AIVL - Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League ... About AIVL 3 AIVL’s Aims and...

AIVLANNUAL REPORTAustralian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League

2017

ContentsAbout AIVL ...............................................................................................3

AIVL’s Aims and Objectives .................................................................... 4

AIVL Member Organisations ................................................................... 5

AIVL Board Members .............................................................................. 6

AIVL, CAHMA & Connection Staff .......................................................... 8

President’s Report .................................................................................10

Treasurer’s Report .................................................................................11

Executive Officer’s Report .....................................................................12

State and Territory ReportsCAHMA and The Connection ................................................................18

NUAA ......................................................................................................22

NTAHC ....................................................................................................23

QUiHN ....................................................................................................25

QuIVAA ...................................................................................................26

Hepatitis SA CNP ..................................................................................27

TUHSL ....................................................................................................30

HRVIC .....................................................................................................31

WASUA ...................................................................................................34

Financial Statements ...............................................39

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About AIVL

“ the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health ”

The Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) is the national peak organisation for the state and territory drug user organisations and represents issues of national significance for illicit drug users.

The organisational philosophy of AIVL is user-centred and supports the right of people who use illicit drugs to self-organise and form peer-based structures and processes in order to reduce drug related harm. AIVL operates within a health promotion framework as articulated in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) which defines health promotion as “the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health”.

The Charter outlines five strategies for achieving the above process which are:

• Building healthy public policy;

• Creating supportive environments;

• Strengthening community action;

• Developing personal skills; and

• Reorienting health services.

With this overall framework in mind AIVL undertakes a broad range of health promotion and disease prevention activities and programs. One of the primary aims of the organisation is to prevent and reduce the transmission of blood borne viruses such as hepatitis B

and C, and HIV amongst people who inject illicit drugs and to ameliorate the negative impact of such conditions amongst those already infected.

Although AIVL represents and addresses issues affecting all illicit drug users, AIVL and its member organisations will maintain a priority focus on injecting drug users and injecting drug user issues due to the higher levels of harm and marginalisation routinely experienced by people who inject drugs.

AIVL takes a non-judgmental approach to drug use and recognises the fundamental role that drug use has played historically within society. AIVL believes that people who use illicit drugs have the right to be treated with dignity and respect and be able to live their lives free from discrimination, stigma and health and human rights violations.

As an organisation, AIVL is committed to achieving fundamental reform of the current drug laws and a re-orientation of the health system in relation to issues affecting people who use illicit drugs.

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To address and represent the health needs of people who use illicit drugs at the national level through a health promotion and disease prevention approach.

The objectives for which AIVL is established are (in no particular order of priority):

1. To provide an avenue through which the interests of people who use illicit drugs can be represented at the national level.

2. To maintain an effective, efficient, well-funded organisation which is primarily accountable to its membership.

3. To address and represent the health needs of people who use illicit drugs at the national level through a health promotion and disease prevention approach.

4. To prevent the transmission of blood borne communicable diseases such as HIV/ AIDS, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, etc., among people who inject illicit drugs.

5. To promote and represent the health and support needs of people with hepatitis C and/or HIV/AIDS who inject drugs.

6. To promote the provision of high quality, accessible and relevant services to people who use illicit drugs throughout Australia.

7. To challenge social and legal barriers to the health and well-being of people who use illicit drugs in Australia including, ensuring that users have access to the resources and means to reduce drug related harm.

8. To promote and protect the health and human rights of people who use illicit drugs in Australia.

9. To offer developmental national activities designed to improve the capacity and effectiveness of the State and Territory Drug User Organisations throughout Australia.

10. To form strategic alliances and partnerships to address issues affecting people who use illicit drugs at the national level.

11. To maintain an active public voice on issues affecting people who use illicit drugs at the national level.

12. To operate as a genuine partner in research undertaken on issues affecting people who use illicit drugs in Australia.

13. To link and collaborate with like-minded organisations outside Australia to promote the principles and objectives of AIVL on an international level.

14. To support like-minded organisations, networks or projects in the Asia Pacific region to ensure users have access to the resources and means to reduce drug related harm and promote health.

AIVL’s Aims & Objectives

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AIVL Member Organisations

As of 30 June, 2017ACT Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation & Advocacy (CAHMA)

NSW NSW Users & AIDS Association (NUAA)

NT Northern Territory AIDS & Hepatitis Council (NTAHC)

QLD Queensland Injectors Health Network (QuIHN)

QLD Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action (QuIVAA)

SAHepatitis SA Clean Needle Program Peer Projects (CNP)

TAS Tasmanian Users Health & Support League (TUHSL)

VIC Harm Reduction Victoria (HRV)

WA WA Substance Users Association (WASUA)

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PresidentNiki ParryNiki has been working in the community welfare and health sectors for more than 17 years, has studied Social Sciences and is currently doing a post graduate degree in health service management. She has worked in a range of AOD health related services including the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC), and Hepatitis NSW. For the last five years Niki has been employed at QuIHN where she is the Coordinator of QPAMS (the QLD Pharmacotherapy Advocacy and Mediation Service), a peer based support service for people on opioid replacement treatments across QLD. In addition to AIVL, Niki is also President of QuIVAA and on the board of Harm Reduction Australia and sits on many committees and advisory groups advocating for the health and human rights of people who use drugs across QLD and beyond.

Vice PresidentDan BurnsDan was involved with Harm Reduction Victoria’s DanceWize program in both volunteer and staff capacities from late 2010 to October 2015. As the youngest member of the current board, Dan especially represents people who use drugs within the festival and dance music communities. He comes from the Melbourne rave and doof scenes and is focused on making music events a safer place for his fellow party people. He joined the AIVL board in 2014 as Member Liaison Officer - and has enjoyed getting to know the various state organisations a bit more - before becoming Vice President of the board in 2015. In 2016 Dan became a member of the newly-formed Deakin University chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and he is looking towards the possibility of more focused drug and alcohol policy work in the future.

TreasurerMary Ellen HarrodMary Ellen Harrod is the CEO of the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA) and is a member of the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD). Prior to joining NUAA, she was a Research Fellow within the Aboriginal Health Program at the Kirby Institute where she coordinated a ground-breaking national collaborative Community Controlled research project that focussed on Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viral Research (REACCH). Her work in public health research has maintained a strong focus on capacity development, community engagement and ethical research practice. She is committed to community self-determination and empowerment as the basis for advancing the health and human rights of people who use drugs.

SecretaryPaul DessauerPaul works for the West Australian Substance Users Association, (WASUA), a not-for-profit NGO that provides peer-education, harm reduction, and health treatment services for people who use illicit drugs.

Paul currently coordinates WASUA’s team of outreach workers, WASUA Overdose Prevention and Management and Peer-Naloxone programs, and WASUA’s Aboriginal Community Engagement team. He also provides consultancy and training to other agencies and guest-lectures to several universities, and (in collaboration with colleagues from WASUA) delivers the Drug and Alcohol program for patients of the State Psychiatric Hospital.

Paul has worked at WASUA for 16 years. Paul has also worked as a Drug and Alcohol Officer for the state-wide Aboriginal Mental Health Service, as an educator and consultant for the Transnational Institute (in China and Myanmar) and for the Burnett McFarlane Institute for Public Health.

In 2002 Paul was awarded an Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) Australia Day Medal.

AIVL BOARD

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Member Liaison OfficerYvonne Samuel Yvonne has worked for the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA) a not-for-profit NGO that provides peer-education, harm reduction, and representation for people who use illicit drugs for the past five years.

With a broader sector experience, having worked across the community welfare sector over the past 25 years in a range of front line, education and training, and managerial positions.

General MemberAmanda BresnanFrom October 2008 to 2012 Amanda was an elected Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the ACT Greens. Amanda was the ACT Greens spokesperson for health, disability, housing, ageing, multicultural affairs, transport and corrections.

Prior to being elected as an MLA, Amanda was the Acting Director of Policy and Projects for the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA), and also worked as a Project Manager with the Consumer Health Forum of Australia. Amanda is President of the Asthma Foundation ACT, a Board Member of the National Asthma Board and a Board member of AIVL. She was Patron of ACT Mental Health Week in 2013 and 2014.

Amanda has since worked as a consultant in mental health and disability, was Policy Manager at Palliative Care Australia and is currently the Executive Director for Community Mental Health Australia.

General MemberDavid MacDonaldDavid has been co-opted to the Board as a General Member. He is an interdisciplinary social scientist with research interests at the intersection of criminal justice and population health (the new discipline of epidemiological criminology), and building evidence- informed public policy. David is the Director of the consultancy Social Research & Evaluation Pty Ltd, a Visiting Fellow at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University, and the research advisor to the ACT Government’s drug policy advisory group and to the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Association ACT.

He has wide experience in research and evaluation, policy analysis, and policy and program development in the alcohol and other drugs, criminal justice and related fields. In 2009 David was the recipient of the Outstanding Contributions Award in the ACT Alcohol and Other Drug Awards Program, and in 2011 he was inducted into the National Drug and Alcohol Honour Roll, and was made a Life Member of the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia.

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During 2016-17 AIVL and CAHMA/The Connection said farewell to a number of staff and welcomed others.

Staff who departed during 2016-17:Angella Duvnjak – AIVL Chief Executive Officer

Nicole Wiggins – AIVL Hepatitis C Project Officer

Amy McDonald – AIVL Office Administrator/EA

Staff who joined us in 2016-17:Melanie Walker – AIVL Chief Executive Officer

James Dunne – AIVL Director Programs & Communications

Emily Yearsley – AIVL Office Administrator/EA

Tiia Harrison – AIVL Project Officer, returned to work after maternity leave

Juda Weerheim – CAHMA Project Officer

AIVL Staff as at 30 June 2017:Melanie Walker – Chief Executive Officer

James Dunne – Director Programs & Communications

Mim Ashfaque – Finance Manager

Emily Yearsley – Office Administrator/EA

Jude Byrne – Senior Project Officer

Christian Vega – Senior Policy Officer (based at NUAA – Sydney, NSW)

Tiia Harrison – Project Officer

Jason Hargraves – Database Administrator

CAHMA Staff as at 30th June 2017:Chris Gough – CAHMA Manager

David Baxter – Naloxone Training Co-ordinator

Geoff Ward – Policy & Advocacy Officer

Peter Parkes – Peer Education Officer

Juda Weerheim – CAHMA Project Officer

Aimee Capper – Aboriginal Peer Support Worker - The Connection

AIVL, CAHMA & Connection Staff

AIVL Staff CAHMA Staff

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President’s and Treasurer’s Reports

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It is with great pride and a little bit of sadness that I provide my final report to you as AIVL’s President. Having served the maximum allowable Presidential term, I’ll be handing the reigns to another passionate AIVL advocate at this year’s Annual General Meeting.

