Category Archives: Professional News

Parents Under Pressure Training

Parents Under Pressure: www.pupprogram.net.au

The Parents Under Pressure (PuP) program is based on an integrative model of parenting drawn from attachment theory and behavioural family therapy combined with contemporary approaches to affect regulation based on mindfulness. The program is home-based and designed for families in which there are many difficult life circumstances that impact on family functioning such as depression and anxiety, substance misuse, family conflict, child maltreatment and severe financial stress.

TRAINING AND CLINICAL SUPERVISION: A MODEL OF APPLIED

LEARNING

Training combines intensive training in the underlying theoretical background of PuP, and clinical supervision (conducted by phone or face to face). Learning is consolidated by the process of clinical supervision which focuses on how to put the PUP program into practice. Accreditation as a PuP Therapist requires completion of a case study demonstrating competency in the PuP model and a minimum number of hours of practise.

 

SUPPORT OF A PURPOSE BUILD DATA BASE

The PuP program is supported by a purpose build data base that allows for the automated scoring of key measures used to evaluate the effectiveness of the PuP program. A feedback form is generated for each measure with suggested treatment options for Therapists.

 

COST: $3000 per person.

 

SYDNEY Training 3rd & 4thth  September

1 day follow up: 5th  November

Venue: Equilibrium Wealth

Address: Suite 2.04 POST, 46A Macleay Street

Potts Point NSW 2011

 

MELBOURNE training 10th & 11th September

1 day follow up: 19th November

Venue: Odyssey House: Kids in Focus

660 Bridge Rd Richmond 3121

 

To register your interest or for more information please send an email to: s.dawe@griffith.edu.au 

The role of alcohol and other drug related crime and disorder

FREE DRUGINFO SEMINAR – The role of alcohol and other drug related crime and disorder

Alcohol and other drug-related crime and disorder is a substantial burden on Australian and Victorian communities, and a wide range of measures are needed to tackle the problem.

To discuss these issues and to provide a networking opportunity for professionals, DrugInfo will be running a seminar on 5th September 2012.

This free interactive seminar aims to reflect the themes arising from the upcoming DrugInfo newsletter and Prevention Research Quarterly, “The role of alcohol and other drug-related crime and disorder”.

PRESENTERS

  • Associate Professor Peter Miller, Deakin University, Victoria
  • Professor Robin Room, Director, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR), Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre
  • Jennifer Thompson, Program Manager—Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth Program, (P.A.R.T.Y)
  • Erika Robertson, Community and Health Development Officer, City of Port Phillip

ATTENDING THE SEMINAR

Date
Wednesday 5 September 2012

Time
10:00 am-12:30 pm (registration and refreshments from 9:30 am)

Venue
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC),
(Exhibition Centre entrance: 2 Clarendon St, South Wharf 3006)
Meeting Room 2 & 3, Level 2

Registrations
Places are strictly limited, so you are advised to register early. Register through http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=30455

TRANSPORT

Taxi: For the Exhibition Centre have the driver drop off at the Clarendon Street entrance of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Tram: Tram numbers 96,112 and 109 travel down Spencer/Clarendon streets and stop opposite the Clarendon Street entrance of the MCEC.

Train: Take the train to Southern Cross Station and proceed to tram numbers 96, 109 and 112 on Spencer Street to the Clarendon Street entrance of the MCEC.

Car: There are a number of affordable http://www.mcec.com.au/where-is-mcec/  located nearby.

 

RSVP: Places are strictly limited, so you are advised to register early.

 

For more information contact Monique Conduit on 03 9611 6100 or monique.conduit@adf.org.au

New Resource for Posttraumatic Stress and Substance Use

Via NDARC:

A new resource for clinicians working to treat coexisting posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders will be launched at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre Symposium in Sydney on August 28, 2012.

The new treatment manual is based on an integrated treatment approach that utilises exposure therapy, called Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE).The efficacy of the treatment was demonstrated by researchers from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), with the results of their randomised controlled trial published to international acclaim in theJournal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) this month.

The NDARC study found that individuals with addictions could safely be treated for posttraumatic stress without exacerbating their substance use. Clients who received the COPE therapy, where they are exposed to their traumatic memories in 90 minute sessions with a clinical psychologist, not only reduced their symptoms of PTSD, they experienced no worsening of their substance use compared with a control group who received  treatment as usual for their substance use.

An estimated 350,000 Australians have comorbid PTSD and substance use and close to 90 per cent of individuals receiving treatment for substance use have experienced multiple traumas; around half have active PTSD.

But a conservative approach to treatment, based on fears that exposure therapy will exacerbate alcohol and other drug use, means that a majority of sufferers have been excluded from treatment, says study lead author Dr Katherine Mills.

“Our positive findings indicate that by using an integrated treatment program such as this, the many Australians who suffer from both of these conditions can be treated successfully.”

