What is RSUN?
We passionately advocate for service user involvement by
Influencing and shaping policy
Support and Represent people
Engaging groups and services
Peer support
Sign posting
Educating, training and development
We’ve been where you are
We have lived with substance use
We want your involvement
We want your support
We want to share your experience to help shape the future support for people who use substances
RSUN is recognised and accepted as conduits for input into policy and practice for Health & Social Care services, for community and voluntary organisations
Supporting and training people
Educating, training and development
Our most recent training courses have included: Suicide first aid, peer mentoring, motivational interviewing, naloxone administration, ‘train the trainer’ as well as peer mentoring
We are planning further peer mentoring as well as ‘Reduce the use’ in association with SAIL Dublin – dates TBC
Supporting and representing people with lived experience of substance use
We have RSUN service user representation on all 5 DACTs for NI, we are directly consulting on the New Strategic direction from the Department of Health
Peer Support
Phase 1 has seen one staff member trained to kickstart the program and they are actively mentoring and codesigning our service
We are designing a regional program with a pipeline of trained, fully-connected and aligned peer-mentors delivering a consistent and empowering service to those who are seeking assistance in their harm reduction journey.
Phase 2 will be commencing soon – dates TBC
Our work
RSUN works to transform lives and transform society...
by influencing policy through our campaign work and policy submissions. We work to ensure that people with lived experience of problematic substance use can influence decisions that affect them and others accessing services. We work as a collective and are an united voice.
Individual service users’ groups based all around the N.I. ...
have representation on decision making groups in each area. Representatives are selected to sit on regional decision making board for policy and practice planning
Service User’s have links with the academic institutions, this gives vital early input to the training received by upcoming generations of social workers, psychologists, housing professionals and nurses, many/most of whom have significant roles in the lives of Service Users.
Our values
Decisions-makers and services routinely make decisions that affect service users without considering their rights and many service users experience high levels of inequality, discrimination and stigmatisation.