Preventing and treating drug and alcohol harms in remote communities

Project Members:

Professor Anthony Shakeshaft

Visiting Professorial Fellow

Ph 02 9385 0333

a.shakeshaft@unsw.edu.au

Ms Alice Munro

Adjunct Associate Lecturer

Dr Courtney Breen

Adjunct Senior Lecturer

Project Main Description:

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) have been invited to work with 5 remote NSW communities to retrospectively evaluate a suite of interventions aimed at prevention of drug and alcohol harms from 2012-2014. This research will identify what projects were delivered, what they cost, if they were effective and how the process could be improved.

In addition to this, this research will review an Aboriginal residential rehabilitation service in remote Western NSW. This review will critique the current model of care to identify strengths and limitations. Several recommendations will be made to continue to improve outcomes, both in terms of evidence-based service delivery and routine collection of high quality outcome and process measures.

Project Collaborators: External:

Dr Julaine Allan
The Lyndon Community

Orana Haven Corporation Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre

Aims:

Describe trends in crime and health data across all Breaking the Cycle program sites and its relationship to the implementation of program activities
Description of Breaking the Cycle programs implemented in NSW from 2012-2014
Snapshot of client intake data for an Aboriginal residential rehabilitation treatment service
Strengths and limitations of Aboriginal residential rehabilitation service in remote Western NSW

Design and Method:

Setting: Bourke and Brewarrina are two distinct communities located on the banks of the Darling and Barwon Rivers in Western NSW, some 800kms north west of Sydney. In 2011, Bourke had a total population of 2465, with 793 (32%) identifying as Aboriginal and Brewarrina had total population of 1254 with 762 (61%) identifying as Aboriginal (ABS, 2011). The Bourke Alcohol Working Group (BAWG) was formed in 2008 in recognition of the adverse impact of alcohol misuse within the Bourke community. The Brewarrina Alcohol Working Group formed in 2012. Bourke LGA is consistently identified as having  the highest rates of alcohol-related assault in  NSW and double the rates of alcohol-related  hospitalisations (Senserrick et al, 2012).

Community program evaluation:

Analysis of routinely collected data – BOCSAR and NSW Health
Collection and analysis of process data
Description and analysis of the mechanism of engagement between the communities and the researchers

Aboriginal residential rehabilitation review:

Qualitative interviews with workers and clients
Review of client intake data and other relevant process data
Review policies and procedures
Observation

Output:

One paper submitted to Australian Journal of Rural Health
International conference presentation – Global Addiction Conference – Venice
National conference presentation – National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Conference (NIDAC)
Article about research in NADA magazine

Benefits:

Strengthen how community programs in rural Aboriginal drug and alcohol program are developed and implemented
Empower the communities to better understand the impacts that substance misuse has in Western NSW
To utilise results to advocate for more effective, evidence based drug and alcohol prevention and treatment services in remote Western NSW at the local, state and federal level
Develop the evidence for strengthening Aboriginal residential rehabilitation services in Australia

Project Research Area:

Treatment and Intervention

Prevention and early intervention

Indigenous

Drug Type:

Alcohol

Illicit Drugs

Project Status:

Current

Image credit:

Road to Nowhere by Chris Ford via Flickr Creative Commons