The COPE manual is designed for clinicians with postgraduate qualifications in counselling, psychology or psychiatry, and with formal training in the delivery of cognitive behavioural treatment for substance use disorders and PTSD. COPE can be delivered in both an out-patient and in-patient setting.

The launch of the manual will take place during the Trauma, Self medication and Treatment session of the NDARC Annual Symposium.  You can still register for the event but hurry: registrations close COB Tuesday August 21.

http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/content/ndarc-annual-research-symposium-2012

What: The launch of Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE) treatment manual

When: 28 August 2012

Where: NDARC Annual Symposium, University of New South Wales, Sydney

For more on the COPE manual, please see the executive summary attached below.

To read the paper that appeared in JAMA, please see the attachment below.

Partners in Recovery Program: Funding Opportunities

FYI the Department of Health and Ageing has announced the Partners in Recovery (PIR): coordinated support and flexible funding for people with severe and persistent mental illness with complex needs initiative, which aims to better support people with severe and persistent mental illness with complex needs, and their carers and families, by having the multiple sectors, services and supports that they may come into contact with work in a more collaborative, coordinated, and integrated way.

Organisations are invited to tender to deliver the initiative in Medicare Local geographic regions and may apply for a grant to do so. PIR grant program guidelines are now available at PIR grant program guidelines.

 
PIR information sessions are being conducted in each state and territory and will provide an important opportunity for stakeholders across different sectors, including potential funding applicants and community members, to become more familiar with the initiative and funding requirements. The information session schedule, along with further information, can be found at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pir

Sativex Trial Study: Call for Participants

New drug and cannabis withdrawal – study

NCPIC is conducting a study to test a new medication, Sativex, that may help people manage their withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop smoking cannabis. This study is suitable for those who are over 18 years of age, are daily cannabis users with a desire to quit, have tried and failed to quit cannabis in the past, and are able to undertake an eight-night stay in hospital in Newcastle or Sydney.

For more information and to arrange a brief phone interview, email:cannabiswithdrawal@unsw.edu.au.

Click here to download a flyer with more information about the study.

Public Health Association on Plain Packaging Win

PLAIN PACKAGING DECISION A MASSIVE WIN FOR HEALTH

Yesterday’s High Court decision that tobacco plain packaging can proceed is a massive win for public health. It is also the global tobacco industry’s worst defeat yet, and will have global ramifications.

President of the Australian Council on Smoking and Health, Professor Mike Daube (who chaired the Federal Government’s expert committee that recommended plain packaging) said, “This is a massive win for public health – and the worst defeat yet for Big Tobacco. The global tobacco companies have opposed plain packaging more ferociously than any other measure we have seen. They know that plain packaging will have a major impact on smoking here – and that other countries will now follow.”

 

“The High Court has slammed the door on the tobacco industry’s desperate attempts to oppose a measure they know will reduce their sales and Australia’s tobacco death toll. We know from the companies’ own internal documents that packaging is a crucial part of their marketing. They have now lost their last means of promoting smoking to adults and children. This truly is a life-saving victory for public health.”

 

“The High Court decision is absolute vindication of the Government’s position. Since we learned about the dangers of smoking, cigarettes have killed one million Australians, in large part because of the activities of the world’s most lethal industry. With advent of plain packaging in December, Australia can look forward to leading the world in becoming smoke-free. ”

 

CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia, Michael Moore said, “We should celebrate the victory of public health over a toxic industry. Tobacco companies have used every possible trick and mechanism to oppose plain packaging, which will help prevent children from starting to smoke and encourage adults to quit.”

 

“We can take immense heart from knowing that even the massive resources of a global industry cannot buy government policy or High Court decisions. Yesterday was a great day for public health in Australia, and for the politicians of all parties and coalitions of health groups who worked so hard to make it happen.”

Short Story Competition

Short Story Competition!

 

The Odyssey House Victoria Short Story Competition is open to writers of all ages and experience.

 

The story must follow the theme of “One Day at a Time” and will need to make a reference to alcohol and/or drugs.

 

Stories should be fictional and contain 1500 words or less. Up to 3 stories per entry can be submitted: $15 for one; $30 for two; $40 for three.

 

1st prize is $300 plus 1 year membership to Writers Victoria.  2nd and 3rd cash prizes will also be awarded.

 

Entries close Friday 2nd November.

Go to www.odyssey.org.au for details on how to enter.

Colloquium: Viral Hepatitis and Injecting Drug Use

An invitation for an upcoming important event – Friday 7th of September, Burnet Institute, Melbourne. 

The Centre for Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use (CREIDU) is proud to host a one-day colloquium which will look at what’s new in viral hepatitis and injecting drug use with a focus on prevention, treatment and care.
 