This year we have seen significant change within AIVL, with new faces and fresh approaches to implementing our strategic priorities. Dr Angella Duvnjak and Dr Mary Ellen Harrod both brought unique leadership styles and expertise to the role of CEO before the permanent appointment of Melanie Walker in April. All three CEOs have been ably supported by James Dunne, AIVL’s Director of Programs and Communications and Emily Yearsley, AIVL’s Office Administrator who both also commenced in this financial year.

It has been lovely to see the AIVL staff team grow and develop with its new team members in 2016-17. The mix of corporate knowledge, long-standing expertise and new perspectives in AIVL’s national office bodes well for the future of the organisation.

There has been a strong focus on consolidating organisational strengths, pursuing efficiencies, securing funding and progressing strategic goals in 2016-17. This focus has been driven by the Board and is aligned with the recommendations of the organisational review and the

priorities outlined in AIVL’s Strategic Plan July 2015 – June 2018.

The CEO’s report outlines the major projects and activities of the organisation throughout 2016-17. AIVL’s new funding agreement with the Australian Government Department of Health will see AIVL build on this work and continue to undertake activities supporting national blood borne virus (BBV) and sexually transmissible infection (STI) priorities in the 2017-18 financial year.

2016-17 has also been characterised by an enhanced focus on member relations. According to the AIVL Strategic Plan:

‘AIVL is the national peak organisation representing the state/territory peer-based drug user organisations and issues of national relevance for people with lived experience of illicit drug use.’

Our role in representing AIVL’s jurisdictional member organisations continues to be of critical importance and efforts were made in 2016-17 to strengthen the linkage between member organisations’ needs and the outputs of AIVL’s major projects and activities.

While this period of transition and renewal has no doubt strengthened the organisation’s position moving forward, change has not been without its challenges. I would like

to particularly acknowledge the ongoing role that the AIVL staff team has played in maintaining outputs and achieving key strategic outcomes in the face of human resources and critical infrastructure transitions. The dedication and commitment of the team in the national office deserves special mention in the annual report.

Having served as President for a number of years now, I would also like to pay tribute to my fellow board members. AIVL is very fortunate to have such a skilled, talented and committed governance team. 2016-17 has been an exciting time of consolidation and renewal for AIVL and the Board’s commitment to evidence-informed approaches and best practice in organisational governance has been uncompromising in this context.

In short, I am proud to have been President of AIVL during a period of significant organisational change and renewal and I am confident that the organisation is in a strong position moving forward in 2017-18. I look forward to continuing my long association with AIVL in a different capacity into the future.

Niki Parry AIVL President

President’s Report

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AIVL’s financial management has undergone two major transitions this year with a move to a new auditor and a new accounting firm. I would like to recognise Mel and Mim for the work that has gone into supporting this transition. The new auditor, Rosenfeld Kant, delivered a very clean report with no concerns raised about organisational management or finances. One of the primary reasons for taking on a new accountant was the lack of timeliness in the reporting, this has not improved.

In the 2016 – 2017 financial year, AIVL Incorporated (including CAHMA) had a slight increase in income from 1.67 to 1.78 million dollars. This increase reflects increased funding to CAHMA and a decrease in AIVL’s overall funding. Funding is still awarded to AIVL annually with the Commonwealth Department of Health.

Staffing represented the single greatest expense at 55% of the budget. Other significant budget lines were occupancy expenses at 17% ($301,299), travel at 5.8% ($102,066), consultancy expenses 7.6% ($131,871) and workshop and conference expenses 6.7% ($116,740).

There was a deficit of $20,551.

This deficit was primarily related to unbudgeted moving costs. The former premises on Alinga Street were not financially viable as the annual rent was a very large proportion of the budget and CAHMA has relocated premises to increase service accessibility. Achieving the efficiency of lower cost premises on Northbourne Avenue was a key priority for the Board and a major undertaking for the staff.

AIVL’s net assets were $189,431 or about five weeks operating expenses for AIVL and CAHMA. There are sufficient funds to meet employee liabilities.

Cash on hand has decreased from $833,582 in 2015-2016 to $562,461 in 2016-2017.

Some of the financial issues that the Board will need to be aware of and plan for in the next financial year are:

• Diversifying the AIVL funding base (Point 6 of the Strategic Plan) and how this can be achieved

• The low level of the reserves and how these can be increased

• Risk management for AIVL and CAHMA given the differences in funding and diversification of funding between the two organisations

• Timeliness of reporting by accountant

AIVL’s new funding agreement with the Australian Government Department of Health for 2017-18 was executed on 7 August 2017. Under the new funding agreement, AIVL will receive $681,818.00 (GST exclusive) for the 2017-2018 financial year to undertake activities supporting National BBV and STI priorities.

I’d like to recognise and thank both the staff and Board of AIVL for their persistence and hard work throughout this past year, which has been tumultuous in many ways. I wish the new Board to be elected the very best and believe that now that we have what has been a difficult year behind us we can work together to grow and thrive.

ME Harrod, PhD AIVL Treasurer

Treasurer’s Report

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The 2016-17 financial year saw some big changes for AIVL, with the Board, staff and member organisations all working together to consolidate organisational strengths, progress key strategic goals and ensure continuity as a new leadership team was established. Prior to my appointment as CEO in April 2017, AIVL was fortunate to have both Dr Mary Ellen Harrod and Dr Angella Duvnjak in the role temporarily during 2016-17. The organisation has no doubt been strengthened by having the benefit of a number of leadership perspectives informing the Board’s considerations during this period of change and renewal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Mary and Angella for their significant contributions to the work of AIVL in 2016-17.

My focus over the first few months has been on consolidating current activities and building a strong foundation for future endeavours, with a particular emphasis on human resources, funding and organisational profile. A great deal of work in national office also went into the successful completion of the office moves of CAHMA to Northpoint Plaza in Belconnen and AIVL to Havelock House in Turner. In June 2017, AIVL and CAHMA successfully moved from the Sydney Building in Civic to their respective new locations. These office moves will result in significant savings across the organisation, also enabling CAHMA

to broaden its reach to address unmet need for alcohol and other drug (AOD) services on the north side of Canberra.

Achieving efficiencies and securing revenue have been key strategic priorities for AIVL in 2016-17. AIVL’s new funding agreement with the Australian Government Department of Health for 2017-18 was executed on 7 August 2017, and will see AIVL continue to undertake activities supporting national blood borne virus (BBV) and sexually transmissible infection (STI) priorities in the 2017-18 financial year.

Through the collective efforts of the team in AIVL’s national office, the organisation delivered on an extensive workplan of activities in 2016-17. Some of the key projects, outputs and outcomes are summarised below.

Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) Services, People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) Access Needs and DirectoryBetween January and June 2017, AIVL undertook a nation-wide consultation to provide an evidence base for the NSP Best Practice Guide, a guide that highlights facilitators and barriers to sterile injecting equipment access and develops best practice service guidelines that can be incorporated into service delivery as well as policy development in relation to BBVs.

CEO’s Report

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The project established a dedicated focus on understanding issues for accessing sterile injecting equipment outside of major centres and compliments previous research and consultations that have been held in Melbourne and Sydney.

Key findings of the consultation and recommendations for best practice service delivery include:

• creating diversity of options and consistency of experience

• creating an enabling environment for injecting equipment distribution through legislative and regulative change

• supporting pathways for peer worker employment

• building capacity among all NSP service types to work effectively with PWID and capitalise on health engagement

• health promotion and awareness raising among PWID

This body of work compliments AIVL’s existing National NSP Service Directory. Between 1 July 2016 – 30 June 2017, the NSP Service Directory was accessed 1,160 times by 943 unique users and is the fourth most visited page on AIVL’s website.

BBV Prevention and Harm Reduction Marketing and CommunicationsMarketing and communications on BBV prevention and harm reduction has also been a significant focus in 2016-17. This includes the provision of relevant and up-to-date online information for PWID in relation to BBV prevention, testing and treatment as well as evidence-based harm reduction information and stories.

Findings and recommendations from the AIVL research study report, ‘No one wants to use the dirties’, have been incorporated into AIVL communications and related projects.

Aboriginal PWIDThis project involved collaborating with jurisdictional drug user organisations (DUOs) including NTAHC to engage with Aboriginal PWID in jurisdictions to examine barriers and facilitators to safe injecting. The consultations focussed on strategies to reduce receptive sharing and increase the distribution of sterile injecting equipment. In particular, the project examined resources and levers to reduce receptive sharing and the benefits of peer distribution of injecting equipment, specifically in Aboriginal communities.

Consultation sessions were conducted with 23 community members in Darwin, Canberra and Sydney. Key findings and recommendations from this project included:

• That greater policy and funding emphasis be placed on the development and delivery of flexible and responsive peer-based harm reduction strategies that are tailored to the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drug users, developed in collaboration with these communities.

• There needs to be greater engagement between the BBV and AOD sectors to ensure cultural appropriateness of funded AOD services and inclusion of harm reduction approaches and strategies (including access to hep C treatment) in AOD treatment contexts.

• The de-funding of Indigenous BBV and STI projects under the Indigenous Australians Health Program should be reconsidered with a view to enhancing the implementation of the national BBV/STI strategies as they apply to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who use drugs.

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AIVL will continue this project in 2017-18 and seek to scale up the processes and findings to a national level by connecting with key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and other stakeholders.

HCV Resource DistributionAIVL produced a set of three wearable badges for World Hepatitis Day 2017 that focused on promoting new hepatitis C treatments and challenging myths about new hepatitis C treatments among people at risk of or living with hepatitis C. Using the themes of asking questions, getting informed and taking control, AIVL used the following key messages:

• “Ask me about hep C treatments - I’m in the know”

• “95% cure rate, join your mates - Ask about hep C treatments”

• “Still using? Still eligible - Ask about hep C treatments”.

