Stepping away from TDATF, but not stepping away from the work

After 20 years with the Tallaght Drugs and Alcohol Taskforce, co-ordinator Grace Hill is stepping away from Tallaght, though not from the work.

“I’m actually going to do a similar role in Kildare where I live, anything to avoid the commute on the N7,” she said laughingly.

Grace joined the Tallaght Drugs and Alcohol Taskforce (TDATF) as a development worker, but working with people suffering from addiction and substance abuse is her family’s trade in a way.

Her parents helped set up the Ballyfermot STAR project, started in 1998 as an initiative in response to heroin use and its impact on individuals, families and their community.

“That started off as a support group for families that were struggling in the 90s, I suppose I took the inspiration from them in terms of working in this sector,” Grace told The Echo.

After working in the community in Ballyfermot, she then moved to working in Tallaght in 2005, and “never looked back”.

“It’s amazing the growth that’s happened, that was really the formalisation of community drugs services that had started in the early 90s,” she explained.

“I was at the CARP anniversary recently, it’s just amazing to see what they’ve done in 30 years and projects like it, it’s just hugely humbling.”

Grace has been involved in setting up many projects to help the Tallaght and wider area, including the Connect 4 Project, a street-work youth team based in Killinarden/Jobstown, and was involved in a research project in 2021 around crack cocaine that resulted in two pilot projects to help treat addiction, to name a few things she’s “really proud of”.

“I was with my projects recently at their own funding meetings with the HSE and I’m just so proud of the work they do.

“I just think to commit to that work, frontline community drug work, it’s not easy, and it’s very challenging,” she said.

“It’s very rewarding as well, but I suppose, in some ways, it’s a bit of a vocation.”

The lack of resources that Grace sees for community drug work makes things harder again.

“I don’t think it’s adequately resourced, I don’t think the government are giving it enough attention, I think there’s a lot of talk about it, and, you know, a health led approach, but we’re always out with a begging bowl,” she said.

Grace noted that Christmas can present a particular challenge for people in recovery “both in terms of finances but also emotionally”.

“Let’s be honest, we’re a culture that likes to dabble in the national substance, which is alcohol, so that can be very hard to be around and but you’re thinking of people that aren’t there, of regrets you might have, you’re thinking maybe you didn’t prioritize Santa or your children’s presents or whatever, and you might feel guilt around that,” she said.

“It can be quite seasonal, you go through peaks and troughs throughout the year and I suppose Christmas is one of those times that is so hard when you’re trying to avoid certain things.”

“You see the community drug projects trying to do everything they can to help people at Christmas, just trying to give comfort where they can in quite chaotic and sad situations, but just sending that message that hope is there and recovery is possible.”

Though she is moving to a new role in another county in the new year, Kildare falls under the South West Regional Drug Task Force, so she will still be working alongside her former colleagues.

“I’m sad to be going but I think Tallaght is in a really good place, we have issues, but we have an array of amazing services,” she said.

“I’m leaving with lifelong friends as well, and I’m not too far away, we’re still going to be colleagues and work together on those issues.”