Community Detox Initiative

The Mid-West Community Detox Initiative is the newest addition to the suite of services provided by Novas Initiatives.

This service is part of a nationwide initiative supported by the HSE and the Irish College of General Practitioners, developed to assist people wishing to access safer outpatient detoxification from benzodiazepines and/or methadone. It is based in Novas' McGarry House, and serves Limerick City and County, North Tipperary and County Clare.

Funded by the Mid-West Regional Drugs Task Force, the programme was established in June 2012, and has since received the highest number of referrals in the country, even more than like services in inner-city Dublin.

It is run in conjunction with clients' GPs, a support worker, and community-based partner agencies. Novas staff provide emotional and practical support, and concerns regarding relapse and overdose are addressed through an individual care plan tailored to each client’s individual needs.

Following a successful pilot of the programme, which prioritised Novas' clients in long-term and temporary supported accommodation in the city, the service is now available to anyone in the Mid-West seeking help to safely detox.

The profile of the clients is very wide-ranging, and reflects the fact that anyone, regardless of age or gender may experience difficulties with dependence on prescription medications.