AIVL produced 2,500 badges as part of this campaign and more than 2,000 were distributed to AIVL’s members, who disseminated these resources through their jurisdictional World Hepatitis Day events.

AIVL also produced a hepatitis C peer training package based on the ‘Hep C & You’ guides incorporating feedback provided as part of the PWID Peer Roadshow project.

People living with hepatitis C (HCV) commencing treatments in custody and being dischargedThis project entailed undertaking an assessment of the needs of people living with HCV, as they are discharged from custody and into primary care, so that treatment is completed and successful. The report provides a needs analysis of hepatitis C treatment for people transitioning from custodial settings.

Preliminary findings indicate:

• significant gaps in available data relating to HCV treatment in custodial settings

• last survey of HCV prevalence in people entering prison occurred in 2013, with HCV prevalence as low as 8% (NT) and as high as 52% (QLD)

• data provided by jurisdictions indicates variable numbers accessing and completing HCV treatment in custodial settings

• treatment policies and practices vary across jurisdictions

In 2017-18 AIVL will further expand on these preliminary findings and establish implementation actions based on the outcomes of the needs analysis.

HCV treatment advice and workforce developmentDuring 2016-17, AIVL has worked with service partners, in particular pharmacists, to improve HCV treatment uptake, retention in care and completion for people living with HCV and PWID. In particular, AIVL has developed education materials for non-peer NSP workers on barriers PWID experience when accessing NSPs and how to support PWID in seeking testing and treatment.

In addition, throughout 2016-17, AIVL has provided its peer expertise, advice and experience to a range of collaborative national and international conferences, research committees and workforce development projects.

PWID Road Shows (Peer Education and Training)This program area saw AIVL develop and pilot a series of evidence based peer education training modules in partnership with member organisations on:

• Harm and Risk Reduction

• PWID and People Living with HCV Media Training and Public Speaking

• HCV, HBV and HIV Treatments for PWID

• BBV and STI Prevention and Vaccination for PWID

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As part of the project, AIVL provided three grants totalling $18,000 to member organisations that aimed to support delivery of peer education training to priority populations and in priority locations not adequately covered through jurisdictional funding. Priority groups accessed through this grants process included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, older women who inject and people in remote areas.

Impact and process evaluation measures indicated an increased literacy in harm reduction practices and blood borne viruses knowledge following participation in the sessions. Feedback also provided AIVL with a range of improvements for the training material and future directions for its peer education action.

Clinical Services Education and TrainingAIVL worked closely with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to develop a short resource designed to support pharmacists to achieve better outcomes for patients who use drugs. The resource details the role the pharmacists play in the lives of people who use drugs, key challenges in the relationship and where pharmacists can turn for support to improve these relationships.

AIVL Stigma and Discrimination Training Module for Health Care Professionals and StudentsThis project developed the ‘A Normal Day’ training module that uses a series of podcasts to:

• support greater GP understanding of issues for people who use drugs; and

• increase the capacity and confidence of GPs in working with our community.

In 2017-18, AIVL will continue this project to ensure that the module is made available on the learning management systems of applicable professional bodies, also working closely with tertiary institutions to enable medical students to access the module.

A great deal of work has been completed in 2016-17, with a lot more to be achieved in 2017-18!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the AIVL and CAHMA staff and board members for the incredible support that I have received throughout my initial period in the role – I feel very privileged to be part of such a talented, dedicated and committed team of people.

I look forward to working with all of you in 2017-18 to ensure that we build on AIVL’s successes and work towards achieving our shared strategic goals.

Melanie Walker AIVL Chief Executive Officer

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State & Territory Reports

CAHMA and The Connection

NUAA

NTAHC

QuIHN

QuIVAA

HEP SA CNP

TUHSL

HRVic

WASUA

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CAHMA Annual Report

OverviewThe last year has been a time of consolidation, growth and renewal for CAHMA and The Connection. This year the organisation has moved into a new premises separate from AIVL, developed a new strategic plan and implementation plan, expanded the naloxone program to include naloxone opportunistic brief interventions, increased outreach and peer education to housing hubs and community services such as the Early Morning Centre, reviewed and refined our funding contracts and are in the process of reviewing our service delivery, HR and governance policies and procedures.

The staff of CAHMA and The Connection remain unchanged for the year with the exception of the addition of Juda Weerheim to the team on a part time basis. The CAHMA team comprises of Chris Gough (CAHMA and The Connection Manager), Geoff Ward (Peer Advocacy and Support Worker), David Baxter (Peer Naloxone Training Co-ordinator), Peter Parkes (Peer Education Officer), Aimee Capper (The Connection Aboriginal Peer AOD Worker), Juda Weerheim (Peer

AOD Worker). The team have been amazing in dealing with wholesale changes to their work environment including moving to an open plan office and everyone should feel incredibly proud.

Moving to BelconnenIn June 2017 CAHMA and The Connection moved from our long time office in The Sydney Building in The Civic area of Canberra to a new open plan office in the heart of Belconnen on the north-side of Canberra. CAHMA and The Connection held a highly successful opening event to welcome us to the area and to celebrate World Hepatitis Day.

The event included a Welcome to Country and a smoking ceremony to welcome us to the land and to cleanse the new office of bad energy and spirits. The event was attended by members of the ACT government, funding bodies, staff from other specialist AOD Services and associated services, service users and members of the Belconnen Community. Coverage in the “Canberra Times” and WIN Local TV News was excellent and included details of CAHMA and The Connection’s available services and a photo of all staff.

CAHMA & The Connection

Picture: CAHMA and The Connection staff outside new Belconnen premises.

From left Geoff Ward, Peter Parkes, David Baxter, Chris Gough, Aimee Capper. Missing: Juda Weerheim

Picture reproduced with permission from Fairfax Media 2017.

State/Territory: Australian Capital Territory

CAHMA Annual Report

• Naloxone funding

• Flexible funds

• Stats

• Prison NSP

• Gastro review plus MOU

• Connection

• the fix

• Drug strategy / ACT

• NSP Advisory

CAHMA & THE CONNECTIONMembership Level: Level 1 (auspiced by AIVL) State/Territory: Australian Capital Territory

Welcome to CAHMA’s Annual Report to the AIVL AGM for 2014-2015.

This last year has been busy as always, with a number of small changes at CAHMA.

Funding

Flexible Funds

CAHMA’s funding is a mixture of Territory and Federal funding. Like AIVL and many of the other user groups, CAHMA receives grants from the Commonwealth flexible funds: The Non-Government Organisation Treatment Grants Program (NGOTGP) and the Substance Misuse Service Delivery Grants Fund (SMSDGF).

CAHMA received ongoing funding for the year 2015-2016 from both of these funds and we are aware that not all recipients received this ongoing funding. However, both these grants and the Federal grant that supports the Connection were confirmed very late and are extensions for the current year only.

These circumstances make it difficult to plan strategically and can be a significant stress for all staff as there is uncertainty until very late in the financial year as to whether we will be able to continue services for our community and as to whether employment is to be ongoing. This can have an impact upon morale, but I’m pleased to report that staff all remained with us through the uncertainty and have remained upbeat and optimistic about CAHMA’s future and their own.

CAHMA Take Home Naloxone Program

I am also very pleased to be able to report that CAHMA has received a new funding source for the first time in some years. The ACT government offered one year funding to continue and to expand access to our take home naloxone program.

This has enabled us to make one position available: CAHMA Naloxone training officer, at 4 days per week. We are very pleased to report that Dave Baxter, a long-term volunteer and casual employee was selected from a strong field of candidates for this position. We have also secured the services of Dr Anna Olsen, one of the program’s chief evaluators, on a temporary fixed term consultancy contract. This second position will be working closely with the trainer, myself, the community and other ACT services to analyse current and future opportunities for strategic development. Anna will provide a strategic planning document for CAHMA to reference as we move the program forward.

There are numerous opportunities for CAHMA to expand the program but it must also be remembered that it has until now essentially run on the spare time of CAHMA staff. The funding we have received will give us opportunities to expand but it will also simply ensure we can continue the program as it stands.

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FundingOver the past year CAHMA’s funding has grown with a small increase in total funding from $641,634 (ex GST) in 2016-17 to $771,571 ( ex GST) in the current financial year 2017-18. This increase is due to increased investment by ACT Health in peer treatment support. In addition The Connection program, which lost its core funding when the Australian Government cut its jurisdictional Indigenous blood borne virus program funding, was re-funded at an increased level by the Ice Taskforce AOD money distributed through the Primary Health Network of Canberra, the Capital Health Network. The remainder of CAHMA’s federal funding was transferred from the Australian Department of Health to the Capital Health Network in July 2017 making the CHN a major funding body for CAHMA and The Connection. CAHMA’s ACT Health funding remained unchanged, with a procurement process for these funds expected sometime in 2018. The transfer of funding to the CHN provided the opportunity to streamline and review CAHMA’s NGOTGP and SMSDGF funding (contracts which were out of date and problematic) and consequently CAHMA and The Connection have reviewed and refined all of their federal contracts and brought all reporting requirements into line with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug National Minimum Data Set and ACT Health reporting requirements. CAHMA and The Connection are looking forward to working hand in hand with the

CHN to improve the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs in the ACT.

News from the Drug War FrontThe CAHMA radio show (presented by Geoff Ward) has now been broadcast weekly for over 15 years. It goes to air live every Tuesday on 2XX, Canberra’s Community radio. NDWF has had a number of special guests such as Diane Lloyd from WASUA who gave a fascinating account of her HIV and drug user activism. Executive Officers from sector organisations such as Hepatitis ACT and Karralika Programs Inc. have given live interviews discussing their work. Special programs for International Women’s Day, International Overdose Awareness Day and World Hepatitis Day have been added in 2017 with a campaign to promote the new Hep C treatments and youth and indigenous specials. Members of our community regularly drop in to the studio to contribute or just watch the show going to air.

