Alcohol and other drugs Archives | Page 4 of 4

19 April 2021

In this new monthly series we’ll be speaking to the provider of our Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) commissioned services in South Western Sydney. These services funded by SWSPHN are free for individuals accessing them. For more information or assistance, please contact Nick McGhie – nick.mcghie@swsphn.com.au

In this column we’ll be looking at the General Practice Drug and Alcohol Advice and Support Service.

Name of service provider

General Practice Drug and Alcohol Advice and Support Service

What service/s do you provide?

Clinical advice and support
Case conferences
Support in commencement and ongoing care of patients requiring buprenorphine treatment of opioid dependence
Access to specialist drug health services including withdrawal services

Please provide a brief description of the service/s you provide

Immediate, direct access for GPs to the telephone helpline – linking you with local consultant drug health clinicians (including the medical team.) Provides advice, assessments, and case conferences with the patient and primary carer.

Supports general practice in managing dependence and withdrawal from all substances.

Provides advice on referral pathways and other local AOD services that provide psychosocial care.

The telephone helpline can be contacted on 0455 079 436.

In which LGAs are your services available?

All LGAs within the South Western Sydney Local Health District / PHN area.

Who is eligible to access your service?

All GPs practising within SWSLHD/PHN boundary.

Does the service provide support for people who don’t speak English as a first language?

Yes, it can be arranged for translators to be present.

Who can GPs contact for more information about your service?

Dr Jenny James, General Practitioner VMO Drug Health Services SWS Jennifer.James3@health.nsw.gov.au or call 0467 717 832 (Mondays and Tuesdays only).

How do GPs refer to your service?

GPs with any clinical query or patient history they would like to discuss can call the helpline Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays), 9.30am to 5pm, on 0455 079 436. They will have immediate access to a South Western Sydney drug health clinician.

Case study

Please share an experience where a GP has referred a patient to your service.

Why were they referred?

The patient was referred for help with assessment and discussion of management options for prescription opioid use. They were ingesting 100mg oxycodone SR daily, in three divided doses.

How did you interact with the referring GP?

The GP rang our helpline (0455 079 436) and spoke with our CNC about the clinical issues. Our CNC rang the patient and did a telephone assessment and gave the patient some management options. The patient had opioid dependence and was keen to commence treatment with buprenorphine. The patient was referred back to the GP after he was stabilised on a monthly depo injection of buprenorphine at Drug Health Services. Our team had a telephone case conference with the GP at the point of transition back to GP care so we could discuss ongoing clinical management with Buvidal. Our team also set up all the arrangements with the pharmacy that supplies the Buvidal to the GP. The GP can continue to call our helpline at any time in the future as needed.

What was the outcome for the patient/client?

The patient attended Drug Health Services as an outpatient for a short time and was stabilised on a dose of injectable depo buprenorphine – 128mg monthly. He continues to attend his GP for his monthly Buvidal injections and no longer ingests any opioids and continues to work full time and feels very happy with his treatment.

What was your experience like working with the GP?

Terrific. The GP was very interested in helping her patient obtain access to an excellent evidence-based treatment that broke the cycle of continually seeking opioids. She was also pleased to extend her skill set.

Did you receive any feedback from the GP or patient/client in regard to shared care?

The GP found the support very helpful and easy to access.

Please share what you think the benefits of GP referrals to your service and the referring GP are?

The benefits are extensive. They include improving transition of care between GPs and specialist drug health services, extending the skill sets of GPs in the area of AOD treatments, and opening up evidence-based treatment options for patients within the primary health care domain.

12 December 2020

Rethink Addiction is an independent group of like-minded organisations which has been formed to educate and advocate for the need to change Australia’s attitude and approach to addiction.

The campaign seeks to educate the general public about the real stories of addiction so that the damaging stigma around addiction and treatment can be reduced. It is also calling on key decision-makers to commit to addressing addiction as a national priority.

The group was formed to leverage off the national attention to the new SBS series, Addicted Australia.

The series has provided an insight into addiction, stigma and treatment by following 10 clients, their clinicians, peer support group and families and friends as they take part in a six-month treatment program designed by Turning Point.

