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Integrated Care for drug users: Principles and practice

Scottish Executive Effective Interventions Unit

Remit

The Unit was set up in June 2000 to:

• Identify what is effective - and cost effective - practice in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and availability and in addressing the needs of both the individual and the community.
• Disseminate effective practice based on sound evidence and evaluation to policy makers, DATs and practitioners.
• Support DATs and agencies to deliver effective practice by developing good practice guidelines, evaluation tools, criteria for funding, models of service; and by contributing to the implementation of effective practice through the DAT corporate planning cycle.

Effective Interventions Unit
Substance Misuse Division
Scottish Executive
St Andrew's House
Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Tel: 0131 244 5117 Fax: 0131 244 2689
EIU@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/eiu/eiu.htm

Dissemination Policy

1. We will aim to disseminate the right material, to the right audience, in the right format, at the right time.

2. The Unit will have an active dissemination style. It will be outward looking and interactive. Documents published or sent out by the Unit will be easily accessible and written in plain language.

3. All materials produced by the Unit will be free of charge.

4. Material to be disseminated includes:

• Research and its findings
• Reports
• Project descriptions and evaluations
• Models of services
• Evaluation tools and frameworks for practitioners, managers and commissioners.

5. Dissemination methods will be varied, and will be selected to reflect the required message, and the needs of the target audience.

These methods are:

• Web-based - using the ISD website 'Drug misuse in Scotland' which can be found at: http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/eiu/eiu.htm
• Published documents - which will be written in plain language, and designed to turn policy into practice.
• Drug Action Team channels - recognising the central role of Drug Action Teams in developing effective practice.
• Events - recognising that face-to-face communication can help develop effective practice.
• Indirect dissemination - recognising that the Unit may not always be best placed to communicate directly with some sections of its audience.

6. This initial policy statement will be evaluated at six-monthly intervals to ensure that the Unit is reaching its key audiences and that its output continues to be relevant and to add value to the work of those in the field

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