Advocacy ServicesOver the past year CAHMA has continued its work in individual and systemic advocacy helping people navigate the ACT’s drug treatment services and providing consumer representatives and service user perspectives to high level committees including Ministerial Advisory Committee on Sexual Health, HIV and Related Diseases (SHAHRD), The Opioid Treatment Advisory Group (OTAC),

The ACT NSP Advisory Committee and ACT Drug Driving Forums. CAHMA’s individual advocacy service has continued to support people accessing and navigating: pharmacotherapy (public and private); ACT Alcohol and Drug Service; Centrelink; Probation and Parole; Child Protection Services; OneLink (accommodation); Specialist AOD Services including residential rehabilitation and inpatient detoxification services; Mental Health Services and many others. Common issues raised include pharmacotherapy transfers in and out of the ACT, problems accessing pharmacotherapy on exit from custodial settings, difficulty for AOD clients accessing meaningful mental health services; homelessness issues for people with AOD issues and HCV treatment access for people who use drugs. Recently CAHMA has noted an increase in service users having difficulty navigating mental health and drug and alcohol services especially psychiatric treatment orders (PTO). CAHMA has supported clients at psychiatrist appointments, writing support letters, researching side-effects of anti-psychotic medications and has also been developing networks with other advocacy groups, such as ADACUS (ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Service), to assist clients who need advocates at Tribunal reviews of their PTO’s. CAHMA’s move to Belconnen has also precipitated some new relationships with service providers in the area, especially broader community services looking to support their service users who have


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problematic drug and alcohol use. CAHMA continues to be supportive of ACT government’s approval to trial pill testing at music festivals and will continue to advocate for peer education services for festival goers.

New Hepatitis C Treatments CampaignOne of the most positive initiatives of recent times has been the federal government putting the new direct acting antivirals (DAA’s) on the PBS from March 2016. In collaboration with Hepatitis ACT, CAHMA produced “How To” guides for both clients and their GPs. CAHMA has advocated at all outreach events and strongly encouraged Hep C positive clients to consider treatment.

The Fix (Peer Education program)The Fix is a series of 8 formalised peer education workshops developed and delivered by CAHMA’s peer education worker, Peter Parkes. The program aims to educate a cadre of peers to become peer educators themselves. CAHMA has deliberately targeted communities and housing estates where there is a demonstrably high level of illicit and injecting drug use as well as high levels of poverty and social disengagement. Each workshop in the program runs for about an hour and they are typically held fortnightly. Trainees are financially compensated for their time.

Over the latter half of 2016, The Fix was conducted concurrently at two locations: Ainslie Village supported accommodation facility and Stuart Flats Government housing estate. Each program had 8 trainees who undertook to attend each of the training workshops and attendance rates at each workshop were invariably close to 100%. All trainees completed the program successfully.

Since July 2017 CAHMA has been holding fortnightly BBQs in partnership with Directions at Ainslie Village. CAHMA provides two peer workers to cook and to conduct impromptu peer education with participants and Directions provides a nurse to conduct health assessments and blood tests for people in attendance. Around 175 people come each fortnight to the BBQ and stay to talk about their health and wellbeing with the team. CAHMA has also offered naloxone training to BBQ attendees and has used the BBQ to promote hep C treatment at Interchange General Practice and The Liver Clinic.

Part of peer education is consulting with the community to find out what issues are affecting the local community. CAHMA has just finished a series of four community consultations in the Belconnen area, each evaluating the experiences of twelve people with the AOD services in the north side of Canberra. These consultations are being advertised throughout the community housing complexes around central Belconnen. The consultations offer to pay participants for their

time and knowledge and were run over four afternoons throughout September and early October. The consultations aim to ascertain the level and quality of services available to the illicit drug using community in Belconnen and surrounding areas, as well as asking what further services clients would like to see, what services CAHMA could realistically provide, what the level of NSP provision and pharmacotherapy service provision is in the area (as well as how well it is accessed and why), and how we might better serve this community and how the community itself could be developed. Outcomes from the consultations suggest that CAHMA’s focus in the northside will be on access to NSP and pharmacotherapy services as there is currently no primary NSP and no public dosing points on the north side of Canberra.

The ConnectionThe Connection is currently entering a new phase. We will soon be hiring a second Aboriginal Peer AOD Worker. Additionally, The Connection will be holding consultations with community stakeholders and service clients to discuss how we can best meet the needs and expectations of the indigenous community on the north side of Canberra. About 34% of CAHMA’s recorded occasions of service involve Aboriginal clients and having an Aboriginal-focussed, non-judgemental drug and alcohol service in The Connection is evidently very important to these clients.


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Over the course of the year, The Connection held seven separate workshops for Aboriginal clients:

• 2 workshops on viral hepatitis (in conjunction with HepACT)

• 2 workshops on managing methamphetamine use

• 1 workshop on “Closing the Gap”

• 2 workshops on Harm Reduction around injecting drug use

A total of 71 service clients attended the workshops.

The official opening of CAHMA’s new office had a very strong Aboriginal focus with a smoking ceremony, a welcome to country from Aunty Agnes Shea, and a strong attendance from elders from the Canberra Aboriginal community.

Naloxone ProgramOver the course of the 2016/17 financial year, CAHMA delivered the Opioid Overdose Prevention and Management training workshop on 20 occasions with a total of 175 trainees. 7 training workshops were held at the Toora/WIREDD training room at the Griffin Centre in Canberra City, 5 were held at the former CAHMA office, 4 were held at the Uniting Early Morning Centre in Canberra City and 1 workshop each was held at Directions in Phillip, Stuart Flats in Griffith, Ainslie Village in Campbell and the Griffin Centre in Civic. The workshops held at the Toora/WIREDD training room are part of an ongoing arrangement

with Toora to deliver at least five training workshops each year to clients of Toora’s drug recovery and domestic violence protection programs.

Of the 175 trainees who attended training workshops throughout the year, 108 were attending for the first time. The remaining 67 had attended Overdose Prevention and Management training on at least one occasion in the past.

For the past year CAHMA has been providing Naloxone Brief Interventions to service clients for whom the Opioid Overdose Prevention and Management program is inconvenient or unsuitable. Naloxone Brief Interventions are generally delivered as a one-on-one training intervention of about 15 minutes’ duration where the trainee is instructed in how to recognise the symptoms of opioid overdose and how to administer naloxone to reverse overdoses. Unlike the Opioid Overdose Prevention and Management workshops, there is only a minimal focus on other resuscitation techniques used in overdoses such as rescue breathing and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Brief intervention clients who want a better grasp of appropriate resuscitation techniques are referred to attend the longer training workshop. Brief intervention trainees are provided with identical naloxone kits to Opioid Overdose Prevention and Management trainees.

The naloxone provided to brief intervention clients is purchased over-the-counter from a community pharmacy, as opposed to trainees

of the longer training program who are prescribed naloxone by a General Practitioner.

Over the 2016/17 financial year, CAHMA delivered 80 Naloxone Brief Interventions. Of these, 49 clients received Naloxone from CAHMA for the first time. The remaining 31 had received training and naloxone from CAHMA at least once in the past.

CAHMA has developed a train-the-trainer program, targeted towards employees of the Alcohol and Other Drug sector in the ACT. The purpose of the program is to enable AOD workers outside CAHMA to provide the same Naloxone Brief Interventions to their clients as we do at CAHMA. This accords with ACT Government policy in expanding access to Naloxone for Canberra’s opioid-using community. CAHMA also delivers Opioid Overdose Prevention and Management training to employees of the AOD sector on request.

Through the provision of Opioid Overdose Prevention and Management training and Naloxone Brief Interventions, CAHMA has also been able to provide other services and interventions for program trainees which helps to improve the level of engagement between illicit drug users and general and specialised health services.

CAHMA would like to take the opportunity to thank the community for all of its support during the year and we wish all of you a fantastic Christmas and a productive and happy 2018.


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This year at NUAA has been one of consolidation of our existing programs and growth into new areas. We are working in an exciting era for people who use drugs in NSW. The funding of hepatitis C treatment has resulted in increased energy around making treatment accessible for everyone with interest and energy addressing the long term problem of stigma and discrimination faced by people who use drugs. The multiple agencies that impact our lives are starting to work together and NUAA is playing a role through consultation and advice as well as innovative program delivery such as the “Buddy Program” which has delivered hepatitis C treatment to over 34 peers via the NSP.

We are extremely proud of some of our achievements including

• Three successive NSP surveys demonstrating that people accessing the peer-led NUAA Needle and Syringe Program have safer injecting practices and are twice as likely to have had hepatitis C treatment than comparable programs

• Our publications breaking new ground including innovative User’s News editions including the Treatment and Poster editions as well as a new publication, Insider’s News that is produced in partnership with the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network and Corrective Services NSW

• An innovative new Peer Link model that was designed and delivered with local partners including the Moree Shire Council, Pius X and Hunter New England LHD

• An expanded volunteer program with more training and support for NUAA volunteers than ever before including Workforce Development Orders, Food Bank and a range of training by experienced NUAA trainers and external partners

We’ve also secured funding to work in new areas including DanceWize – a festival harm reduction intervention that will work in partnership with Harm Reduction Victoria, ACON, DPMP and NSW Health and exciting partnerships with Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, the Kirby Institute, South Western Sydney Local Health District, South Eastern Sydney LHD and the Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies.

We’ve said good bye to some long-term and treasured staff members including Andrew Trist and Fiona Poeder and welcomed new faces including Andy Heslop, Derek Nicholls, Jade Christian, Melanie Joyce, Sally Cushing, Dan Burns and Jessie Murray into our growing, vibrant team.

Mary Ellen Harrod NUAA CEO

NUAA State/Territory: New South Wales

NUAAMembership Level: Level 2

State/Territory: New South Wales

Organisational Status and change

NUAA has undergone a transitional period in 2015 while retaining the knowledge and passion of our team of peers. The past year saw the departure in January of the much loved Chief Executive Officer, Nicky Bath, to a key role in the Ministry of Health and the arrival of Mary Ellen Harrod from the Kirby Institute. Other departures include Yvonne Roche and Andrew Herning from the Corporate Services team and Candice Gilford from the NSP. A restructure of the roles have allowed us to welcome the wonderful Paul Giblin as an Admin/membership officer who been invaluable in keeping the NSP running smoothly.

