Author Archives: James

Jobs: Manager, Harm Minimisation – Sydney

 

Position Title Manager, Harm Minimisation Program

(HSM Level 2) F/T
Reference Number 207505
Employment Status Permanent Full Time
Entity Sydney Local Health District
Geographical Location Redfern
Advertised Award/Classification Health Service Manager (Level 2)
Salary $86,451.00 – $102,538.00
Contact Person Judy Pearson
Contact Number 0425 288 568
Closing Date 03/10/2014

 

Purpose of Position       

  • Manage delivery of frontline clinical services of the Needle Syringe Program (including primary and secondary service delivery) across Sydney Local Health District in line with Ministry of Health policy and guidelines and evidence based practice
  • Manage human and financial resources
  • Develop strategic and annual business plans for the service
  • Coordinate management of health promotion programs targeting consumers and the community
  • Manage contentious issues relating to service delivery and escalate as appropriate
  • Develop and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders including Ministry of Health; SLHD clinical services; government and non-government organisations; peak bodies; community

Selection Criteria

  • Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience
  • Demonstrated experience in the application of harm minimisation principles as they relate to injecting drug use, and understanding of relevant National and State policies.
  • Demonstrated experience in operationally managing programs across multiple sites including strong human, financial and physical resource management experience
  • Demonstrated experience in development and implementation of strategic, business and operational plans with experience in monitoring and evaluating outcomes
  • Demonstrated high level interpersonal and written communication skills with experience managing partnerships with government, non-government and community sectors.
  • Demonstrated experience working with diverse cultural communities including Aboriginal communities.
  • Demonstrated experience in planning, implementation and evaluation of projects including health promotion programs and innovation / service enhancement.
  • Unrestricted NSW driver’s licence (P2 licence is acceptable)

This position requires a Working with Children Check (WWCC) issued by the Office of the Children’s Guardian. For more information on how to apply for the clearance, please visit the Office of the Children’s Guardian website www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/Working-with-children/working-with-children-check

 

ONLY PERMANENT EMPLOYEES OR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH 12 MONTHS CONTINUOUS SERVICE WITH NSW HEALTH ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.

 

 

OUR VISION

The SLHD vision is “To Achieve Excellence in Healthcare for All”.  This embeds concepts of patient and family centred care, equity, health improvement, timeliness and efficiency, recognising that evidence-based service delivery requires highly skilled and valued staff supported by research, education and state-of-the-art technologies.

 

The SLHD goals focus on patients, staff, community and the need for excellence in services, education, research and organisational support. Central to the District’s workplace culture are the “CORE Values” articulated by the NSW Ministry of Health in our Code of Conduct.

 

As an employee of SLHD you will be expected to uphold and promote these important CORE Values of Collaboration, Openness, Respect and Empowerment which inform every aspect of the District’s activities. These CORE values build upon the public sector values of integrity, trust, service and accountability.

 

For more information please go to: https://nswhealth.erecruit.com.au/ViewPosition.aspx?Id=207505

 

Opioid pharmacotherapy fees: A long-standing barrier to treatment entry and retention

From the team at CREIDU:

The Centre for Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use (CREIDU) is excited to announce the publication of our newest policy brief, titled ‘Opioid pharmacotherapy fees: A long-standing barrier to treatment entry and retention’.  The brief has been co-authored by Sarah Lord, Jenny Kelsall, Amy Kirwan and Trevor King, as a collaboration between CREIDU and Harm Reduction Victoria, who are key members of CREIDU.  The brief outlines some of the issues faced by individuals utilising medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence (MATOD), who are required to pay substantial fees to access a place in a treatment program.  These fees are a significant barrier to treatment access, retention and optimal outcomes.  The brief outlines the evidence relating to MATOD and dispensing fees and offers suggestions for addressing the issue.

We invite you to view and download the policy brief here http://creidu.edu.au/policy_briefs_and_submissions/10-opioid-pharmacotherapy-fees-a-long-standing-barrier-to-treatment-entry-and-retention

A COMPLEX ISSUE – the 2nd International Symposium on Drugs and Driving

A COMPLEX ISSUE – the 2nd International Symposium on Drugs and Driving

12-13th November 2014 in Wellington, New Zealand

Drugs and driving – Navigating the complexity and finding solutions

The use of drugs while driving is a problem that has only recently captured the attention of safety advocates, policymakers, legislators and enforcement agencies.

We have a lot of science to inform alcohol-related road safety policy and interventions, but things get a lot more complex when we look at “drugs” and driving.

This 2nd International Symposium on Drugs and Driving will examine this complexity in depth and will assess new research and evidence to help inform our collective road safety efforts.

http://drugdriving.org.nz/

Funding for Sharps Management

The Community Sharps Management Program (CSMP) supports local governments in New South Wales  in developing local solutions to community sharps management issues.

Councils are invited to submit an application for funding support under the 2014–2015 funding round for the development of community sharps management programs to improve the management and  disposal of community sharps.

