DRUG ARM Australasia Annual Report 2008-2009

planning. This resulted in the development
of the Managing Drug Affected Patrons
(“Drugs in Pubs”) training workshops and
the pilot roll-out in Pine Rivers of the No
Kidding campaign to increase awareness
of new legislation about secondary supply
of alcohol to minors resulted.
The team engaged with community and
sporting groups to acquire funding for
alcohol-free health promoting events
and activities, notably the Youth Drink
Safe Coalition on the Sunshine Coast,
and worked with the Australian Drug
Foundation (ADF)-funded Good Sports
program. Support was also provided to the
Sunshine Coast, Redcliffe and Deception
Bay and Moreton Bay tobacco action
groups.
Improved Services: Dual Diagnosis
and Amphetamine-Type-Stimulants
These projects, both funded by the
Commonwealth Department of Health
and Ageing, have supported DRUG ARM
to significantly develop its expertise and
capacity to support clients with these
issues. Working across the organisation,
extensive staff training was facilitated
by the new trainers. Treatment and
interventions were reviewed, policy and
procedures reworked to match, and a
clinical governance framework developed
to place the new developments in context.
Referral networks and skills are being
improved and a kit developed to assist
with advocacy at all levels. A research
project, in collaboration with QADREC at
University of Queensland, into the mental
health issues experienced by ATS clients,
is also underway.
As a part of each of these individual projects,
continuous quality improvement loops
and documentation have been developed.
This enormous undertaking feeds into the
organisation’s preparations to undertake
HIGHLIGHTS
its first ISO Accreditation. Achievement
of this internationally recognised
quality standard will be a landmark for
DRUG ARM.
Research Projects and
Collaborations
Queensland Alcohol & Drug Research &
Education Centre (QADREC; UQ): Mental
health issues in ATS using clients study
(part of the ATS Improved Services
project)
QADREC (UQ): Data contributions to
national ERDS (Ecstasy and Related
Drugs) and IDRS (Injected Drug Research
Studies).
Schoolies Week Research
During November 2008 CARE completed its
10-year study of the drug- and risk-taking
behaviour of young people celebrating
at Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast.
Responses now exceed 16,000 over 10
years. Across all regions, alcohol remains
the primary ‘drug of choice’. With growing
national interest in this research and
the emergence of similar events in other
locations, data was also collected at South
Australia’s Victor Harbor and Queensland’s
Fraser Coast Schoolies events. Victoria’s
Department of Human Services has
contracted CARE to establish research
and information collection systems for
Schoolies celebrations at Lorne, Phillip
Island and Mornington Peninsula in 2009.
Education and Training
With new CARE training staff in New South
Wales and South Australia, DRUG ARM has
been able to reach a broader audience. In
addition to significantly expanding CARE’s
ongoing work with schools, the division
increased the number of university and TAFE
students reached with training sessions.
This is important as they are at least at as
much risk as school students, and are often
neglected as a drug education target.
Skills development and training for the
AOD and related sectors, including parents,
was again a major focus during 2008-2009,
increasing the community’s capacity to
deal effectively with local issues. DRUG
ARM’s own volunteer training courses
were thoroughly overhauled to meet
Drug Arm Australasia Annual Report 2008-2009
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