How We Work

Evidence based and evidence informed practice tools

At Ana Liffey, we know how important it is to provide supports which are grounded in evidence based practice and evidence informed practice. Here are some of the tools we use to provide supports to service users:

Harm reduction

Harm reduction is an evidence based approach to drug use. Harm reduction encompasses interventions, programmes and policies that seek to reduce the health, social and economic harms of drug use to individuals, communities and societies.

Harm reduction – the current situation in Europe (European Drug Report 2025)

SAOR

The SAOR model is used by our staff to have short, helpful conversations about alcohol and drug use, using the SAOR Screening and Brief Intervention approach

SAOR© Screening and Brief Intervention for Alcohol and Substance Use Training

Trauma Informed Practice

Our staff work through an evidence informed model known as Trauma Informed Practice. We use an approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and acknowledges its role in people's lives and behaviors. It shifts the focus from "What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?".

Working definition of trauma-informed practice - GOV.UK

Housing First

As a member of Ireland’s Housing First provider group, we adhere to the evidence based Housing First Model. The model provides a comprehensive and holistic approach to addressing homelessness for people experiencing mental health, physical health, substance misuse, social, behavioural, and other challenges.

Housing First | The Housing Agency

National Drug Rehabilitation Framework

This framework provides protocols which facilitate inter-agency co-operation and information sharing in order to implement shared care plans, it is the core framework we use to provide high quality case management.

National drugs rehabilitation framework document. - Drugs and Alcohol

Overdose prevention programme

Our staff provide multiple evidence based overdose prevention interventions including naloxone administration, sterile drug paraphernalia supply and access to drug checking through our partners in the Health Services Executive. Our staff are trained in advance life saver protocols and are fully equipped to respond to an overdose emergency.

Motivational interviewing

Our staff use this technique when communicating with service users, to help them make the changes they wish to make. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication designed to strengthen personal motivation.

Motivational Interviewing: An Evidence-Based Approach for Use in Medical Practice - PMC