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A HSE-OPERATED rehab facility in the Phoenix Park in Dublin has a 50 per cent success rate but yet it is operating at less than half its full capacity.
Keltoi House for former drug users in the east has 20 beds but because of staffing restrictions in the HSE only eight are in operation.
They have 16 full-time staff at the moment, but are hoping to recruit three more to bring bed numbers to 14. However, it will mean the unit will still only be 70 per cent full.
A study published in 2011 showed that 51 per cent of the clients were completely alcohol and drug free between one and three years after leaving the unit, 60 per cent were absent from everything but alcohol and 65 per cent were free from everything but alcohol and cannabis.
Brendan Kiernan, manager of Keltoi House told TheJournal.ie that the service is “very staff intensive” but “the completion rate makes it very cost-effective”.
He said the last survey of similar rehab units in Ireland was carried out in the 90s and showed clients only had a 10 per cent success-rate on leaving.
“That makes Keltoi five times more successful and very cost-effective,” Kiernan said. “A person who is two years drug-free instead of 10 to 15 years on methadone can make a huge cost difference to the State.”
“Our service is unlike others as it’s a real-life working environment. It’s an environment where the client feels like they are in the driving seat, instead of cocooning them like other rehabs,” explained Kiernan. “Ultimately, we want to expand the programme. The figures are proof that the service works.”
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I made a visit to this service. I didnt know who was staff and who were the people in rehabilitation. The service users were working in keltoi greeting visitors, serving tea and food and working in the gardens. This service seems to offer those in rehabilitation further skills for integration back into their communities. Excellent service.
Success, cost effectiveness and the HSE rarely come together so this facility is unique. Well done to all involved and hopefully it will be up to full capacity sooner rather than later.
At that rate it would be fantastic if there was a roll-out country wide as with most of the other treatment programs which are run privately but subsidized by the state only have a 5% success rate. Great work guys
Turning addicts into ordinary tax paying members of the community,
From an economic and social point of view, there’s no good reason not to expand this program nationwide
The HSE, focking everything up in the health service since 2005!
Well done Mr Reilly and clear sign your useless.
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