The volunteer program is very healthy with 21 people currently on the books and a number of volunteers taking on regular or occasional casual work including Laz Lordi who is now doing the layout for Users News and working on other resources for two days per week and Sara Adey who is doing a brilliant job with hepatitis C treatment support groups. We have also welcomed James Vernon, a former Peer Link Educator to a more formal role in Nepean Blue Mountains and Sydney LHDs and are hoping to soon be working with Jeffrey Wegener again in Consumer Engagement in South Western Sydney. In other news, long-term NUAA volunteer Maurice Giacche joined the Hepatitis NSW Board of Directors.

Edition Spring 2014 Summer 2015 Autumn 2015 Winter 2015

Theme HIV Holiday/Hep C Youth “ICE”

Copies Distributed 4,000 18,000 5,000 18,000

Features

PEP and PReP; Prisoners deserve

health care

Hep C Symptoms

and testing; nutrition and

jail

Where to get sterile

equipment, young stoned

and in love, festival guide

Tips for safer using, mixing

in baggies

NUAA Programs

NUAA is primarily funded via the NSW Ministry of Health to work on the Hepatitis C Strategy. Our performance indicators relate primarily to direct service delivery with a focus on prevention (NSP and peer education) with other work relating to Hep C treatment access and stigma and discrimination. We have also entered into meaningful partnerships with The Kirketon Road Centre, Positive Life, ACON, and Hepatitis NSW and are funded to work with several LHDs including Nepean Blue Mountains, Hunter New England, South West Sydney and Sydney LHDs. These projects support peer workers within the LHDs and have been challenging to get up and running. We’re hoping to expand our work in these areas now that we’ve worked through some of the bugs.

Resources

Our key education resource remains Users News. Leah McLeod has continued to lead UN as editor once

again producing four excellent editions. Our most recent ‘Parenting’ edition was laid out by Leah and Laz Lordi who was formerly a peer volunteer. The decision was taken to re-direct funding for external lay out and design to training and supporting Leah and Laz and we’re very pleased with the results and to have Laz on the team. 2015 also saw us switching from the JuMag format to an online version of Users News (www.usersnews.com.au) with visits to this website exceeding all previous traffic. We have now produced two online editions, the “Youth Edition” and “What Ice Issue” with the ‘Parenting’ issue our most recent publication. We have also produced a series of overdose cards and posters and have revived the “shoot clean” poster. Get in touch for copies.

The NUAA website is also due for a major re-structure with a new focus on the incredible NUAA community and a more easily navigated and engaging design. The work is being undertaken by Guru Orange, a company that includes former UN Editor Gideon Warhaft.

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NSP AIVL Report 2016 – 17 The Northern Territory AIDS & Hepatitis Council’s Needle and Syringe Program started the financial year in a climate of high achieving optimism. David Decolongon who started five months earlier as Harm Reduction Coordinator had focused on NSP staff morale and cohesion, leading by example and kicking goals as head of a unified team.

The Harm Reduction Coordinator working closely with our major funder, the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) unit of the CDC and the Harm Reduction Steering Committee had secured changes to the Authorisation of Classes of Persons to Supply Hypodermic Syringes and Needles under section 12 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The changes expand the number and class of people who can dispense needles and syringes from NT Hospitals and allows Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and other relevant bodies in the Northern Territory to dispense equipment. The changes also remove the restriction that NSPs can only distribute needles and syringes from their registered site location. This allows the NSP to look at outreach as a distribution method.

On World Hepatitis Day the NSP partnered with the SHBBV unit and our Communications team to operate a stall in the Smith St Mall supplying information to the public

on Hepatitis and the new HCV treatments, sexual health and NSP services. All NTAHC NSP staff put a huge effort into talking to people who use our NSPs on the AIVL Fix Hep C in 3, testing and treatment campaign for the week.

In August all NT NSP staff attended a planning day in Darwin where an AOD representative conducted a Train the Trainer course which authorises trained NSP staff to deliver brief interventions with any person who wishes to obtain a free Naloxone kit under NTAHC’s Naloxone Access Program. After the intervention the NSP staff member can then sign off and hand over a kit which is presented at participating Pharmacies. The Pharmacist places Naloxone ampoules pre purchased by NTAHC, in the kit. There are three participating Pharmacies in the NT; one each in Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs. The roll out of Naloxone in the NT was a bit of a win worthy of celebration!

On International Overdose Awareness Day NTAHC’s Harm Reduction Program hosted In Service presentations from NT AOD on Naloxone and accidental overdose prevention, and St Johns Ambulance on opioid and stimulant overdose response. NTAHC’s Naloxone Access Program was also launched to 21 stakeholders and 10 staff in attendance at NTAHC’s Darwin premises.

December 2016 saw the start of 24 hour access to sterile injecting equipment in the NT for the first

NTAHC State/Territory: Northern Territory

NTAHCMembership Level: Level 3 State/Territory: Northern Territory

NTAHC Harm Minimisation Program 2014-2015

The 2014-2015 financial year has been a difficult year for NTAHC’s Harm Minimisation Program but not at the expense of NSP service delivery. After the departure of the Harm Minimisation Manager (Damon Brogan) a review of staffing and supervision arrangements led to a new structure, overseen by the Deputy Director (Nfanwy Welsh started with NTAHC on 18th of June 2014). Since the departure of Damon, Nfanwy has taken on a caretaker role of the NT NSP program. Fortunately the previous Harm Minimisation Manager oversaw the creation and updating of new policies, procedures and working practices within the NSP before leaving and after development, these were signed off and implemented. The NSP team now consists of 9 people in the Top End (3.0 FTE) and a further 1.0 FTE in Alice Springs.

Fit Kits to Secondary OutletsThe NSP experienced a significant drop in the numbers of Fit Kits distributed to Pharmacies across the N.T. due to the influx of an inferior commercial brand of Fitpack. The NSP is working on ways of winning these Pharmacies back as we have received much negative feedback from NSP clients who have purchased these packs. While all this was taking place, services to people who inject drugs (PWID) have continued unabated, with the NSP team continuing to expand the reach of the program and maintain a high quality of service delivery.

The new NSP data collection system that was formulated and ratified by the NT NSP Review Working Group has continued to be the standard for collecting statistics and is used all over the NT from primary sites to secondary and CDC/clinic 34 sites also.

A total of 3475 fit kits were distributed to secondary NSP’s including 1090 in the Darwin and Palmerston area and 2385 in the Alice Spring s area. For Darwin and Palmerston this represents a drop of approximately 75% from previous years.

Across NTAHC’s Alice Springs, Palmerston and Darwin sites, the NSP distributed a total of 368,828 needle tips, 129,729 1 ml syringes and 13,620 winged infusion sets and 1,562 Fitkits were handed out through the NSP. The inclusion of Sterifilts for 1ml syringes and the 0.2 & 0.8 Wheel Filters brought the total number of sterile filters distributed to 14,343. Which means we have once again supplied enough sterile equipment for over half a million safe injections!

DisposalsOn the safe disposal side, 3,492 sharps containers were handed out and an estimated 588,560 syringes & barrels were returned to NTAHC for safe disposal (this number is based on a formula for estimating the contents of a 240lt sharps disposal bin). Another 824 sharps were disposed of in and around the Darwin CBD in Sharps Disposal Units provided by the DCC in council toilets and serviced by NTAHC staff.

Last Drug InjectedThe pattern of injecting drug use in the NT is almost unique amongst jurisdictions (with the exception being Tasmania), in having very little heroin use, but a relatively large amount of injecting prescribed opioid analgesic (POAs) pills. Our clients’ self-reporting of their last drug injected are summarised below:

Morphine 27%; Methamphetamine 44%; Methadone / buprenorphine 3%; Steroids and other Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIED) 10%; Other drug 4%. We noticed with the stats just mentioned that we have had an increase in the number of people reporting Amphetamines since the 12-13 year (up 7%) as the last drug injected. Although this figure may seem to indicate there are more people using Amphetamines, it is a misleading percentage, as Ice users tend to pick up smaller amounts of equipment and present more often than Morphine users, who pick up in bulk each visit. The NSP statistical summary is based upon Occasions of Service.

[All figures from July 2014 to June 2015 report].

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time. The start of the 12 month trial of Afterhours Dispensing Units (ADU) was the result of many hours of lobbying and submissions over several years. A grant of $60,000 from the SHBBV unit supplied the momentum to gain final approval for the trial.

The units use tokens instead of cash to try and reduce damage to the machines caused by people trying to access cash. Two of the units are located outside the NSPs in Darwin and Palmerston and one is located outside the Emergency Department of Alice Springs Hospital. The units dispense 1ml and 3ml kits. Tokens are available from each NSP, Clinic 34 and the Hospital ED in Alice Springs and Clinic 34 in Darwin. A Pharmacy near the NSP in Palmerston also hands out tokens. A token is also placed in each Fitpack to be dispensed.

It’s interesting to note that people continue to prefer our primary outlets with over 95% of equipment dispensed face to face. Of course, this provides staff the opportunity to build relationships with the people who use our NSPs and have conversations about a range of health issues including BBV prevention, testing and treatment, safe injecting, vein care.

ADUs offer a much needed way for people to access equipment when primary outlets are closed. They also offer the opportunity to expand access to injecting equipment in rural and remote areas and NTAHC will continue to lobby the government to increase

access to injecting equipment in remote areas of the NT through the roll out of ADUs.

NTAHC’s NSPs in Darwin and Alice Springs put on a free BBQ for people who use our NSPs, stakeholders and staff on International Drug Users Day. A purposeful excess of food was purchased so that people could take some food home.

The Harm Reduction Coordinator and the Senior Policy Advisor from SHBBV collaborated to provide training to secondary NSP staff across the NT via teleconferencing or in person at Katherine Hospital.

They also did a presentation to the Wurli-Wurlijang Board with staff from the SWOP program and Care and Support on the benefits of establishing an NSP in Katherine.

In early May the Harm Reduction program hosted Susan Caruthers from WASUA to conduct interviews with NSP clients to inform an AIVL project to develop national guidelines for best practice in NSPs. The program also hosted the Illicit Drug Reporting System survey for the last two weeks of June. Two NTAHC staff worked as interviewers for the survey.

