REQUEST FOR TENDER FOR:
DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGY ON REDUCING DRUG-RELATED STIGMA.
HSE NATIONAL SOCIAL INCLUSION OFFICE
The HSE Social Inclusion Office aims to provide equitable healthcare
by improving access to mainstream and targeted health services for
vulnerable and excluded communities in Ireland. HSE Social Inclusion
engages with a range of different groups and there is most often an
intersection of related issues and healthcare needs. HSE Social
Inclusion provides a range of services to support these different
communities, including people who use drugs and alcohol.
AIM
The HSE National Social Inclusion Office are seeking proposals to
develop a Strategy on reducing drug-related stigma.
The aim of this strategy is to direct a more informed and emphatic
approach across society which is informed by people who use drugs,
those who have dependency issues and their families. The research
should consider the different groups of people that now use substances
across society, people with dependencies who are engaged in treatment
service and the families of people who use drugs. The research should
identify where and how these different groups currently experience
stigma and how this can be addressed.
Both societal and internalised stigma should be reviewed among these
groups. Further, the intersection of topics such as stigmatisation
based on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and mental health
concerns should be acknowledged as cross cutting themes for people who
use drugs.
BACKGROUND
Stigmatisation can relate to the attitudes, beliefs, behaviour or
structures that interact at different levels of society (for example
at an individual level, community, within organisations, online and in
the media) and manifest in prejudicial attitudes about certain groups
of people defined by certain characterises such as people who use
drugs or people who have mental health concerns.
It has been recognised that both societal and internalised stigma can
impact on both the person who uses drugs and their families. From a
healthcare perceptive, stigma can act as a barrier to people accessing
support for acute and long term concerns particularly among women who
use drugs. It can also impact on people?s progress through treatment
programmes.
The Council of Europe through the work of the Pompidou Group and
through the implementation of the European Drug Strategy **Apply on
the website** -**Apply on the website** aim to position human rights
at the centre of European drug policies. Part of this work is to
address and reduce stigma across member countries.
The European Drug Strategy **Apply on the website** recognises ?_The
stigmatisation linked to drug use and drug-use disorders needs to be
addressed, especially as this stigma may have a detrimental effect on
the mental and physical health of people who use drugs and could also
act as a barrier to seeking support. In this regard, the inclusion of
people that have experienced drug-related stigma should be
particularly taken into account when developing policies_?.
Further, the Strategy recognises the unique experiences of females who
use drugs and former prisoners as well as the impact of stigma on
treatment access. Strategic Priority 6 specifically references stigma
reduction to help ensure access to and strengthen treatment and care
services (Council of Europe, **Apply on the website**). The current
Irish National Drug Strategy (NDS) ?Reducing Harm Supporting
Recovery: A health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland
**Apply on the website**? for the first time positions policy as
health led with an aim to better support people who use drugs. At the
core of a health led approach is stigma reduction.
While at a European and local policy level health led perspectives are
recommended, people who use drugs and their families continue to
experience stigma across society. There have been significant societal
shifts over the past decade in terms of how we access news,
communicate and share opinion. There have also been significant shifts
in drug trends and the types of people who use drugs. Based on these
factors, it is timely to review the current experiences of stigma
across a series of different groups in Irish society. The development
of a drug-related Stigma Reduction Strategy should be used to inform
future health service provision and policy developments to achieve
aims within health-led strategies.
SCOPE
Submissions are invited on the development of the strategy, including:
* LITERATURE REVIEW: Review the evidence in relation to drug-related
stigma and evidence for developing a specific stigma based strategy as
part of health-led drug policies.
* LOCALISED RESEARCH: Conduct research (quantitative or qualitative)
among people who use substances, people who access treatment services
and families of people who use drugs to identify the types of stigma
they feel they have experienced in society, where, by who and how.
* EVIDENCE INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS: Develop a drug-related Stigma
Strategy
Tender submissions should include a project plan including methodology
and timeline for the research.
SUBMISSION PROCESS AND ASSESSMENT
Submissions are invited and will be assessed by the HSE National
Social Inclusion Office on the following basis:
* Meets the scope of the tender
* A demonstrated understanding and track record in research
* A demonstrated understanding and track record of strategy
development
* An outline of skills, qualifications and experience
* Evidence of previous and relevant work including managing
sensitive data
* A project plan identifying the methodology and timeline
* Value for money (all quotes to be inclusive of VAT)
Quotes not in excess of ?**Apply on the website**,**Apply on the
website** in total, including VAT.
Submissions from individuals and groups are welcome. Group submissions
must include details for each member of which roles they will
undertake to deliver as part of the tender and their
qualifications/experience to do so.
Completed submissions must be sent by email to **APPLY ON THE
WEBSITE** with subject line ?T**APPLY ON THE WEBSITE**_ DEVELOPMENT
OF A STRATEGY ON REDUCING DRUG-RELATED STIGMA.? Completed
application forms must be received no later than **APPLY ON THE
WEBSITE**TH OF NOVEMBER **APPLY ON THE WEBSITE** (the ?tender
deadline?). Application forms received after the tender deadline
will NOT be considered. All general queries related to this request
for tender can be directed to **APPLY ON THE WEBSITE**. The contract
for the study is being awarded by a competitive tendering process.
We need : English (Good)
Type: Permanent
Payment:
Category: Others