The series covers alcohol, gambling and drug addiction, treatment (including peer and family support) in addition to the social issues that worsen the stigma and isolation associated with addiction.

To watch the series go to SBS On Demand.

29 October 2020

Depot buprenorphine is a new pharmacotherapy that represents a significant development in the model of care for patients with opioid dependence, with two depot products now available for use in Australia.

You can now access a free, online, short course designed to support prescribers and other health professionals in providing depot buprenorphine treatment in a safe and effective manner.

To get started, visit www.otac.org.au to create an account and complete the short course.

Other educational activities available include modules on the fundamentals of opioid treatment in NSW, driving safety considerations for opioid treatment patients, and the Opioid Treatment Accreditation Course (OTAC).

To find out more, visit the website or contact otac.info@sydney.edu.au

14 September 2020

A community-designed screening model which aimed to increase detection of and reduce harm from gambling has been successfully piloted in the Fairfield local government area (LGA), where residents lose an alarming $1.4 million on poker machines each day – more than any other LGA in NSW.

As we near GambleAware week, 19 to 25 October – an annual campaign to increase awareness of the impacts of gambling and harm from gambling in NSW – the Fairfield City Health Alliance is finalising its report on the development of the tool through the Gambling Harm Screening and Referral Project. It is hoped the screening model developed for Fairfield will be rolled-out across NSW to detect and support those experiencing harm from their gambling behaviour and those experiencing harm as a result of someone else’s gambling.

The alliance is a unique collaboration between the three levels of government – South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN), South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) and Fairfield City Council.

The 18-month project brought together more than 100 participants from across the region, including GPs, community workers, psychologists and consumers, with the aim of designing and piloting a screening tool to equip GPs and community workers to identify harm from gambling and assist patients access appropriate support services. Ten community service workers and two GPs successfully piloted the screening tool with their patients.

GambleAware week, 19 to 25 October, is an annual initiative of the Office of Responsible Gambling to increase awareness of gambling and gambling related harm. It aims to increase the community’s understanding of risky gambling behaviour, encourage gamblers and their loved ones to recognise when gambling may place them at risk of harm and provides information on practical ways to keep their gambling under control.

01 September 2020

Fact | Residents of Fairfield LGA lose $1.4 million to poker machines each day, more than any other LGA in NSW.

You’re invited to a webinar on Thursday, 17 September, 10.30am to 11.30am, to learn more about the outcomes of our Screening for Gambling Harm pilot project which aims to combat these alarming statistics.

The project is a collaboration between SWSPHN, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Fairfield City Council. It aims to equip GPs and community workers with the resources and tools to identify and assist patients access support services.

Join the FREE webinar on MS Teams to hear from our Gambling Project Officer.

01 September 2020

In NSW, 7.2 per cent of people who gamble are considered to be a moderate-risk or problem gambler according to the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).

Residents of Fairfield LGA lose $1.4 million to poker machines each day, more than any other LGA in NSW.

These alarming statistics have underpinned our Gambling Harm Screening and Referral Project led by the Fairfield City Health Alliance, a unique collaboration between SWSPHN, the South Western Sydney Local Health District and Fairfield City Council.

During the past 18 months, the project team led the co-design and piloting of a gambling harm screening model in the Fairfield LGA which aimed to:

Improve identification of patients experiencing gambling harm
Educate GPs and community workers about the issue of gambling harm
Increase referrals to support services

Black Dog Institute-led CPD session for GPs, Problem Gambling and Mental Health Online Program for GPs – 23 September. Learn more

Community STaR is hosting a one-off webinar via Zoom to outline the results of the Screening for Gambling Harm pilot – 17 September. Learn more

Why was Fairfield chosen for the pilot project?

In 2019 the Fairfield City Health Alliance proposed the piloting of a community-designed screening tool to equip GPs and community workers with the resources and the tools to identify and assist patients access appropriate support services.

Fairfield LGA was chosen not only because of the prevalence of gambling harm in the city where $1.4 million is lost to poker machines each day, but because people from all walks of life are represented in its diversity of cultures, religions and social backgrounds.

What are the challenges to addressing gambling harm?