We are pleased to announce that the keynote speaker for the day will be Professor Rick Altice, a professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health and a clinician, clinical epidemiologist, interventionist and researcher at Yale University School of Medicine and School of Public Health. Dr. Altice’s primary research projects focuses on the interface between infectious diseases and substance use disorders.  He also has a number of projects working in the criminal justice system, including transitional programs addressing infectious diseases, medication assisted therapies (methadone, buprenorphine, extended release naltrexone), mental illness and social instability.
 
Other speakers for the day include:
  • Professor Julie Bruneau, a clinical researcher and Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Montreal.  As a clinician, she is recognized as a leader in the development of addiction medicine in Canada.  For the past twenty years, she has conducted epidemiological research among active injecting drug users. Her research accomplishments have significantly contributed to a better understanding of the dynamics of HIV and HCV transmission among IDUs. Her current research interests include exploring access to health care by drug users, in particular the evaluation of the impact of treatments for recent HCV infection among drug users on drug consumption and quality of life.
  • Dr Natasha Martin, a posdoctoral researcher based in the Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol and the Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Natasha is currently working with Professor Matthew Hickman and Dr. Peter Vickerman on mathematical models of hepatitis C spread amongst injecting drug users.
  • Dr Alex Thompson, a hepatologist and head of hepatology research at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. He is also a Neil-Hamilton Fairley NHMRC Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and consultant to the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL). Alex has investigated genetic predictors of treatment outcome in chronic hepatitis C.
  • Professor Lisa Maher from the Kirby Institute, whose work focuses on ethnographic, epidemiological and clinical research on drug use and related harms and studies of interventions designed to prevent infectious diseases in vulnerable populations, including people who inject drugs (PWID) and female sex workers.
  • Professor Margaret Hellard, Head of the Centre for Population Health at the Burnet Institute, where her work centres around infectious diseases, preventing their transmission and identifying the impact of these infections in vulnerable populations. A researcher and clinician, her principal research interests are in the epidemiology of blood-borne viruses (HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C), sexually transmitted infections and improving the management of individuals who already have the infection.
 
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear from some very distinguished speakers working at the cutting edge of their fields.
 
This is a FREE event that will take place at the Burnet Institute, Level 7, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne (above the Alfred Centre on the corner of Punt Rd).
The program starts at 10am and concludes at 4.30pm and includes lunch.

Please contact liznicol@burnet.edu.au to register.

How prisoner health affects the community: National Symposium

Where:         Rydges Capital Hill, Cnr Canberra Avenue & National Circuit, Forrest ACT

 

When:           Wednesday 15 August 2012

 

Time:             9am – 5:30pm

 

The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) is holding a one day symposium Justice Health in Australia: Equity in Health Care in Canberra this Wednesday 15 August 2012.

 

Headline issues to be discussed include: equivalence of health care for prisoners; mental health and wellbeing of prisoners; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner health; and challenges in the transition from prison back to community.  The event will be attended by around 150 participants including policy makers, community services, researchers, corrective services and health workers, former prisoners and others with a broad range of perspectives on the health of prisoners and related issues.

 

“Among the hot topics to be discussed at the symposium will be needle and syringe programs in prison and how the effective management of blood-borne viruses and other health-related challenges in prison affects the broader community,” said PHAA Deputy CEO Melanie Walker.

 

The conference will be formally opened with an address by ACT Minister for Corrections, Dr Chris Bourke MLA at 9am.  Speakers, topics and program highlights include:

•     Dr Helen Watchirs OAM, ACT Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner: Human Rights in Prison

•        Dr Ed Heffernan, Director, Queensland Forensic Mental Health Services: Madness and Musical Chairs: The Mentally Ill in Custody

•        Tammy Solonec, National Board Director, National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner health

•        Bernadette Mitcherson, Executive Director of ACT Corrective Services: Post –release care planning for prisoners in the ACT

•        The launch of new Australian Medical Association policy paper on Health and the criminal justice system by Prof Geoffrey Dobb, AMA Vice President.

Sponsors of the National Justice Health Symposium include: the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing; and the Centre for Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use.  The symposium program is available on the PHAA website at: http://www.phaa.net.au/documents/Justice_Health_Program.pdf

New Cannabis Fact Sheet

New factsheet from National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre

 

Seeking help for cannabis use problems: your rights as a client

 

NCPIC has released a new factsheet designed for those seeking help for cannabis use problems. It covers a range of issues that clients need to be aware of, such as knowing their rights in regards to confidentiality and giving consent, as well as the responsibilities of their health professional. We hope this will assist people in making informed decisions about their care. Click here to download this factsheet.

 

This is a companion factsheet to this one about treatments:

http://ncpic.org.au/workforce/alcohol-and-other-drug-workers/cannabis-information/factsheets/article/treatment-for-cannabis-use-problems