Law Engagement & Assisted Recovery^TM (LEAR)

Project description

Since 2014, the Law Engagement & Assisted Recovery^TM project (formerly known as the Assertive Case Management project) has been operational in Dublin City Centre. The project is led operationally by Ana Liffey and consists of a frontline multidisciplinary team with members of Ana Liffey, An Garda Siochána and Dublin Regional Homeless Executive providing intensive case management services to people entrenched in street life in the city centre.

The projects aim is to support people who have complex and multiple needs such as addiction, criminality, homelessness and mental health to engage effectively with support services, often for the first time, and to identify and achieve their goals. A key focus of the project is supporting people to move away from criminality and antisocial behaviour and towards their personal recovery.

The multiagency team:

The team currently consists of frontline staff and management from:

• Ana Liffey
• Store Street Garda Station
• Pearse Street Garda Station
• Kevin Street Garda Station
• Dublin Regional Homeless Executive

Ana Liffey staff take on the role of assertive outreach and case managers within the team and work with our colleagues in An Garda Siochána and Dublin Regional Homeless Executive to develop and progress shared care plans with each service user who signs up to work with the team.

• These team members work together to provide the following to service users:
• Assertive engagement in their community to inform them of the service and encourage engagement with LEAR project supports.
• Crisis and brief supports to meet their immediate needs.
• Assessment and care planning in collaboration with the service user and all LEAR partners.
• Robust, low threshold case management in order to progress their care plan goals, including pathways away from crime and towards recovery.

Referrals to the service:

The LEAR project accepts peer referral, self-referral and referrals from Ana Garda Siochana and Dublin Regional Homeless Executive only, in order to ensure the LEAR project resource is utilised by the key target cohort.

The LEAR project works in close partnership with many other agencies in order to progress care plan goals These include Probation services, Housing First and HSE funded addiction services.

Inclusion practices

• The LEAR project operates under the vision, mission and values of the Ana Liffey Drug Project at all times, including Ana Liffey’s Inclusion policy.
• Individuals will be offered an assessment for the service regardless of their equal status, area of origin, presentation, drug or alcohol use and motivation to change.
• The LEAR project actively seeks opportunities to approach individuals in squats, at begging spots, on the street and in any other setting where they may encounter individuals who may benefit from the service.
• The LEAR project does not, under any circumstances, withdraw services from people due to their non-attendance, behaviour, offence history or other circumstances. The service works creatively to maintain contact with people.
• The LEAR project prioritises people who cannot and do not engage with other support services, who have complex and entrenched cases and who find it difficult to escape the cycle they are living in due to personal and structural barriers.

Governance and oversight:

Operational and clinical governance of the LEAR project is the responsibility of Ana Liffey. The LEAR project reports directly to ‘The High Level Group on Street Issues’ – a senior level group of representatives from statutory agencies chaired by the Lord Mayor of Dublin.

More information:

For more information on the project, see below:

• Service leaflet
• Evaluation by Emer Dolphin

Contact details:

Alison Harte, Team Leader, alison.harte@aldp.ie