catholic Church operate a similar facility in Kilkenny while the Presbyterian Church established an adult centre at Carlisle House in Belfast over twenty years ago.
It is from this experience and the many programmes they run in urban areas on weekend nights that the Churches are aware of the huge problem that exists and the lack of proper facilities to help this age group with their addiction problems.
If their proposal is taken up the churches hope it would result in the establishment of a dedicated regional, residential addictive treatment centre where young people can undergo an intensive rehabilitation programme with extensive aftercare and family support.
The Churches also claim that, because there is no facility to deal with the underlying problem of addiction, many young people wrongly end up in the Mental Health and Criminal Justice system simply because there is no where else for them to be placed.
The proposal is contained in ICAP's strategic plan 'Hope-Helping Young People Towards Recovery' that was launched earlier this week by representatives of the four churches including Presbyterian Moderator Dr Stafford Carson, Methodist President Rev Donald Ker, Bishop Donal McKeown and Archdeacon Barry Dodds in the presence of Health Minister Michael McGimpsey.
"We are very clear that there is an urgent need for such a centre," said Presbyterian Director of Social Service and ICAP's chair Lindsay Conway speaking at the launch. "This strategic plan maps out a programme that will create a firm proposal which we hope will create public awareness of the extend of the problem and build a case that will convince others to give the proposed centre their full support as well."
Photographed at the launch (see attachment) are (l-r): L-R: Rev John McClure (ICAP,); Michael McGimpsey, MLA (Minister of Health and Social Services); Lindsay Conway (ICAP Chairperson); Paddy O'Flaherty (chairman of launch event).
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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