Tayside Council on Alcohol (TCA) was established in 1972 and is one of the leading providers of support services in the Tayside area for people who are affected by the misuse of alcohol. The overall vision for TCA is as follows:

‘To provide throughout Tayside, support, education and information to those experiencing problems arising from alcohol misuse and to promote a healthy approach to alcohol.’

TCA has identified a number of objectives and service priorities that it is seeking to achieve in taking forward the work of the organisation. These include:

• Raise awareness and understanding of the impact of alcohol and other substance abuse on individuals and those around them.
• Encourage and support positive lifestyle change to reduce alcohol-related harm.
• Raise awareness of alcohol related issues, locally and nationally, to promote cultural change.
• Reduce the impact of parental substance misuse on children and young people.
• Contribute towards reducing the negative effect on the economy of alcohol misuse.
• Value the contribution of volunteering to the work of TCA and the services delivered.
• Involve service users in the development and delivery of TCA services.

The service activity delivered by TCA will be focussed around a number of priorities areas as part of the commitment to provide a structured and integrated package of support. An outline of the priority areas is as follows:

Priority Area	Description
PRIORITY ONE – EARLY INTERVENTION & PREVENTION SERVICES (TIER 1 & 2)	TCA will aim to provide a range of services and activities focusing on early intervention and prevention. The organisation will seek to assist individuals experimenting with alcohol and substance misuse issues whilst raising awareness amongst young people about the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse.
PRIORITY TWO – SUPPORT & TREATMENT SERVICES (TIER 2 & 3)	TCA will continue to develop its existing support and treatment services offering information advice, guidance, and counselling services to the people of Tayside. TCA will work in partnership with other agencies to ensure each client is provided with the relevant support and treatment.
PRIORITY THREE – TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES	TCA will continue to undertake a range of development work in relation to the establishment of new services and will also continue to support the provision of training services in alcohol related matters.