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TAG CLOUD
April 28, 2011
INJECTING DRUG USE IN INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) have published a report titled "Injecting Drug Use and associated harms among Aboriginal Australians". While there are only small numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who inject, this group is particularly vulnerable to injecting related harms such as blood borne virus transmission. This report examines the rates of injecting drug use, gaps in the service system and ways to move forward and provide better services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who inject.
Posted in: Research
April 21, 2011
QUEENSLAND HEALTH DUAL DIAGNOSIS GUIDELINES PUBLISHED
Queensland Health has published the Dual Diagnosis Clinical Guidelines and Clinicians Toolkit. While the guides are published specifically for Queensland Health staff, they contain a range of useful contacts and information about good practice for people with coexisting mental health and AOD problems. These guidelines provide a way forward following the release of the Queensland Health Dual Diagnosis Policy, developed in 2008. These guidelines explain the ways that the "No wrong door" policy should be implemented at the local level.
Read the Clinicians Guidelines
Posted in: Treatment Tools
April 21, 2011
AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL TRENDS
The Australian Bureau of Statistics have published their quarterly "Australian Social Trends". This edition includes information of access to health care (particularly outside of the major capital cities), life expectancy, and Indigenous wellbeing. This report shows disparities in access to health care, and tracks to continuing difference between Indigenous life expectancy and the life expectancy of Anglo Australians. There continues to be increases in year 12 attainment although these gains were not as significant amongst Indigenous people.
Posted in: Research
April 21, 2011
THE GATHERING STORY
Melville City Council in Western Australia have developed an educational DVD showing ways to prevent and minimise alcohol related harm. The DVD features a group of friends who organise a spontaneous "gathering" while parents are away. Things quickly get out of hand, and the decisions they make have consequences far into the future. The DVD is designed for use with groups of young people aged 15 to 18, and is based on the Western Australia high school curriculum. A great option if you are looking for a well-produced resource to start some discussion with young people about the potential impacts of alcohol. It comes with a manual of resources and activities.
Click here to find out more, or to order a copy.
Posted in: Resources for Young People
April 15, 2011
ASSESSING CHILD PROTECTION RISK
The Australian Institute of Family Studies have published a resource sheet looking at the various approaches to assessing whether children and young people are at risk of maltreatment. Standardised risk assessment tools are being relied upon more and more, however there are a range of issues with the use of some of these tools. Actuarial tools have been developed based on statistical analysis of factors associated with child abuse and neglect, whereas consensus based decision making tools have been developed from a combination of the published literature and expert consensus from workers in the field. There are pros and cons to each type of tool, and this paper gives a brief, concise overview of the issues.
Posted in: Research
April 15, 2011
THE BENEFITS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING
Like many activities engaged in by young people, there is significant media concern regarding the use of social networking services. If you believed everything you read in the newspapers, you'd think that facebook was all about cyberbullying and stalking. The Inspire Foundation in collaboration with the University of Western Sydney and Murdoch University have published a report looking at this issue. Titled "Intergenerational Attitudes Towards Social Networking and Cybersafety" this report considers literature from around the world. The researchers found a number of benefits of social networking services including the facilitation of supportive relationships, the promotion of a sense of belonging and self-esteem, and in delivering educational outcomes.
Posted in: Research
April 15, 2011
TREATMENT SERVICE USERS PROJECT REPORT
The Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) have published a report looking at consumer participation in AOD treatment services. The Treatment Service Users (TSU) Project has been operating for five years now, and the phase two report contains a range of recommendations for improving consumer participation in treatment services. This report is based on the outcomes of five consumer participation projects which occurred in a variety of treatment settings. All of these projects experienced significant challenges, and the report outlines the learnings from these, and recommendations for improving service user participation in AOD treatment sector.
Posted in: Research
April 8, 2011
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT REVIEWS AOD SERVICES
The Victorian Government Auditor General has delivered a report on that state's AOD service system. In Victoria, all AOD services are contracted out and delivered by non-government organisations. This report highlights a range of problems within the sector, including difficulties for clients in accessing the system, pathways between services are patchy and links with broader health and welfare agencies are poor. There are many important lessons to be learnt from this report for people in Queensland.
Posted in: Research
April 8, 2011
NATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG MISUSE STRATEGY
There has been increasing concern about the misuse of prescription drugs throughout the community. From over the counter codeine preparations, to opiate based pain killers, there is evidence of increasing use and harm from this class of drugs. In response to this, the now defunct Ministerial Council of Drug Strategy initiated the development of a national policy specific to prescription drug misuse. The policy is being developed by a consortium led by the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA). The closing date for submissions is Friday may 27th, 2011.
Find out more about the National Pharmaceutical Drug Misuse Strategy
Posted in: Research
April 8, 2011
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF DRUG POLICY
The Drug Policy Modelling Project at the University of NSW a new monograph titled "An Assessment of Illicit Drug Policy in Australia (1985 - 2010): Themes and Trends". The monograph includes a comprehensive analysis of drug policy initiatives in Australia, as well as trends in Australia over time, including the decade long decline in cannabis use.
Posted in: Research