One of the greatest challenges to addressing gambling harm is that it is not part of the mainstream health system. Support services, referral and education information is largely provided outside the health system, via a separate stream of funding provided by levies on gambling products in NSW. This unfortunately contributes to a lack of knowledge about gambling harm, screening and referrals to support services particularly in primary care settings.

Unlike other lifestyle questionnaires or assessment tools GPs use to identify issues relating to domestic violence, mental health and alcohol and other drugs, gambling harm screening is not embedded in general practice.

How did the co-design process work?

The co-design process brought together more than 100 participants including GPs, community workers, psychologists and consumers. It included a workshop which attracted 39 stakeholders, an online survey which drew 73 responses, and interviews with 29 participants and two focus groups involving eight healthcare professionals.

What was developed through the co-design process?

The screening tool itself was chosen and adapted, bringing together the Problem Gambling Severity Index Short Form (PGSI Short Form) – which focuses on the individual engaging in gambling behaviour – and Concerned Others Gambling Screen (COGS) – which focuses on an individual experiencing harm as a result of another person’s gambling. The screening tool steps the practitioner through a series of questions, with responses weighted to produce an indicative screening outcome. Information packs were also provided to every participant with resources on the available support services and how to access them, and training materials including motivational interviewing techniques in the context of gambling.

A model for screening was also developed as part of the co-design process. The model recommends that all patients be screened to reduce stigma, ensuring of course that the screening is done in a safe environment at the beginning of an appointment. Ethics approvals stipulated that only those over the age of 18 may be screened in the pilot.

Who participated in the pilot project?

Healthcare providers in Fairfield LGA were invited to express their interest in implementing the screening model over 13 weeks during May to July. Participants included 10 community workers from a range of organisations and two GPs. More than 140 patients were screened during this period.

How did the pilot pivot in response to COVID-19?

The initial project called for face-to-face screening and, in the case of GPs, having the questions completed in the waiting room. The project moved online, acknowledging that many practitioners were moving to telehealth arrangements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What were the results of the pilot project?

The levels of harm identified were higher than expected, with more than one in four of the 142 people screened experiencing some level of gambling harm across the continuum.

While financial harm was most often talked about given its measurability, individual harms also included relationship breakdown, deceitful behaviour, anxiety, stress, depression and in the most severe cases incarceration for fraud, embezzlement and stealing to support the habit.

Participants were interviewed at the conclusion of the pilot and were very positive about the project saying the screening tool was definitely successful in identifying gambling harm with many surprised at the prevalence of gambling harm in Fairfield LGA.

What happens now?

The project team is compiling a report for the Office of Responsible Gambling with the results and recommendation of the scalability acceptability of the screening tool. The report will go to the department at the end of this month (September). The team is also disseminating information about the screening tool and associated resources to GPs and community organisations.

SWSPHN is funding a Black Dog Institute-led CPD session for GPs, Problem Gambling and Mental Health Online Program for GPs, on Tuesday, 15 September. Unfortunately, this session is now full but an additional session funded by the NSW Ministry of Health has been added on Wednesday, 23 September from 6pm to 8pm. Register now.

Community STaR (outreach service of the Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation) is also hosting a special one-off webinar via Zoom with Project Manager Nick McGhie presenting the results of the Screening for Gambling Harm pilot on Thursday, 17 September from 10.30am to 11.30am. To find out more and join

For more information about the Gambling Harm Screening and Referral Project, please email Integrated Health Coordinator Nick McGhie on nick.mcghie@swsphn.com.au

26 June 2020

SWSPHN has partnered with five other PHNs, the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA), local Aboriginal community leaders and non-government organisations to develop guidelines to providing culturally safe care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The guidelines aim to support non-Aboriginal service providers in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) sector to establish better relationships and linkages with Aboriginal organisations and communities to ensure services are safe and accessible.

The resource is not intended to replace the provision of services from specialist Aboriginal AOD services or community-controlled healthcare services but to improve the cultural appropriateness of mainstream services for Aboriginal people.

The guidelines, launched in early June, took two years to develop and followed consultation and advice from Aboriginal leaders and communities, the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Residential Rehabilitation Network, the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council and members of the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Network.

The project also included 15 service providers across NSW who completed a pre and post audit of their organisation and attended a guideline workshop to measure if there was change within their organisation.