Our Executive Director resigned in March creating a period of uncertainty while a new ED was recruited. In July Kerrie Jordan started as our new Executive Director. Kerrie has a strong background in policy analysis, viral hepatitis and harm reduction. She has worked in both large and small

jurisdictions having managed Tasmania’s Hepatitis Prevention Program and Sydney Local Health District’s Harm Reduction program, with primary NSP outlets in Redfern, Marrickville and Canterbury and a primary health clinic in Redfern for people who inject drugs. She was instrumental in forming a service user advisory group to make the service more responsive to the people who use it and establishing a pathway into hepatitis C treatment in the NSP setting. Kerrie has lived experience in injecting drug use and has a strong commitment to providing quality services to, advocating for, people who use drugs. Kerrie has also worked for Scarlet Alliance and sat on their Board. It’s great having a peer to lead our organisation. We all look forward to advancing the work of NTAHC into the future under her leadership.

Many thanks go to Paul Dawson and Paul Turner who acted in the role of Executive Director while the recruitment process was underway.

Its been a big year for NTAHC’s NSP and we are all proud of the Program’s achievements.


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QuIHN Annual Report to AIVL 2017QuIHN has also had an incredibly demanding and positive year. Alongside existing regional sites at Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Cairns; QuIHN recently opened a new office based at Redlands and Moreton Bay Islands. Funding has allowed QuIHN to have a significant focus on providing outreach and increasing access across all of those sites. Outreach is also provided around Gympie and the Northern and Southern corridors. QuIHN’s main funding streams have all been refunded for the coming years, which is great news for staff and service users!

Harm Reduction teams are busy with NSP service provision and the Treatment and Management Program; a hepatitis C treatment program for people who inject drugs, managed collaboratively between the Harm Reduction Team and QuIHN’s Better Access Medical Clinic. Outcomes from the program so far were presented at Australasian Viral Hepatitis Elimination Conference (AVHEC 2017). Across all QuIHN regions 350 people have undergone treatment since the commencement of DAA.

The Treatment teams across the regions have experienced significant growth and change this past year. Dual Diagnosis Therapists and Case Workers continue to provide vital counselling services to our client group, and therapeutic and psycho-educational groups are facilitated

across the state throughout the year, including

• Mud Maps – weekly open group for people making or contemplating changes to their drug use

• MAISE – 8 week mental health and substance use skill building and education program

• Treehouse Parenting Group – 10 week program enhancing positive parenting skills for people experiencing the effects of MH and AOD concerns on parenting

• Significant Other Support – workshops to support significant others of people who use substances

Methamphetamine, cannabis and heroin are the principle drugs of choice used by people accessing our range of therapeutic services. Over the last couple of years QuIHN’s AOD program funding has allowed us to work with people who identify alcohol as their primary substance, meaning that alcohol is also one of the more commonly reported substances.

QuIHN’s Better Access Medical Clinic operates from Brisbane and Gold Coast office and alongside HCV, sexual health and mental health care service, GP’s are now providing opioid treatment prescribing. QuIHN also offers fibroscans at Sunshine Coast through our nurse practitioner led outreach clinic.

Overall it has been a successful year, with increased demand on services across the board.

QuIHN State/Territory: Queensland

QUIHNMembership Level: Level 1 State/Territory: Queensland

Vision

To provide high quality innovative services that empower, include and support people at any stage of their drug use.

Purpose

To deliver specialist services relating to the illicit use of drugs by responding to the diverse needs of clients and the wider community in Queensland.

Services we provide

QuIHN provides medical services, needle syringe programs, counselling, support services, distribution of information, education and training, workforce development initiatives, life skills programs and services that relate to illicit drug use, HIV, viral hepatitis, sexual health and other psychological and physical health issues among our target groups. In particular, QuIHN provides the following types of primary care and population health programs:

This year has been busy for QuIHN due to new funding received from the QLD State Government. For the first time QuIHN has received funding from the ATOD’s branch to delivery outreach counselling services on the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Cairns regions. We have also received new funding from the QLD BBV/STI prevention branch to develop a program that supports PWID to access Hepatitis C treatment, and support these clients with caseworkers to complete the treatments. This project has been delivered from our Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Townsville sites. Lastly we have been commissioned to establish a Needle Syringe Program (NSP) from Townsville. This has been difficult due to the lack of appropriate sites available in Townsville, we hope to have a fixed site NSP operating within the coming twelve months.

We have also continued to grow our medical centre, Better Access, and have recently employed a second General Practitioner (GP) in Brisbane. We are negotiating with our new GP to facilitate a weekly session from our Gold Coast office starting in January

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QuIVAA Annual Report for AIVL 2017QuIVAA has had a busy year. We were lucky enough to receive some funding from the QLD Mental Health Commission – Stronger Communities Grant. This grant allowed us to develop an online engagement project to connect with people who use drugs across the state as well as hire our first staff member in 5 years; a part time Social Media Engagement Officer. The online engagement has allowed QuIVAA to market and grow our membership and has resulted in almost 1000 likes. Thanks to a grant from QuIHN, QuIVAA will be continuing this project for the next 12 months.

In addition to this QuIHN has also provided QuIVAA some additional funding to develop a Peer Representation Project, allowing us to hire another part time staff member to develop engagement training and recruit and train PWUD to fulfil engagement and representation roles. QuIVAA would like to take this opportunity to thank the QMHC and QuIHN for their support.

QuIVAA’s other activities this year have been representation and consultation, and advocating for people who use drugs across QLD in a range of different forums. QuIVAA has continued to be regularly sought after for its engagement and representation of its community through the following committees, reference groups and advisory functions across QLD:

• QLD Mental Health & AOD Clinical Network (QLD Health)

• QLD AOD Reference Group (QMHC)

• AOD Outcomes Framework (QNADA)

• Project Advisory Group - Stigma & Discrimination Project (QMHC)

• QLD AOD Partnership Group (Brisbane North PHN)

• Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) Guidelines Development Advisory Group

Last but obviously not least QuIVAA would like to thank the AIVL team and the national network for their continued support through the year.

QuIVAA State/Territory: Queensland

QUIVAAMembership Level: Level 2 State/Territory: Queensland

The QLD Injectors Voice for Advocacy & Action (QuIVAA) is QLDs drug user

organisation focusing on awareness and

advocacy around issues affecting

people who use illicit drugs across QLD.

Based in Brisbane at the QuIHN Head office, QuIVAA currently has 6 Board Members and operates as a Board of Governance – QuIVAA currently has no staff or service delivery programs. We operate as an advocacy and drug user representation organization only. QuIVAA owns QuIHN - our largest asset - who provide the service delivery programs such as NSP, HCV treatment support, counselling, groups and clinical / medical services across 5 sites including Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Cairns and Townsville.

Over the last 12 months QuIVAA has continued to work towards amalgamating with SCIVAA (Sunshine Coast Intravenous AIDS Association). SCIVAA is our sister organization and has operated in the Sunshine Coast area representing people who use drugs in that area. For a range of reasons, SCIVAA requested amalgamation with QuIVAA as a more viable option, and will have a seat on the QuIVAA & QUIHN Boards specifically for a Sunshine Coast representative. With SCIVAA will joining forces with QuIVAA, QUIVAA is currently exploring and developing a Chapter Model- meaning that should active groups of drug users develop in other QLD regional and rural areas, those groups can become regional chapters of QuIVAA, if they chose to do so. This would allow them to benefit from our name, expertise and resources. There is still much to explore and organize in relation to this, and with our limited capacity and resources this has been our focus for most of 2015.

QuIVAA has an active and growing Facebook group with approximately 86 members- highlighting and discussing key issues for our community. As we have minimal resources and capacity, Facebook has continued to be a good platform to promote QuIVAA membership, events and issues that impact people who use drugs in QLD.

As always, we have collaborated closely with QuIHN, primarily with the Health Promotion teams, collaborating on a number of community events, such as Hep C Awareness Week, World AIDS Day and Overdose Awareness Day to name but a few. QuIHN continues to support QuIVAA with a range of projects and resources. In 2015, QuIVAA and QuIHN held regular combined board meetings, in an effort to work more collaboratively and develop mutually beneficial projects. We are currently exploring opportunities for a peer based project.

This year, QuIVAA has been involved in many activities representing the voice of people who use drugs, including but not limited to National Drug Strategy consultations, Consumer Health Forums, the development of the QLD Drug Action Plan, Opiate Treatment Access in QLD Prisons Forum, and providing training and workshops on best practice drug user/consumer engagement. We have also held position on the QNADA Board.

Thanks must go to QuIHN for all their support of QuIVAA over the last year and of course to AIVL for their continued advocacy and representation on key issues for our community- people who use drugs across QLD will have benefited from AIVL’s work and passion.

I would like to thank the QuIVAA Board for their efforts and energy throughout the year and look forward to embarking on some exciting projects with QuIVAA throughout 2016!

Niki Parry President

36


26

The CNP Peer Project team is a project of Hepatitis SA, we follow the Harm Reduction model by delivering services to people who inject drugs through Clean Needle Programs (NSPs), using peer educators throughout the team.

It has been another busy year, with our team delivering far more outcomes than our funding requires outside of direct service delivery, by responding to community trends and needs, including providing consultation and also training to workforce and community.

Our team is staffed completely by peers, consisting of a Coordinator, Project Officer and eleven Peer Educators, of which three are casual.

Peers provide direct client harm reduction services through CNP sites that are co-located with agencies that provide general health services to priority population groups such as people who inject drugs, youth, CALD, homeless and Aboriginal communities. There are three fixed CNP sites which are staffed full time by Peer Educators at Wonggangga Turtpandi (Western Aboriginal Health Service), GP Plus Noarlunga (Southern Service) and Salisbury Anglicare (Northern Service), covering the outer metropolitan regions of Adelaide.

In addition to the fixed sites, Peer Educators also provide services at other high volume CNPs in order to reach a broader cross section of the community by being placed there part time of regular days, generally one full day per week. This project and the sites are referred to as Sessional Sites. Sites that engaged in this project during the reporting period are Streetlink Youth Services (CBD), Mission Australia Hindmarsh (Mental Health, Homelessness and AOD service in outskirts of the CBD), Nunkuwarrin Yunti (Aboriginal Health in CBD), Northern DASSA (Government AOD service in the far north metro) and Drug Arm (mid southern AOD service).

Client contacts were 15,844 for the fixed sites and 3,121 for the sessional sites, a slight increase from the previous year. Trends through the period were:

• New client contacts increased of average 25% across all sites; Mission Australia was as high as 58% increase.

