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February 23, 2018
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT RELEASES "ACTION ON ICE" PLAN TO ADDRESS METHAMPHETAMINE
The Queensland Government has launched a
whole-of-government "Action on Ice" plan, which addresses the use
and harms caused by crystal methamphetamine. Throughout 2017,
the Queensland Government engaged with the community, seeking input
to understand the impacts of methamphetamine, particularly in rural
and regional communities. The plan contains a broad range of
actions including the establishment of a new residential
rehabilitation service in Rockhampton, expanded access to
specialist family support services, and an increase in alcohol and
other drug treatment services provided through the non-government
sector.
Find out more about the Queensland Government's
"Action on Ice"
Posted in: Treatment Tools
February 23, 2018
WHAT SHOULD SCHOOLS DO FOLLOWING AN ALCOHOL AND DRUG RELATED INCIDENT?
Schools are occasionally involved in alcohol and drug related incidents, for example when a student presents or becomes intoxicated on school grounds. Once the immediate risks have been managed and classes resume, it can be difficult to know how to appropriately support the school community. We receive many calls at Dovetail about this topic, so we thought it would be handy to summarise the advice that we regularly provide to schools around Queensland.
- Don't wait for an incident to occur to come up with a response - develop a plan in advance as a part of a "whole school approach" which aligns your school's alcohol and other drug policies and procedures
- Ensure the approach complies with the Australian Government's "12 Principles for School Alcohol and Other Drug Education"
- Make sure that your school uses evidence-based alcohol and other drug education embedded within the curriculum, delivered by the regular classroom teacher, sequentially over the year levels
- Avoid one-off presentations that don't link with the curriculum or build upon the students' existing knowledge and skills
- Avoid unintentionally giving information on how to obtain or use substances where young people do not already have this information
- Steer clear of fear-based approaches and "shock" tactics, and approaches that rely on lecturing students. These types of approaches have been proven ineffective
- Don't present alcohol and other drug education in a way that normalises substance using behaviours, or results in young people believing that substance use is more common than it really is
- Consider how to manage interest from the media in any alcohol and drug related incident. This should be addressed in your school's alcohol and other drug policy and procedures.
For information on effective school alcohol and other drug education programs and resources check out Positive Choices or give us a call on (07) 3837 5621
February 23, 2018
THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF DRINKER: WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
The Conversation has recently published an article by Professor Emmanuel Kuntsche and Dr Sarah Callinan titled "There are four types of drinker - which one are you?". The article describes the motivational model of alcohol use, which describes our motivations to drink alcohol in terms of the effects that we expect to achieve. The model proposes four categories of drinking motives: enhancement (to increase positive feelings), coping (to decrease negative feelings), social (to have fun with friends) or conformity (to fit in with other people). Understanding these motivations can assist us in understanding how to effectively address problem drinking.
Go to "There are four types of drinker - which one are you?"
Posted in: Research
February 22, 2018
THE EFFICACY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS
A significant study has been published in The Lancet, titled "Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and network meta-analysis." This review included 522 placebo-controlled and head-to-head trials involving 116 477 participants. The authors found that all the antidepressants included in the study were more effective than placebo. They found that some antidepressants had a relatively higher response and lower dropout rate than others, indicating that a balance between efficacy and tolerability is needed to ensure that the benefits of antidepressant medications are maximised.
Posted in: Research
February 16, 2018
INTRODUCING NEW DOVETAIL TEAM MEMBERS
Dovetail has recently undergone a small expansion, and we'd like to introduce two new staff members. Clare Mason and Jade Phillips are Social Workers with a wealth of experience in youth alcohol and other drug treatment. To help introduce them to the sector in Queensland, we've made a short video where Clare and Jade tell us a bit about their background and interest areas. Feel free to drop us a line anytime to say hello to our wonderful new staff!
February 16, 2018
MJA PODCAST ON CODEINE DEPENDENCE
On the 1st of February 2018 medications containing codeine were rescheduled by the Therapeutic Goods Administration so that they can only be obtained with a prescription from a doctor. This was in response to the harms associated with codeine use, such as opioid dependence, codeine poisoning and overdose. As part of the Medical journal of Australia's podcast series, Dr Suzanne Nielsen, a Senior Research Fellow with the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, provides workers with insights into the ways of identifying and treating codeine dependence.
February 16, 2018
PREVALENCE OF FASD IN YOUTH DETENTION POPULATION
A multidisciplinary study recently conducted among youth people in youth detention found a significant prevalence of Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), highlighting the vulnerability of young people, particularly Indigenous young people in the justice system. The study used a representative sample of young people sentenced in detention in Western Australia. A clinical assessment was conducted by a multidisciplinary team including a paediatrician, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, and provisional neuropsychologists with supervision including the use of interpreters where required, for each participant. The team prepared a report for each young person detailing the results of the assessment and recommendations for working with the young person including their strengths. The study found that the majority of young people with FASD had severe impairment in the academic (86%), attention (72%), executive functioning (78%) and/or language (69%) domains. Severe impairment in memory (56%), motor skills (50%) and cognition (36%) were also commonly found in the young people with FASD. These findings have significant implications in rehabilitation, therapeutic interventions and the youth justice system. Previous to this study there was an absence of data on the prevalence rates of FASD in the youth detention population in Australia.
February 9, 2018
QUEENSLAND DRUG AND ALCOHOL COURT LAUNCHES
Following a review of the Drug and Specialist Courts system, the Drug and Alcohol Court has been reinstated in Queensland. The Penalties and Sentences (Drug and Alcohol Treatment Orders) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2017 has been passed, enabling a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Order to be included into Queensland's existing sentencing framework. The Drug and Alcohol Court was launched on the 29th January 2018. The Court aims to provides an intensive and targeted response to adult offenders with severe drug and alcohol use directly associated with their offending and facilitate access to treatment. The Drug and Alcohol Court is currently operating in Brisbane, and decisions around expansion to regional centres is not likely to take place until 2023, after the court has been evaluated.
Find out more about the Queensland Drug and Alcohol Court here.
Posted in: Treatment Tools
February 9, 2018
ALCOHOL AND DRUG CLINICAL ADVISORY SERVICE FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
The Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) has launched a trial of a new telephone service in partnership with a number of Addiction Medicine Specialists from across Queensland. The Alcohol and Drug Clinical Advisory Service (ADCAS) is a specialist telephone support service for health professionals in Queensland, providing clinical advice regarding the management of patients with alcohol and other drug concerns including opioid pharmacotherapy, management of withdrawal, intoxication and drug interactions. This free service is available from 8.00am-11.00pm, 7 days a week and can be reached on 1800 290 928.
More information on the Alcohol and Drug Clinical Advisory Service is availble here.
Posted in: Treatment Tools
February 9, 2018
COORDINATED CARE FOR VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE
Young people experiencing multiple and complex issues usually require coordinated care approaches. As our service system continues to become more and more complex, there is an increasing need to develop processes to coordinate care across multiple agencies, from both the government and non-government sector. In Cairns, the Coordinate Care for Vulnerable Young People (CCYP) process has been running for a number of years. The Queensland Department of Education recently created a short video that describes CCPY - why it was developed, how it operates, and how it benefits young people, their families and the broader community.
Watch "Coordinated Care for Vulnerable Young People" (4min 37sec)
