About LLADAT
The inspiration for the projects was initially conceived by Education Officers in the HSE Mid West Drug & Alcohol Service as a response to ongoing requests by schools (staff/management, pupils, and parents associations) for educational inputs/expert speakers around drug education and alcohol awareness. Funding was secured by HSE Mid-West Drug & Alcohol Service from within the HSE Mid-West Social Inclusion Directorate and Primary, Community and Continuing Care Directorate who pledged the funding to ensure delivery by the HSE in their role as a partner in prevention as per the National Drug Strategy, 2009-2016.
Throughout the process, senior management in both Directorates took a keen and active interest in the project. The project programmes and resources are developed by
Dr. Sancha Power in consultation with a Steering Group comprising of representatives from the HSE Mid-West Drug & Alcohol Services, the Mid-West Regional Drugs & Alcohol Forum, Mary Immaculate College Limerick, and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Support Service Personal within the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST).
Our Team
Dr. Sancha Power
Education Officer, Health Service Executive Mid-West Drug & Alcohol Service.
Dr. Sancha Power is an Education Officer with the Health Service Executive Mid-West Drug & Alcohol Service. Sancha is responsible for the design, development and implementation of the “Lets Learn about Drugs and Alcohol Together” (LLADAT) post primary projects. Sancha, a qualified science teacher, completed a Doctorate in the University of Limerick on Educational Change and Development for the 21st Century classroom in 2012.
Rory Keane
Regional Co-Ordinator, Health Service Executive Mid-West Drug & Alcohol Service.
Rory Keane is the Regional Co-ordinator for the HSE Mid-West (CHO3) Drug and Alcohol Service and has worked in the region since 2004. Rory is the current HSE rep on the Mid-West Regional Drug & Alcohol Forum. Rory has a background in drug education and prevention; having worked in Addiction Services in the SWAHB and MWHB as a drug education officer and has been involved in a wide range of education initiatives.
Anna O’Neill
Education Officer, Clare Drug & Alcohol Service, HSE Mid-West.
Anna O’Neill has been with the HSE Midwest Drug & Alcohol Services since 1997 employed as an Education Officer (Drugs & Alcohol). She has co ordinated and delivered prevention & education/training initiatives with schools, out of school education settings, parent groups, community groups and numerous professional and third level student groups. On-going work on resource, programme & policy development, media campaigns and training initiatives. Currently a tutor with NUI Maynooth and University of Limerick on addiction-related courses. Education background is in BA Psychology and MA in Health Promotion in NUI Galway and worked previously in residential care for adolescents and youth services.
Genevieve Cooney
Advisor on Health & Wellbeing team, PDST.
Genevieve Cooney is on secondment from Presentation, Kilkenny to the PDST. She has taught French, ICT and SPHE and has co-facilitated Wellbeing Inservices in Post-Primary schools as a Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) Associate on the Whole School CPD Team. She was appointed as an Advisor on the PDST Health and Well-Being team in 2018 and supports schools in the areas of SPHE, RSE, Personal Safety, Substance Use and Wellbeing for Teachers.
Our committee in the past has included the University of Limerick, the Health Promotion Unit, along with local advisers and a regional manager of PDST Health and Wellbeing Support Service.
- Gearóid Prendergast, Regional Co-Ordinator Mid West Regional Drug and Alcohol Forum (up to 2021)
- Bríd Kennedy, Health and Wellbeing Advisor, Professional Development Service for Teachers
- Paul Breslin, Health and Wellbeing Advisor, Professional Development Service for Teachers
- Dr. Eva Devaney, Health Promotion Officer, Mary Immaculate College Limerick.
- Brian Murray, Health and Wellbeing Team Leader, Social Personal and Health Education, Professional Development Service for Teachers
- Alanna O’Beirne, Health Promotion Officer for Primary Schools, HSE Mid-West and Mary Immaculate College Limerick.
- Dr. Carol O’Sullivan, Lecturer in Social, Personal and Health Education, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
The resulting inter-sectoral and interagency partnership is highly valued by all organisations involved in the Steering Group, culminating in a stronger, mutually agreed initiative.
LLADAT Pilot Programme
& UL Evaluations
(Click on a document image to view a report PDF – right-click to download)
