Dear ATODA members and stakeholders,
ATODA recently provided a submission to the public consultation for the
ACT Budget 2017 - 2018.
The funding requested in ATODA's submission is considered within the context of some persistent drug related harms (e.g. smoking related illness) that could be addressed with minimal investment, better leveraging of existing investments and the commitments made as part of the 2016 ACT Election process.
The identified priorities are considered against the scientific evidence and if implemented will have long-term benefits for individuals, families and communities in Canberra.
A summary of the submission's funding priorities to prevent and reduce alcohol, tobacco and other drug related harm in the ACT (2017 - 2018) are outlined below, or to view the full budget submission click here.
Priority area: Outpatient AOD withdrawal services
Initiative: Implement key recommendations from the ACT Health funded ACT Alcohol and Other Drug Withdrawal Services Review and Redesign project, including establishment of an outpatient alcohol and other drug withdrawal program.
Description: Appointment of an independent clinical AOD project manager for up to 12 months to work across the entire specialist AOD service system to enable increased access, flexibility and responsiveness of withdrawal services.
Funding: $150,000 one-off (estimate)
Priority area: Justice reform
Initiative: Establish an ACT Adult Drug and Alcohol Treatment Court
Description: To increase the availability of specialist AOD treatment and support services so that the new ACT Adult Drug and Alcohol Treatment Court has the appropriate resources to be established to operate effectively. Service planning and model development should be undertaken in partnership with justice and health, particularly the AOD sector.
Funding: $1 million per annum recurrent
Priority area: Preventing chronic disease and death amongst disadvantaged people who smoke
Initiative: Additional subsidised Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) available for specialist AOD service users who smoke
Description: Provide additional funding to subsidise full courses of combination NRT (not currently covered on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) to service users of residential AOD services with the aim of embedding smoking cessation care as routine in all specialist non-government AOD services.
Funding: $100,000 per annum recurrent (estimate) for Phase 2 Scale Up of the existing We Can Program
Priority area: AOD health service planning
Initiative: Quality improvement to accurately report (e.g. stop under-countering) AOD treatment service provision
Description: Implement a 12 month data improvement project with all ACT Health funded and delivered specialist AOD treatment services which results in improved utility of specialist AOD treatment services data (including collection, analysis and reporting) to better inform health policy, planning and resource allocation decisions
Funding: $140,000 one-off (estimate)
Priority area: Preventing and reducing blood-borne virus transmission and infection
Initiative: Primary Needle and Syringe Program in North Canberra region
Description: Establish a Primary Needle and Syringe Program to meet current and projected demand in North Canberra.
Funding: To be determined (recurrent)
Priority area: Workforce development
Initiative: ACT Comorbidity Bus Tours
Description: Continuing the highly successful ACT Comorbidity Bus Tours as a means to increase the capacity of frontline workers to support people experiencing co-occurring alcohol and other drug and mental health issues.
Funding: $25,000 per annum recurrent (estimate).
For more information on the initiatives outlined in this submission - or the work of ATODA more broadly - visit the website or contact ATODA phone 02 6249 6358 or email info@atoda.org.au