This Program provides up to $10,000 for a single council  and upto $60,000 for a group of adjoining councils.

Last financial year, projects supported by the CSMP including:

  • the development of an audio visual resource on safe sharps handling
  • provision of council staff training on safe sharps handling and management
  • implementation of community education on safe disposal
  • installation of disposal facilities.

 

Successful councils included City of Sydney, Urana Shire Council, Kempsey Shire Council, Clarence Valley Shire Council and Moree Plains Shire Council.

 

 

Further information is available at:  http://communitysharps.org.au/apply-for-funding-support.

 

Alternatively, please feel free to contact the Program Manager, Ronnie Turner on  02 9382 8614  or ronnie.turner@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au

Vietnamese Drug Resources

Resource Update: Vietnamese SMART Recovery manual now available on DAMEC website

The Vietnamese translation of the complete SMART Recovery manual is now available for free download from the Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre (DAMEC)’s website.

SMART Recovery is a self-help program that assists people in recovering from alcohol, drug use and other addictive behaviours. The translated manual has been tested with various groups experiencing a range of drug, alcohol and related issues.

SMART Recovery Australia Executive Director, Ryan McGlaughlin, commends DAMEC for this initiative of assisting SMART Recovery becoming assessable to all Australian that are affected by addictive behaviour.

Vuong Nguyen, President of Vietnamese Drug and Alcohol Professionals whose organisation undertook the translation work, said that the SMART Recovery program offered many tools that are relevant to the Vietnamese community living in Australia.

A shorter version of the translated manual, which can be used to reinforce the key points of the program, is also available on DAMEC’s website.

The translated manual can be used by a range of stakeholders including:

  • Peer workers
  • Drug and alcohol professionals
  • Corrective Services staff and those working with the criminal justice system
  • Bilingual health workers
  • Vietnamese community associations

To download the full or abridged manual visit http://www.damec.org.au/resources/smart-recovery-manual-vietnamese-translation

Seminar: Reducing alcohol harms – A global perspective

Invitation to Reducing alcohol harms: A global perspective

 

Want to know how Australia compares to other countries in alcohol policy development?

 

Want to know what policies are working overseas to reduce alcohol harms and how Australia can learn from these experiences?

 

The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and the Kettil Bruun Society invite you to attend a public forum on alcohol policy featuring experts from around the world.

 

Professor Robin Room, Director of the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR) will facilitate the forum which will include presentations from:

 

  • Professor Petra Meier, Sheffield Alcohol Research Group, University of Sheffield, England
  • Professor Charles Parry, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, Medical Research Council of South Africa
  • Dr Ann Hope, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Trinity College, Ireland
  • Associate Professor David Jernigan, Centre on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, United States of America
  • Professor Tanya Chikritzhs, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Australia
  • Professor Sally Casswell, SHORE, Massey University, New Zealand

To hear world leading researchers talking about alcohol policy, RSVP today.

 

Event details

Date: 12 September 2014

Time: 10.00am – 1pm

Venue: Ballroom at Fitzroy Town Hall, 201 Napier Street, Fitzroy

RSVP: By COB 8 September 2014 to Sarah Maloney by email sarah.maloney@fare.org.au  or phone (02) 6122 8600.

 

The Kettil Bruun Society Thematic meeting and related events are supported with funding from VicHealth, the City of Yarra and the Australian Government Department of Health.

 

Follow the link to the official invitation.

 

National Alcohol and Drug Knowledgebase launches

The National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), with support of the Australian Government Department of Health, is pleased to announce the launch of Australia’s first comprehensive online National Alcohol and Drug Knowledgebase. The Knowledgebase gives health practitioners, researchers, policy makers and the general public a valuable new tool to help them address alcohol-related issues. It provides a concise and user-friendly way of accessing the vast amount of information in existing alcohol-related datasets that cover health, social welfare, law enforcement and education issues. In the first instance, the Knowledgebase addresses alcohol and in the near future other drug topics will also be covered.

The Alcohol Section of the Knowledgebase contains more than 130 frequently asked questions (FAQs) about:

  • Consumption patterns
  • Alcohol use and the workplace
  • Alcohol-related harms
  • The impact of alcohol consumption on crime and violence
  • Treatment
  • Young people.

In developing the Alcohol Section of the Knowledgebase, NCETA sourced all of the available alcohol-related datasets produced in Australia and as new data becomes available the Knowledgebase will be revised and updated to ensure that it is current and reliable.

Over time, NCETA will expand the Knowledgebase to include information about a range of illicit and pharmaceutical drugs.

The Knowledgebase can be accessed from: http://nadk.flinders.edu.au/ and also from the NCETA homepage: www.nceta.flinders.edu.au

Jobs: AOD Counsellor, Victoria (Dandenong)

The Salvation Army Positive Lifestyle Counselling Services (PLCS) provides professional and confidential alcohol and drug counselling and support to mainly clients within the criminal justice system. Clients are referred through DTO’s, CISP, CREDIT, Diversion, Corrections, CCO’s, DHS, DH, Court Chaplains and solicitors.

