Forewarned is forearmed

The Addiction Training Institute, based in central Dublin, has been set up to address the problems of addiction on both a personal and professional level. In addition to a home study course, it also offers training courses, seminars and workshops to industry and business.

Directors of the Institute are John Crimmins and Jane McNicholas. Crimmins has worked extensively in the whole area of addiction, including as a manager with the Merchants Quay project in Dublin, and runs a private therapy practice in Dublin.

McNicholas has worked extensively in adult education for 10 years, including a distance learning programme of counselling, psychology and therapy.

Crimmins and McNicholas say that addiction is one of the most pervasive problems in society, cutting across all barriers of age, gender and income. It's recognised, but often hidden and seldom addressed. Increasingly, they say, more and more people in the various professions find themselves dealing with addiction.

Their numbers include people working directly with addiction, directly and indirectly, like workers in the prison and medical services and youth workers. Others involved include human resource managers working with employees who have addiction problems, and people with a direct interest in the subject, such as parents and teachers.

Crimmins and McNicholas say that if colleagues, managers and families have access to information on addiction, and understand the issues and the impact they make, and have the resources and knowledge of practical helping skills, they will be better able to offer support.

THE institute is running a training course at All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin, starting in late September. It will be held over 10 weeks, on Wednesday evenings, at a cost of £300 per participant. The group will be limited to 20 people.

McNicholas says that a seminar held in All Hallows College earlier this summer, prior to the full start-up, was very successful.

There's also a six month home study course for the Certificate in Addiction Studies. The cost of this course is £250, or by two instalments of £135. This cost includes administration and all reading and study material. A Certificate in Addiction Studies will be presented upon successful completion of the course.

This course will be jargon-free and will cover such areas as information and the impact of addiction; skills and strategies in addressing addiction; awareness and attitudes; theories and therapies of addiction.

For further details, contact the Addiction Training Institute, at the Exchequer Clinic, Central Chambers, 7 Dame Court, Dublin 2. Tel: (01) 296 4218. Email: ati@indigo.ie