• Peer distribution is an average of 2.5 peers reached for each client contact

• Increase in ATSI clients, average of 3%, Western site has the highest amongst of contacts of 15.5%

Hepatitis SA CNP State/Territory: South Australia


27

• Overall drug trends were about the same, even PIEDs, as they dropped slightly at some sites, but increased at others. Amphetamines still remain the most commonly used drug, at about 60%.

• Pharmaceutical opiate use has dropped since the previous year. Mostly believed to be due to the decrease in availability and the vast improvement in heroin quality over the last 12 months.

• Terumo 1ml use dropped off significantly. We decided not to stock the new equipment due to complaints/faults reported. This will be reviewed in the coming reporting period.

We continue to provide a rural distribution program for those clients who do not have access in their region, or require a range of equipment not available at their closest site. As most regional services only provide 1ml syringes, many rural orders are for barrels, wings and wheel filters. Equipment is delivered by coach freight or Australia Post.

In the past year the team have produced another two resources to support our overdose awareness campaigns and alternatives to injecting. Wallet cards ‘DRS ABC’ were produced to be provided as a stand alone or with brief intervention for administering Naloxone and how best to respond to an opioid overdose, using CPR and administering Naloxone. The other resource produced was ‘Eat, Shaft, Smoke: Alternative to Injecting’ which is a harm reduction initiative to reduce BBV transmission and injecting related harm. Offering alternatives to injecting, this can also be used for those having difficulty accessing veins.

Although not funded, we also provide training for both workforce and community. Of which there were almost 40 sessions total. These are delivered to a range of groups, including University students, Aboriginal health workers, clean needle program staff, prison staff, offenders and GPs (including MATOD prescribers). Sessions cover a wide range of topics including equipment use, BBV prevention, performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs), methamphetamine, overdose awareness and response, how to engage with people who inject drugs (PWIDs), common health issues experienced by PWIDs, ways to reduce injecting related harms and all topics included stigma and discrimination awareness.

This year we commenced clinical services at 4 of our sites, working collaboratively with the Viral Hepatitis Nurses to provide Hepatitis C treatment within the CNP service, as a ‘one-stop-shop’. This was promoted by using fibroscans as an engagement tool, whereby clients could come in and have a scan completed and then ask questions about treatment whilst there. Referrals are also provided to pathology labs for blood work upon request. This project has worked very well at some sites, and struggled at others. This seems mostly due to promotion and understanding of the process as a whole, however sometimes it is also based on the culture of the CNP site itself. For example if clients come in and out quickly with little engagement, it is more difficult to book them in for a consultation with the nurse. Since starting in August last year, there have been over 60 clients who have had fibroscans, with about 10 commencing treatment from engaging with the clinic. This has been an effective method to engage individuals in liver health and providing treatment outside of the traditional streams of a GP or hospital setting. The CNP seems a far easier point of access for our community, making easier navigation, access and a friendly service delivery.


28

SA has a number of vending machines collocated to CNPs. They have previously been problematic at some sites due to repeated vandalism. Since this has been reviewed and some changes made such as changing some automated machines to manual, putting up metal cages and installing sensor lights etc. Much of the vandalism has diminished. Hepatitis SA’s head office at Hackney is having a machine installed to commence November 2017.

The program is now in its fourth reporting period with Hepatitis SA. It is running smoothly and is highly effective. We continue to raise awareness of issues affecting the injecting community, including stigma and discrimination. Promotion of our service is a key part of that, which we do not only through the placement of peers within other services, but also being involved in events and submissions and consultation groups wherever possible. Since having the Sessional Peer Project, understanding and knowledge of what peer education is amongst the sector workers has increased significantly. Thereby also raising the level of respect for peer educators as being extremely knowledgeable and ‘experts in their field’.

We look forward to another successful year ahead.


29

Hi to all,

This year has been busy for TUHSL. Again for our fourth year as an incorporated organization, we are still being led by people with real life experience of illicit and legal substance use and opioid substitution therapy here in Tasmania. TUHSL still remains the peak consumer representative body in Tasmania for matters in relation to substance use. Our organisation still runs purely on a volunteer basis with no funding yet from state or federal government, even though just recently we were granted a small grant from Primary Health Tasmania to fund TUHSL to find and train up a new and strong board by putting current and prospective members through a professional governance training course which will put all current and new members on the same page with experience on how a board and organization are conducted. This is a very important win for TUHSL as we now understand what we are required to know and show to the powers that be to obtain further grants in the near future. The TUHSL board is also currently working towards taking on a CEO to greatly assist our organization in getting extra experience and keeping direction in what we as an organisation need to show to be accepted by government and other groups that we work with. This last year we have grown as a group in understanding what is needed to be a respected organisation, so

that we have a greater chance of achieving the goals that our base membership expects from its drug user representatives.

Meanwhile, this year TUHSL’s advocacy has been prolific. Among other things, we requested that the state Alcohol & Drugs Service (ADS) undertake a review of take away dosing for clients of Tasmania’s Pharmacotherapy (Methadone and Suboxone) program. We have also been sitting on the ADS (OPAC) Opioid Pharmacotherapy Advisory Committee which has been giving us a chance to give consumers a voice in the review. We also have been attending (ADS) Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Expert Advisory Group meetings. There have been many cancelled meetings, but we stay engaged because VIC, NSW, QLD and SA are all moving forward with progressive policies and TUHSL wants the same for Tasmania. TUHSL was also involved in a Naloxone Overdose Prevention Training session sponsored by the Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council (ATDC). We are aware that the public and users of opiates need to be made aware and trained in the use of Naloxone and to have access to it so that in the case of overdose Naloxone can be administered easily by injection to temporarily reverse the effects of opiates, allowing users in overdose time to receive proper first aid from an ambulance or hospital. It is now only available by prescription, but

we are trying to make kits more readily available and then we can facilitate the training of users so opioid overdose fatalities should become far less common. We have also been engaging with the Methamphetamine Education and Training proposals currently being considered in Tasmania similar to the Dexedrine substitution program for persons addicted to crystal methamphetamine being trialled in Canberra. Also TUHSL has been sharing information about healthcare for users, especially the latest, very successful treatments for hepatitis C, which are heavily subsidised by the Commonwealth government. We have been finding though that many people that are effected here in Tasmania are still not sure where to obtain treatment, especially treatment that is not conducted through our hospitals for privacy reasons. Also finding doctors who have a knowledge of what tests and treatment are needed to be conducted. This is a brief list of the things that TUHSL has been doing through this year, for a group with no funding we have accomplished a great deal and have proven to other organisations around Tasmania that we are not going anywhere.

Warm Regards,

Mark Jones TUHSL President

TUHSL State/Territory: Tasmania


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Our Programs

It’s been a tumultuous 2016-17 financial year for HRVic.

Our mission is to provide a voice for Victorians who inject/use drugs and to address the health and social justice issues experienced by us.

We know that our community comes from a broad spectrum of society. We try to focus on the most vulnerable and marginalised in our community, who are at greatest risk of drug related harms, but we aim to engage with all members of our community on different levels.

By August 2016 we had a huge focus on the Parliamentary Drug Law Reform in Victoria. Along with the submission itself our Policy/Comms put together a successful Drug Law Reform event which was well attended with a fantastic range of speakers with Alison Ritter as MC.

Mala from the Netherlands had also joined DanceWize mid-2016 to assist with the upcoming festival season. With a background in Nursing he was a vital addition to the DanceWize team due to his knowledge and experience with pill testing in the European context (spectrometry pill testing).

By the end of 2016 we had new structures in place and aside from the busy DanceWize team who were in the middle of the festival event season, we broke for the Christmas/New Year break looking forward to 2017.

The new year saw a call to action for a MSIC – Medically Supervised Injecting Centre – in Victoria. This culminated in a parliamentary inquiry which we worked very hard at our submission and subsequent verbal effort in front of the Committee.

The overdose rate continues unabated, easily exceeding the road toll or national deaths by drowning but still the resistance to change.

The politicians continue to exhibit an outstanding lack of empathy, seemingly unable to relate on an emotional context or any level to the increasing rate of fatal overdose; the effect on the friends and family, community and the drug users themselves.

We continue to collaborate with key advocacy groups and organisations where we can, particularly in relation to collective media content and the parliamentary committee activities.

HRVIC State/Territory: Victoria

The Authentic Voice Of & For

Victorians Who Use Drugs

The Authentic Voice Of & For

Victorians Who Use Drugs

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Our Key AchievementsHealth Promotion Team

The team are working with the Burnet Institute in an exciting Eliminate Hep C partnership. The Peer Network Program continues to build and develop peers in advancing their skills and reach into wider PWID groups not only their networks. Over 70,000 pieces of injecting equipment were distributed during the year.

DanceWize

There were over 650 intense interventions completed by DanceWize for the year. Over half of these relate to an ATS (amphetamine type substance), mostly being MDMA and that cocaine use is on the rise. As well as dance party/festival events, DanceWize now attends ‘School Leavers Week’ (now referred to as ‘Good Times Great Breaks’ in Victoria) which targets young people with potential initiation to ice use or new initiates who have recently begun to experiment with ice. As part of new ICE funding, DanceWize now works in collaboration with Victorian Aids Council (VAC) at MSM

sex-on-premise events, with an awareness of chemsex ice use. All services delivered by the DanceWize program are done with an awareness that poly-drug use is an overarching trend; methamphetamine and its use does not exist within a vacuum. From June 2016-July 2017 DanceWize delivered its services at 23 music events/festivals.

DOPE (Drug Overdose Prevention Education) incl. Naloxone

Jane has exceeded performance measures once again with over 290 individuals trained in overdose prevention and/or including naloxone provision. Over 40 workshops as well.

Between December and February 2017, the Victorian Health Minister announced a suite of initiatives

Our FundingHarm Reduction Victoria are

primarily funded by the Victorian Government with some funding from

the Pharmacotherapy Area-based Networks in Victoria for the PAMS Pharmacotherapy Video Project.

