Training boost for drug and alcohol treatment sector

Primary Health Tasmania has commissioned the Drug Education Network to build the capacity of the drug and alcohol treatment sector to provide safe and appropriate care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The statewide training program is made possible through an Australian Government funding package responding to National Ice Taskforce recommendations.

Primary Health Tasmania spokesperson Mark Broxton said the Drug Education Network will deliver three industry-endorsed training programs with the aim of:

• increasing the number of Aboriginal people qualified to work as alcohol and other drug workers, and

• boosting the capability of the mainstream alcohol and other drug sector to provide culturally safe services to Aboriginal people.

“The Network will partner with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation, in their capacity as a registered training organisation, to deliver the Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs – we expect 24 people will complete this qualification through this new funding,” Mr Broxton said.

“The Network will also work with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation to provide cultural safety training to around 60 people working in the drug and alcohol treatment sector.

“The third training program involves 15 people undertaking SMART Recovery facilitator training, which will help them run group therapy sessions for people misusing alcohol and other drugs.

“This sector capacity-building is a critical part of a holistic approach to addressing drug and alcohol misuse in Tasmania and will help provide a foundation for a sustainable drug and alcohol treatment system in to the future.”

Enrolment priority will be given to Aboriginal people working in the alcohol and drug sector and people providing services to Aboriginal people.

Tasmania has received $5 million to June 2019 under the National Ice Strategy, including a proportion earmarked to address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Services already commissioned by Primary Health Tasmania through this funding are: • South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (Huon Valley and Channel regions in southern Tasmania) – delivering screening, brief intervention, counselling, case management, and aftercare services to Aboriginal people, plus workforce education and training to support the sector to provide safe and appropriate care for Aboriginal people

• Anglicare Tasmania (statewide) – delivering screening, brief intervention, counselling, case
management, and aftercare services

• Youth, Family and Community Connections (Circular Head, King Island and Waratah-
Wynyard municipalities in north west Tasmania) – delivering screening, brief intervention,
counselling, case management, and aftercare services to these rural communities.

The services were selected following an open tender process which was preceded by extensive consultation
with service providers and other stakeholders to ensure services complemented and built upon the existing
service system.

They complement drug and alcohol services funded by the State Government and under other Australian
Government programs.

More information is on the Primary Health Tasmania website at www.primaryhealthtas.com.au/programsservices/
alcohol-and-other-drugs

Primary Health Tasmania is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation working to connect care and keep
Tasmanians well and out of hospital. It was established on 1 July 2015 under the Australian Government’s
Primary Health Networks Program to support and enable a coordinated, primary care-focused health system.
Jenny Denholm, www.primaryhealthtas.com.au