A programme to tackle addictions, mental health and help reduce the “number of people vulnerable to paramilitary influence and control” is to be rolled out in the Craigavon and Lurgan areas.
The Executive Office has gone out to public tender to source an operator to run the service, which is due to begin in April.
The programme is expected to run for a year and is the third phase of work tackling issues in identified areas within north Armagh.
It is being billed as a ‘mental health and addictions support programme’ with specific reference made to the areas around Kilwilkie and Drumgask.
According to the tender brief: “The programme will facilitate building a resilient community through an asset-based approach, advocating collaboration with statutory, community and voluntary bodies responsible for mental health and addictions, to be able to support those in need in terms of mental health, drugs and alcohol misuse, all of which make people vulnerable to paramilitarism and organised crime and impeded in their personal transition.”
This tender forms part of Phase 3 of the Communities in Transition (CIT) Project.
Although originally due to end in March 2024, the Northern Ireland Executive made a commitment to extend its overall ‘Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC)’ until March 2027.
As Communities in Transition is a key element, it has also been extended until the end of March next year.
The first phase – which ended in June 2021 – established the foundations for tackling issues that sustain paramilitarism.
The second phase – which was completed in March last year – was brought about to “refine delivery under thematic areas”.
This element of a third phase has moved to an ‘issues-based’ model. As such, it will focus on the “core challenges arising from paramilitarism”.
The successful applicant’s remit will see them incorporate and deliver a number of programme activities.
According to the brief, the core purpose of the programme is “multi-fold”.
The aim is to “raise awareness of existing mental health and addictions support services available” and “improve the mental health and wellbeing of the local community”.
The operator will strive to “increase community capacity and encourage sustainable wider community participation for the betterment of the community”, while at the same time developing “more coherent relationships between the community and service providers”.
They will “stimulate interest in community-based action to reduce vulnerability to the underlying issues, such as drug and alcohol misuse”, and “increase individual and community resilience against paramilitary control and reduce the number of people vulnerable to paramilitary influence and control”.
All activities which the appointed operator carries out must “clearly link to the objectives”.
The brief adds: “The contractor must not be delivering general health and wellbeing activities as part of this programme; activities must be clearly linked to addressing the mental health and addiction issues which have arisen as a result of living in a community with high levels of paramilitary activity, criminality and organised crime.”
It is expected that the outcome and success of the programme will be looked at when completed next spring.
