The Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAOD) is responsible for the implementation of the Health recommendations from the Government response to the Ice Inquiry.
In total, the Commissioner made 109 recommendations. Of those, 86 were supported by government with $500 million over four years in funding pledged for Health and Justice to deliver targeted reforms. The final Government response provided an overview of how the $500 million will address treatment gaps and improve health and social outcomes through a suite of cross-government initiatives, including:
Progress has been made on increasing critical non-government organisation (NGO) and Aboriginal community controlled (ACCO) AOD services, including new funding for 35 NGO treatment and support services following multiple grant rounds, including for post- custodial support services; Treatment Access Expansion and setting up new Hubs.
The investment seeks to increase the availability of AOD services with a particular focus on services designed for the priority populations identified in the inquiry. Of note,
86 % of new services are in regional and rural areas.
The CAOD is proud to have worked alongside the Consumer Reference Committee (CRC) in the development and commissioning of many of these services, including having consumer representatives on the Evaluation Committees for the Hubs grants.
In addition to the funding for new services, funding is being allocated to NGOs through a service and amenities grants process, aiming to improve operations and amenities to better respond to current and future demand for services.
SCI funding has further boosted access to vital services by commissioning 19 new and 23 expanded NSW Health AOD services. Many of these new service models have a focus on integrated care and complex case management. These include Substance Use In Pregnancy and Parenting Services (SUPPS); Assertive Community Management (ACM); Hospital Consultation Liaison expansion; comorbidity models of care; increased access to withdrawal management; additional services for young people, including a new child and adolescent service at Hunter Children’s Hospital; and 3 new safe assessment units.
AOD treatment services have been expanded for people in custody, including remand, with an enhanced model of care being implemented by Justice Health NSW drug and alcohol services; and a new adolescent specialist AOD in the Adolescent Mental Health and AOD service.
In all at least 300 FTE have been funded across these LHD services to date, including 33 Aboriginal and 26 lived and living experience identified roles. Recruitment has commenced and will continue through 2024.
The complete list of SCI funded services and programs (LHD, SHN, ACCO and NGO) by NSW local health district and network are appended to this document.
Funding enabled a major expansion of the Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment (MERIT) program enhancing existing services, establishing new services as well as increasing beds in residential rehabilitation and withdrawal management.
The NSW Drug Court has expanded with a new court established in Dubbo in 2023, and a two-stage process to expand operations at Sydney Drug Court in 2023-24.
The Department of Communities and Justice, NSW Police, NSW Health, and Revenue NSW have agreed to commence the Early Drug Diversion Initiative (EDDI) on 29 February 2024. EDDI is a NSW court diversion program aimed at increasing court efficiencies and providing opportunities for people with low level drug offences to engage in health
services about their drug use. St Vincent’s Health Network will deliver the EDDI telephone-based drug health intervention.
Gains have been made towards growing and developing the workforce, including the development of a much-needed AOD workforce strategy (due to be published early this year). This was informed by the Inaugural NSW AOD Workforce Census Report.
In partnership with the sector, an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) has been designed for promoting careers in the sector and strategies to retain staff.
In addition to hundreds of new roles in NGO and LHD services, there have been some targeted workforce activities including:
Funding to support leadership training and development for the NGO sector.
An Aboriginal Strategic Collaboration Group (ASCG) has been established to help create culturally safe programs and services by advising and informing the CAOD’s work.
The CAOD is also strengthening partnerships with AHMRC, ACDAN and the ADARRN to ensure wide consultation with Aboriginal networks on key priorities.
The work of the CAOD will be underpinned by an Aboriginal Engagement Strategy, which has been created to develop a culture that demonstrates respect for and understanding of the needs and priorities of Aboriginal people and communities in all CAOD projects and activities.
For two key initiatives, the AOD Hubs and the Post-Custodial Support Program, CAOD quarantined funding to ensure ACCOs would operate a portion of the new services. For the Hubs grant process, independent professional support was offered to ACCOs to access group and 1:1 grant writing support. As a result, 2 of the 5 Post-Custodial Support services are operated by ACCOs. For the AOD Hubs, 3 of the 12 Hubs are ACCO- led and a further 4 Hubs are partnerships that include an ACCO as a key service partner.
Research and evaluation capacity across the state has been expanded with 6 new grants awarded to NGOs, with 5 in regional areas. Funding has also been provided to DACRIN member organisations for research capacity building in LHDs and NGOs, including training, statistical support, and equipment.
Multiple organisations have been funded to enhance drug surveillance capability and early warning systems in NSW. Key projects include expansion of laboratory testing capability for novel substances, improving data availability for surveillance activities, and implementing a trial of drug residue testing post overdose.
The CAOD is working with the Department of Education on revising the Principles for Drug Education in Schools, supporting best practice, evidence based AOD prevention in schools in NSW.
Funding has been allocated for the expansion of Preventure, a primary and early secondary prevention program designed to delay initiation into alcohol and other drug use. The focus will be on optimising the program in regional and rural NSW.
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Areas of focus for 2024 are:
Strategic opportunities:
CICADA Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Service expansion, Multi-disciplinary, early intervention AOD service at the Children’s Hospitals for 11-17 year olds with moderate to severe substance use - The Children’s Hospital at Wstmead and Sydney Children’s Hospital (Randwick)
Expansion of AOD interventions to people in custody, including those on remand in NSW prisons Enhancement of Adolescent MH and AOD service - Multiple locations across NSW
Counselling for young people 12-17 years and young adults 18-24 years exiting custody - Community Restorative Centre (state-wide virtual care)
Debbie Kaplan, Director, Strategic Programs Email: Debbie.Kaplan@health.nsw.gov.au