Another successful festival season for DanceWize


32


and money to be made available for overdose prevention and the saving of lives. Part of the state investment included reducing overdose through education and awareness across six Victorian hotspots – North Richmond being one example. HRVic, in conjunction with APSU, have formed a partnership to oversee the development of peers – defined as persons with lived experience of drug use lifestyles – who will pay a vital role in reaching current PWID and preventing unnecessary fatal overdoses through harm reduction materials and education.

PAMS (Pharmacotherapy, Advocacy, Mediation & Support Service)

It’s been a huge year with many changes from a regulatory viewpoint and more to come.

The pharmacotherapy dosing changes regarding takeaways caused many issues for consumers. PAMS provided submission on the costs of pharmacy dosing fees which is a huge issue here in Victoria.

PAMS is developing a pharmcotherapy consumer resource for YouTube. There will be four short videos using consumers

voices on getting stabilised on pharmacotherapy, living life on pharmacotherapy, getting the right dose, working with doctors and pharmacists.

Communications

The Parliamentary issue (WHACK #35) was an outstanding success with heaps of requests for issues and it galvanised the Victorian harm reduction community through knowledge provision, how to write a parliamentary submission and stats and facts.

We followed that up with another bumper issue in the first quarter of 2017. WHACK continues to be the cornerstone of our resources and Sam Jones continues to make it funky informative and relevant with layouts that assist readership and content.

Written by C. Henderson on behalf of HRVic

Our 2016-17 STAFF 12 Full time, Part time and Casual Staff

Executive Officer Jenny Kelsall

Programs Manager Charles Henderson

Health Promotion Jane Dicka Samantha Jones Hunter Morgan

DanceWize Stephanie Tzanetis

PAMS Leora Robertson Sarah Lord

Communications & Policy Tamara Speed Samantha Jones

Administration Lily Fraser

T H E PA R L I A M E N TA R Y I N Q U I R Y S P E C I A L E D I T I O NS P R I N G 2 0 1 6

WHACKWA S H YO U R H A N D S A N D B E N I C E T O E A C H O T H E R

The InquiryN O T F O R G E N E R A L C O N S U M P T I O N O R I N D I V I D U A L S A L E

WHACK35_LYOT.indd 1

11-Oct-16 4:40:55 PM

HRVic at the Victorian Hepatitis C Strategy Launch HRVic’s Overdose Day 2016 memorial mural in Union Lane Melbourne

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Needle & Syringe Distribution 2015/2016

Naloxone

WASUA State/Territory: Western Australia

WASUAMembership Level: Level 1

State/Territory: Western Australia

Service Overview

The Western Australian Substance Users Association (WASUA) is the only state-wide, peer based, drug user organisation in WA. WASUA is funded by the Department of Health WA and the Mental Health Commission WA to deliver a range of health and harm reduction services to people who use drugs in WA.

WASUA is governed by an elected Committee of Management (COM) with representation from key stakeholders. The COM is responsible for the overall strategic objectives as well as legal and financial responsibility. Day to day operations at WASUA is overseen by the Chief Executive Officer.

WASUA consists of four teams: Perth Fixed site NSEP and health team; Outreach team; South West fixed site and mobile NSEP and the Administration team. The teams are managed by three Coordinators and along with the CEO form the management team at WASUA.

In addition to the Coordinator, the Outreach team is comprised of three workers, Youth worker, Aboriginal Community Engagement (ACE) worker and the Peer Education worker. The

peer education worker runs the Overdose Prevention and Management Peer-Education Project (OPAM) and the Peer Naloxone Project. In the last year the Peer Naloxone Project has trained 111 community members and AOD staff, prescribed Narcan to 96 community members and 17 community members have received 33 repeat prescriptions. The Project has expanded in the last year and now runs quarterly training in Fremantle and runs three sessions per year in both Bunbury & Mandurah. There has also been an increase in participation by community workers which has enabled those workers to better promote the Peer Naloxone Project to their clients. The movement within the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regarding the rescheduling of Narcan is exciting going forward and will enable more opportunistic training in the community. The ACE worker targets Aboriginal IDU’s with services mostly provided via outreach. The service aims to increase NSEP & harm reduction services to Aboriginal people as well as increase the capacity of other agencies to work more effectively with this group. The Youth worker works in partnership with Youth Agencies and facilitates case management youth accessing WASUA’s services.

In addition to the Coordinator, the Fixed Site NSEP and health team consists of six part time workers, two dedicated NSEP workers and a Community Development worker. The NSEP team also has responsibility for the safe

disposal program. In addition to this there is a rotating NSEP roster of other team members as well as volunteers and students. NSEP services include the distribution of sterile injecting equipment, harm reduction and peer education including safer injecting, safe disposal, steroid information and community education. This team also includes the Hepatitis C Educator, the Opioid Replacement Pharmacotherapy and Advocacy & Complaints Service (ORPACS) and a part time Nurse. The nurse provides a Health Clinic for Blood Borne Viruses (BBV) & Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing, Hepatitis A & B vaccinations, general health information and referral.

In addition to the Coordinator, the South West team has three workers and a team of volunteers and students. The Southwest service includes the fixed site NSEP in Bunbury, a mobile NSEP which provides services to regional areas in the South West, a Health Clinic providing BBV & STI testing and Hep A and B vaccinations, an Outreach service and community education and development.

WASUA is an accredited organisation against the Standard on Culturally Secure Practice: AOD sector. This is an internationally recognised Accreditation Standard under JAS/ANZ. WASUA participated in a surveillance audit as part of the accreditation cycle in September 2015 and maintained its accredited status.

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Perth NSEP (68.06%) Mail Order (0.52%) Perth Outreach (9.42%)

Southwest Mobile NSEP (5.24%) Bunbury NSEP (15.71%)

Southwest Outreach (1.05%)

130000010000

180000

100000

30000020000

1,900,000 overall distribution

Training Sessions Participants

13

82

69

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Naloxone Training

Naloxone Prescribed

RELOCATED TO:

Suite 22, 7 Aberdeen Street, Perth, WA, 6000

(08) 9325 8387

www.wasua.com.au Email: [email protected]

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Consumer Demographics

Volunteer Recruitment

WASUA Health Clinic

Patient Contacts

HCV Treatment Program

Client Interactions New Female <26 yrs

26-40 yrs 40> yrs ATSI

4500

1000

14500

14,500 overall consumer interactions

10001500

65007000

OPAM Peer Educators

Southwest Volunteers Volunteers Employed

Perth NSEP Volunteers

11

15

9

4

Num

ber

of

0 5 10 15

New Patients

July to Dec 2.. Jan to June 2..

Num

ber

of

Returning Patients

75

191

106

239

050

100150200250300350

Number Completed Treatment (92.31)

Number Still in Treatment (7.69%)

24

2

35

HCV treatment available FREE at WASUA• WASUA and University of

WA are currently undertaking a collaborative project to answer the question: ‘does treating chronic HCV infection influence WASUA health clinic client-engagement and change injecting risk behaviours’

• The project will evaluate WASUA’s new client-centred, community based, multidisciplinary primary care model, offering HCV pharmaceutical treatment and follow-up care to clients living with and affected by chronic HCV

Surveys• WASUA regularly surveys

consumers on a variety of issues in order to develop and target services, programs and health promotion activities to more effectively meet the needs of consumers

• WASUA uses the information collected from consumers to guide service delivery and inform decision making processes at all levels of the organisation

Participants reporting reuse of equipment in WASUA’s annual consumer satisfaction survey

Australian National NSP ‘Finger Prick’ Survey

CEO ReportSince relocating to new premises in June 2016, it has been a busy and exciting year for WASUA.

From July 2016 to June 2017, WASUA’s NSEP services distributed over 1.9m needles and syringes through over 14k contacts with consumers. A change in demographics at the new location has seen ATSI consumers increase to 10%.

During this period, WASUA’s overdose programs trained 82 people in how to recognise and re spond to an opiate overdose, with 69 consumers being prescribed naloxone.

WASUA’s volunteer programs recruited and trained 35 new volunteers during this period. Four of these volunteers have since been employed in paid roles with WASUA as NSEP workers.

WASUA’s health clinic continues to provide testing for BBV’s and STI’s in addition to vaccinations for HAV and HBV, vein care and would dressings. The clinical services have developed this year and now also include PAP smears and prescribing for naloxone and antibiotics, in addition to the exciting community model pilot delivering free HCV treatments to consumers.

2016

28%

56%

53%

2015

2014

28

56

53

2014 2015 2016 2017

93156

277344

050

100150200250300350

Number of WASUA Participants


36


WASUA has targeted health promotion activities towards reducing levels of re-use of equipment in the community and has seen a reduction of 50% in consumers reporting re-using their own equipment as a result.

WASUA has seen participation in the annual ‘Australian NSP Survey’ increase year on year and at the time of writing this report participation in this years survey by WASUA consumers reached 344.

In this financial year WASUA continued to receive it’s core funding from the Sexual Health & Blood Borne Virus Program of the WA Department of Health, to provide services to people who inject drugs to reduce transmission of blood borne virus.

WASUA received generous grants from Lotterywest this year to fund the fit out of the new premises and to fund an IT upgrade.

The WA Mental Health Commission continues to fund WASUA’s overdose programs. WASUA has also secured a grant from the WA Primary Health Alliance to fund a project to support collaboration between AOD agencies in the Southwest.

WASUA achieved re-certification against the ‘Standards on Culturally Secure Practice’ developed by WANADA and the WA AOD sector.

WASUA continues to support the activities of AIVL and has been involved in the development of an NSP ‘Best Practice Guide,’ delivering the new BBV and Peer Education training modules in Perth, Bunbury and Kalgoorlie and distributing the new ‘Hep C & You booklets’ in WA.

WASUA is proud to be both a member of the WA Network of Alcohol & Drug Agencies and a

Level 1 member of the Australian Illicit & Injecting Drug Users

League

Government of Western Australia Department of Healith

Western Aust raUan N1et work of A hol & other Drug Agencies

EFERRAL, HEALTH - "lUNFORUSE

T REFER !ANGE,

WAPHA WA Pnmary Health Alliance

Government of Western Australia Mental Health Commission




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WASUA would like to thank WA Department of Health, Lotterywest, WAPHA and MHC for their continued funding and support

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFor the Year Ended 30 June 2017

ABN: 20 467 449 392

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www.aivl.org.au

AIVL - Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League ... About AIVL 3 AIVL’s Aims and...

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