FACING THE CHALLENGE
Families, Children, Alcohol and Drugs
29 & 30 October 2007, Manly NSW
NADA Conference Report
This year’s conference program was developed in partnership with NSW Department of Community Services (DOCS). The two day conference showcased the innovative work being achieved throughout the NADA membership and DOCS in key topic areas including the impact of alcohol and other drug use on parenting and child development, and best practice in interventions with families. The conference provided a valuable opportunity for the non government alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector to develop and strengthen their relationship with DOCS and raised the profile of the need for family inclusive practice throughout the AOD sector. Networking, information sharing and constructive debate, as always, were crucial components to the success of the 2007 NADA conference.
Participation at this year’s conference was the highest yet attracting over 170 persons. Over 55 AOD agencies were represented from all over NSW with 7 interstate participants representing Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT. DOCS were highly represented with over 30 participants from varying service streams including Intensive Support Services, Community Service Centres, the DOCS Helpline and the Drug and Alcohol Expertise Unit. Representatives from NSW Health Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office also attended and presented during a plenary session.
The conference received media coverage on 2UE and ABC radio.
NADA would like to thank NSW Health and the Department of Community Services for their conference sponsorship.
To access available conference papers as a PDF document, please click on the session name highlighted below:
KEY NOTE SPEAKERS IN PLENARY AND PRESENTATION SESSIONS
Plenary Session 1. Impact of AOD use on parenting and child safety: Commitment of DoCS, NADA and NSW Health.
Anne Campbell, ED Operations Development NSW DOCS
Larry Pierce, CEO, NADA
Chris Shipway, Associate Director, MHDAO, NSW Health
Plenary Session 2. Focus on Alcohol and its Impact on the Family
DoCS’s Shifting Focus Towards Alcohol. Lyn Stoker, Drug and Alcohol Expertise Unit, NSW Department of Community Services
Alcohol – Social Context and Statistics. Donna Bull, Workplace Alcohol and Other Drugs Consultant
Presentation. Impact of AOD Use on Parenting and Child Development. Louise Newman, Professor of Perinatal and Infant Psychiatry, University of Newcastle.
Plenary 3. Best Practice in Intervention with Families. Peter Walsh, Director, NSW Centre for Parenting Research, NSW Department of Community Services.
CONCURRENT CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Day 1
Drug Use in the Family – presentation on ANCD report. Dr Sharon Dawe, Professor of Clinical Psychology.
Child Death Review – Risk Factors. Kate Alexander, Child Deaths and Critical Reports, NSW Department of Community Services.
What About Me? Working with Children in Substance Using Families. Lynne Magor-Blatch, Kerry Fitzroy and Kerrianne Abbott, ADFACT.
The Trauma Hangover in Indigenous Communities. Karen Menzies, Education and Training Consultant.
Prevention and Early Intervention Programs
(i) School Solutions. Rebecca Whitford, Youth Solutions.
(ii) Paving Ways Family Program. Belinda Volkov and Belinda Wilson MDECC.
(iii) Let’s Talk About Drugs ... Parents Getting Together and Facing the Challenge of Alcohol, Other Drugs and the ‘My Space’ Generation. Melinda Johnston, MDECC.
Day 2
Working with Families and Communities within the Bridges Philosophy. Ralph Holwerda, Sylvia Besley and Tirrania Suhood, Blacktown Alcohol and other Drugs Family Services.
The Salvation Army Bridge Program for Families. Gerard Byrne, Salvation Army Recovery Services.
SUPPS Model of Intervention. Vivienne Cunning-Smith, DoCS, Barnardos and NSW Health Initiative.
PUPS Program. Clara Fritchley and Bernadette Kennedy, Drug and Alcohol Network, Sydney West Area Health Service.
Throughout the conference NADA staff documented the key issues and challenges for the sector raised by conference delegates. The afternoon of day two was dedicated to an interactive session identifying issues pertinent to organisations and supporting families.
