The first free online course enabling addiction service workers to support neurodivergent clients will be launched at Trinity College Dublin.
The training was commissioned by the Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign, with support from ADHD Ireland.
It comes following research by Citywide which found that 21% of people accessing drug and alcohol services have ADHD.
The course allows frontline staff in Ireland to get formal training to support neurodivergent people.
It was developed in collaboration with national and international experts and co-produced with Community Drugs Projects.
The lived experience of neurodivergent people who have accessed substance use services form part of the course to ensure the content reflects real-world challenges.
Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign chair Tony Geoghegan said it will fill a gap long been felt in communities across Ireland.
"We know from our network of community drugs projects that staff have been doing their best without the tools they need," he said.
"Neurodivergent people deserve services that understand them. This course gives workers the knowledge and confidence to make that a reality."
TCD Professor Catherine Comiskey said the course reflected both "the urgency of the need and a commitment to human rights in healthcare".
ADHD Ireland CEO Ken Kilbride said it will be will be an invaluable tool for those looking to deliver support to neurodivergent people living with addiction.