PLCS also provides intensive counselling and support for those affected by a history of trauma and abuse including anxiety and depression.

A position has become available at our Dandenong office for an experienced AOD counsellor for three days per week (including after hours – Wednesday 12:00-8:00pm). Applicants must have at least two years experience working with forensic clients, have tertiary level qualifications and possess the minimum AOD skill set to work in the AOD sector. The position is competitively remunerated and comes with access to salary packaging.

This is a fixed term contract until June 30, 2015 with the possibility of further work beyond this period.

Applicants must include a CV, application form and covering letter addressing the Job Competencies as in the job description, available by emailing andrea.devine@aus.salvationarmy.org.

To further discuss the position, please contact Darrell Hinga on (03) 9794 9533.

Send completed applications, including all required documents to Darrell Hinga at darrell.hinga@aus.salvationarmy.org or Positive Lifestyle Counselling Services, PO Box 7302 Dandenong, 3075 by Friday 15 August 2014.

This position is subject to a reference check and a police check.

Queensland Pharmacotherapy Advocacy & Mediation Service

What is QPAMS?

QPAMS is the QLD Pharmacotherapy Advocacy & Mediation Service.

A peer based service supporting people who are on pharmacotherapy treatment in QLD.

QPAMS has now been operating for over 3 years and has assisted over 450 people with issues relating to their treatment!

 

How can QPAMS help?
QPAMS can provide people with information and support about methadone or bupe treatment.
QPAMS can help people sort out any issues or problems with their treatment program, clinic, pharmacy or prescriber.
QPAMS can support people to access pharmacotherapy treatment by providing referrals to clinics and GP’s

If you need to talk about any opiate treatment related issues, give QPAMS a call

How can I access QPAMS?
Call QPAMS on 1800 175 889x

It’s a free call number and it’s confidential!

QPAMS is open Monday to Friday

If your call is not answered, please leave a message and the QPAMS worker will call you back.

Or you can drop in to see us! QPAMS is in the QuIHN building at 1 Hamilton Rd, Bowen Hills, Brisbane

 

To download the QPAMS poster and brochure please visit http://www.quihn.org/index.php/20-qpams-brisbane

AIHW 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey Results Encouraging

Press release from the AIHW. The outcomes on smoking are particularly encouraging:

Smoking rates in Australia continue to drop, according to new results released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The key findings from the AIHW’s 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, released online today, show that fewer Australians are smoking daily-the daily smoking rate dropped significantly between 2010 and 2013, from 15.1% to 12.8% among people 14 or older.

‘This means the daily smoking rate has halved since 1991,’ said AIHW spokesperson Geoff Neideck.

‘Smokers have also reduced the average number of cigarettes they smoke per week-down from 111 cigarettes in 2010 to 96 cigarettes in 2013.’

And the results show younger people are delaying starting. The proportion of 12-17 year olds who had never smoked remained high in 2013 at 95%, and the proportion of 18-24 year olds who had never smoked increased significantly between 2010 and 2013 (from 72% to 77%).

The age at which 14 to 24-year-olds smoked their first full cigarette was almost 16, rising from 14.2 to 15.9 years of age between 1995 and 2013.

Younger people are also continuing to delay their first alcoholic drink. The age at which 14 to 24-year-olds first tried alcohol rose from 14.4 to 15.7 years of age between 1998 and 2013.

‘Overall, fewer younger people aged 12 to 17 are drinking alcohol, with the proportion abstaining from alcohol rising from 64% to 72% between 2010 and 2013,’ Mr Neideck said.

‘And more good news is that compared to 2010, fewer people overall drank alcohol in quantities that exceeded the lifetime risk and single occasion risk guidelines in 2013.’

However, almost 5 million people in Australia aged 14 or older (26%) reported being a victim of an alcohol-related incident in 2013-a decline from 29% in 2010.

‘We’ve also seen declines in the use of ecstasy (from 3.0% to 2.5%), heroin (from 0.2% to 0.1%) and GHB (from 0.1% to less than 0.1%) in 2013, but the misuse of pharmaceuticals is on the rise (from 4.2% in 2010 to 4.7% in 2013),’ Mr Neideck said.

‘While the use of meth/amphetamine remained at a similar level to 2010, there was a major shift in the main form of meth/amphetamine used. Use of powder dropped significantly while the use of ice (or crystal methamphetamine) more than doubled between 2010 and 2013.

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey is conducted every 2-3 years. The 2013 survey collected data from nearly 24,000 people across Australia from 31 July to 1 December 2013.

The AIHW is a major national agency set up by the Australian Government to provide reliable, regular and relevant information and statistics on Australia’s health and welfare.

Canberra, 17 July 2014