Some of the feedback from participating services included:

“Having an organisation actually come in go, ‘this is where you’re doing well. These are the areas you can improve on’, I think that’s really very valuable.”

“It’s been really positive for us, and I think it’s given us a really good framework of where we need to step up and what we can be doing a little bit more … and what things will be looking like for us to move forward to be working in a safe place for our clients.”

SWSPHN Integrated Health Manager Michelle Roberts said the valuable resource showed what could be achieved when stakeholders partnered to support the Aboriginal community’s access to non-Aboriginal services.

“The results so far have been very positive,” she said.

“The guidelines have already helped improve the cultural competence of all participating services and this has tended to flow through to an increase in the number of Aboriginal people being treated by these services.

“The project has helped organisations with recruitment of Aboriginal staff and decision-making in forming new programs and has impacted how services operate across their wider organisation.”

To read the Cultural Competence Service Report

To download the Alcohol and Other Drugs Treatment Guidelines for Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a non-Aboriginal setting

15 June 2020

The resource, launched in early June, took two years to develop and followed consultation and advice from Aboriginal leaders and communities, the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Residential Rehabilitation Network, the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council and members of the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Network.

Some of the feedback from participating services included:

“Having an organisation actually come in go, ‘this is where you’re doing well. These are the areas you can improve on’, I think that’s really very valuable.”

The guidelines are not intended to replace the provision of services from specialist Aboriginal AOD services or community-controlled healthcare services but to improve the cultural appropriateness of mainstream services for Aboriginal people.

“The results so far have been very positive,” she said.

“The project has helped organisations with recruitment of Aboriginal staff and decision-making in forming new programs and has impacted how services operate across their wider organisation.”

To read the Cultural Competence Service Report

To download the Alcohol and Other Drugs Treatment Guidelines for Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a non-Aboriginal setting

07 April 2020

Australia’s 2.7 million unpaid carers now have access to greater supports, with the introduction of new Carer Gateway support services on 6 April.

The Australian Government is investing $550 million in support services for carers across the country through the Carer Gateway – the biggest carer support reform in Australia in more than a decade.

New services for carers include carer support planning, counselling, peer support, carer directed support packages and emergency respite services through the new Carer Gateway.

Some service delivery will be impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with current limitations on face to face contact.

Online and phone-based supports are already available, and carers can access these services by calling the national Carer Gateway number on 1800 422 737 or visiting www.carergateway.gov.au

These services are free to access for anyone caring for a family member or friend who is living with a disability, a long-term medical condition, mental illness, alcohol or drug dependency or someone who is frail due to age.

Anyone can become a carer at any time – through the birth of a child who has special needs, as a result of a loved-one’s accident or illness, if someone close to you has an addiction or a long-term health condition, and sometimes because the people we love simply get older.

Carer Gateway provides support through a network of regional Carer Gateway Service Providers. In NSW there are four service providers who are working collaboratively to deliver consistent support services for carers across the state.

Wellways Australia is the Carer Gateway Service Provider across the NSW regions of South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains and will provide services in across this area.

Wellways Australia CEO Laura Collister said the Carer Gateway provided practical advice and support for all carers.

“No matter where you are located, you can contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 and be directed to the Carer Gateway Service Provider in your region who will help identify the supports best suited to your needs,” Ms Collister said.

“Getting help early can make a big difference to a carer’s life, reducing carer stress and improving wellbeing. The Carer Gateway is focussed on early intervention services to ensure carers get the support they need.”

Since July 2019, the Carer Gateway has been offering free phone-counselling and online self-guided coaching and skills courses through the Carer Gateway
website www.carergateway.gov.au

04 February 2020

Mission Australia’s Triple Care Farm (TCF) located at Knights Hill near Robertson in the Southern Highlands is looking for a GP to provide medical support to the inpatient withdrawal unit.

TCF’s withdrawal unit is a 10-bed facility supporting young people aged 16 to 24 to withdraw from substance abuse before transferring to the residential rehab at TCF, another residential rehab or returning to the community.

Mission Australia is looking for a GP with an interest in addiction medicine to work in the clinic one to two days per week between 8.30am and 1.30pm.

To find out more about the role.