Summary of Conference Key Issues
- Alcohol remains largely neglected in the focus on drug and alcohol use and families (esp. Alcohol Related Brain Injury and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) both from a policy perspective and in service delivery
- A shift in focus is required to the inclusion of families in drug and alcohol treatment
- No existing data set that records families and children’s involvement in AOD service delivery
- No policy framework in AOD to support comprehensive family strategies
- Treatment needs of parent and the developmental needs of children often conflict (longer time frame of drug treatment vs. immediate intervention need for children)
Challenges for the Sector
- AOD sector must broaden focus to include families and parenting
- Child protection sector must broaden focus to incorporate/work with AOD intervention
- We need integrated, workable government policy framework that provides comprehensive planning
- Funders to provide linked funding streams for AOD and family and children services
Future Priority Outcomes for the Sector Identified by Conference Delegates
NSW government develops cross-departmental AOD and families policy
- Equal recognition of the needs of the client, the needs of the child and the family unit
- Data collection
- NGO service delivery
- Linked-up funding models
AOD sector shift mindset to incorporate child and family
AOD sector develop family-inclusive practice
Child protection and drug service delivery builds strong linkages
- To benefit child, parent and families
Re-prioritise alcohol in all areas
- Policy
- Practice
- Philosophy
- Funding
- Research designed and delivered through AOD and CP sectors
Apart from identifying some of the key issues when looking at alcohol and other drugs, families and children, the conference highlighted some of the innovative programs already being done by NADA member agencies including Odyssey House (Better Relationships in Every Family (B.R.I.E.F) program), Family Drug Support (Stepping Stones) Centacare (Holyoake Programs) and ADFACT (Karralika Family Program).
Through strategic partnerships between NADA members, the Department of Community Services Drug and Alcohol Expertise Unit, the NSW Health Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office and the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, policy and funding models can be discussed and potentially developed to support AOD services to engage in more family-inclusive practices and better relationships can be forged between the AOD and child protection sectors which will hopefully result in better outcomes for both parents and children.
EVALUATION
27 delegates participated in the conference evaluation. Overall the feedback was very positive. 26 respondents strongly agreed / agreed that the conference was well organised and planned and the conference theme was relevant to delegates work practice. All respondents strongly agreed / agreed that the conference program provided a good variety of information, workshop participation and panel discussion. 26 delegates strongly agreed / agreed the quality of the presentations were of a high standard.
Direct Evaluation Feedback
- There are many things I will take away such as evidence based practice, network and collaboration in a real / tangible way.
- Too many concurrent sessions – made it hard to choose. Should be no more than three at a time.
- Good work DOCS [for being] on board with the conference – no one is untouched by all issues raised at this conference and will be ongoing into the future.
- I feel it did not meet my client group.
- More emphasis on work with Indigenous, CALD and adolescents would be useful.
- Great opportunity for dialogue and sharing of information.
- I work with children and families – extremely relevant.
- Less child protection and more on families.
- Would have been interested to have speakers in addition to DOCS from other sectors that are frontline workers with clients to enable better communication, case management and to be able to break down some barriers between services.
- FDS should have had a key role.
- Appropriate setting of slides and screen.
- Any recognition and further participation and coordination of services to [the] families of AOD loved ones.
- I felt that some of the presentations were giving info already known.
- Well done NADA!
- The project at hand with DOCS workers to be educated and trained to deal with clients with AOD problems is a start and may prevent too many slipping through the cracks.
- A timely topic to address.
- Too many concurrent sessions. Maximum of three to ensure bigger audience etc.
- A bit concerned that there was a lot of focus on child protection issues in drug affected families. While this is crucial and important, we need to ensure that this does not detract from looking holistically at family issues and the impact of drug issues.
- Less workshops on at the one time.
- Fabulous job – well done.
- Since many people commented on how valuable it was to meet people from the ‘other’ agencies (i.e. DOCS people meeting AOD people and vice versa) perhaps we could a mental health / comorbidity one?
- It was informative, enjoyable and [the] material very relevant to current day problems/barriers too many people suffer and face.
- NADA is always an informative and relevant conference that increases the skills and general knowledge of participants and sets the theme for change. Look forward to next year.
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