AOD Awards for the NSW Non-Government Sector
Winners of the sixth biennial AOD Awards for the NSW Non-Government Sector were announced at the award ceremony, held on 6 June, at the International Convention Centre Sydney.
Dr Michael Holland, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health presented the awards.
The awards acknowledge the significant contribution of the sector in preventing and reducing alcohol and other drug related harms across NSW communities through leadership, program design and delivery, and dedicated workforce.
Award categories
First Nations
This award recognises the significant contribution of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals or Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs). This award is eligible to an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person working in a mainstream or ACCO organisation or to an ACCO organisation or program that has made a significant and/or meaningful commitment and contribution to preventing and/or minimising alcohol and other drug related harms in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Winner: Rebecca Riseley NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA)
Excellence in treatment
This award recognises excellence and/or innovation in treatment to prevent and/or reduce alcohol and other drug related harms. This includes the delivery of services, quality and safety, programs and initiatives for individuals or specific populations.
Winner: Pathways Home Youth Program, Community Restorative Centre
Outstanding contribution by an individual or team/program with living/lived experience (LLE)
This award celebrates the outstanding contribution by a person with living/lived experience currently in an identified LLE position in an NGO drug and alcohol service in NSW. Eligible individuals may be working in a mainstream or peer led organisation and have made a meaningful commitment and contribution to assist people accessing AOD services, inform the way services are delivered to better meet people’s needs and elevate the value of the LLE workforce. This award may also recognise the significant achievements of an LLE team or program.
Winner: Bo Justin Xiao M3THOD Program, ACON
AOD frontline champion
This award recognises an outstanding frontline worker in a NSW NGO drug and alcohol service. This person will have made a significant contribution to supporting clients and creating meaningful change that benefits the NGO AOD sector.
Winner: Shane Mehew, Mission Australia
Winner: Callum Mokaraka, Weigelli Centre Aboriginal Corporation
Excellence in health promotion and/or harm reduction
This award recognises excellence and/or innovation to prevent and/or reduce alcohol and other drug related harms. This includes health promotion, harm reduction, community development, prevention and consumer engagement or peer worker activities.
Winner: Guiding Rural Outback Wellbeing Program, Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section
Excellence in research and evaluation
This award recognises individuals or organisations that contributed to building the evidence base for practices to prevent and/or reduce alcohol and other drug related harms.
Winner: Lives Lived Well
Outstanding contribution to the sector
This award recognises the significant contribution of an individual working in the non government alcohol and other drugs sector.
Winner: Latha Nithyanandam, Alcohol and Drug Foundation NSW, Kathleen York House
Photo: Helene Cochaud
Previous winners
2023
First Nations award
The winner: Ngaimpe Aboriginal Corporation (The Glen for Women)
Outstanding contribution in peer work and/or consumer representation
The winner: Kevin Street
AOD frontline champion award
The winner: Chris Sheppard, Community Restorative Centre
The winner: Mohamad Fenj, The Rehabilitation Project
Certificate of commendation: Candice Gilford, Uniting MSIC
Outstanding contribution award
The winner: Garth Popple, We Help Ourselves (WHOS)
The winner: Julie Babineau, Odyssey House NSW
Excellence in harm reduction
The winner: WHOS Harm Reduction Program, We Help Ourselves (WHOS)
Excellence in treatment
The winner: Reconnecting Families, Odyssey House NSW
Excellence in research and evaluation
The winner: Community Restorative Centre
Certificate of commendation: Kedesh Rehabilitation Services
2021
First Australians award
The winner: Steven Taylor, Weigelli Centre Aboriginal Corporation
Certificate of commendation: The Glen Centre-Ngaimpe Aboriginal Corporation (Chittaway Bay, NSW)
Certificate of commendation: Transitional Indigenous Service, Community Restorative Centre (Broken Hill and Wilcannia, NSW)
Excellence in treatment
The winner: Elouera, Lives Lived Well (Orange, NSW)
Excellence in health promotion and/or harm reduction
The winner: Youth Solutions (Campbelltown, NSW)
Excellence in research and evaluation
The winner: Triple Care Farm, Mission Australia (Robertson, NSW)
Outstanding contribution award
The winner: Dr Marianne Jauncey, Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre
The winner: Josette Freeman, SMART Recovery Australia
Certificate of commendation: Gerard Byrne, WHOS (formerly Salvation Army)
Outstanding contribution award
The winner: Will Temple, Watershed, Lives Lived Well
2018
Excellence in treatment award
The winner: AOD Transition Project, Community Restorative Centre (CRC) (Broadway, NSW)
Certificate of commendation: Kathleen York House, Australian Drug and Alcohol Foundation (Glebe, NSW)
Excellence in health promotion award
The winner: ACON Rovers, ACON (Surry Hills, NSW)
Excellence in research and evaluation award
The winner: SMART Recovery Research Advisory Committee, SMART Recovery Australia (Haymarket, NSW)
Certificate of commendation: Cognitive Remediation Project, WHOS (Lilyfield, NSW)
First Australians award—improving outcomes for Aboriginal peoples
The winner: Coral Hennessy, The Glen Centre—Ngaimpe Aboriginal Corporation (Chittaway Bay, NSW)
Outstanding contribution award
The winner: Michele Campbell, Lives Lived Well—Lyndon (Orange, NSW)
Lifetime achievement award
The winner: Shane Brown, Weave Youth and Community Services (Waterloo, NSW)
2016
Lifetime achievement award
The winner: James Pitts, Odyssey House (Sydney, NSW)
Outstanding contribution award
The winner: Tony Trimingham OAM, CEO, Family Drug Support (NSW)
Certificate of commendation: Paul Hardy, Community Restorative Centre (Sydney, NSW)
Excellence in quality development award
The winner: A modified DBT group therapy manual, Triple Care Farm (Robertson, NSW)
Certificate of commendation: The Glen Centre, Ngaimpe Aboriginal Corporation (Central Coast, NSW)
Excellence in health promotion award
The winner: Drug and Alcohol First Aid, Lyndon Community (Orange, NSW)
Certificate of commendation: WHOS Harm Reduction Program, WHOS (Sydney, NSW)
Excellence in research and evaluation award
The winner: The Salvation Army Recovery Services and the Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong (NSW)
Certificate of commendation: Stepping Stones to Success, Family Drug Support (NSW)
Certificate of commendation: Jude Sayers, Dianella Cottage, Lyndon Community (Blue Mountains, NSW)
Excellence in treatment award
The winner: Speak Out Dual Diagnosis Program, Weave Youth and Community Services (Waterloo, NSW)
2014
Outstanding contribution award
The winner: Jo Lunn for improving organisational capacity at We Help Ourselves and her broader contribution to the NGO drug and alcohol sector in NSW
Excellence in research and evaluation award
The winner: Lyndon Research and Training Program, The Lyndon Community (Orange, NSW)
Excellence in treatment award
The winner: Junaa Buwa! Centre for Youth Wellbeing (Coffs Harbour, NSW)
Certificate of commendation: The Bourke Street Project, The Haymarket Foundation (Sydney, NSW)
Excellence in health promotion award
The winner: Drug and Alcohol Workplace Education Program, Building Trades Group Drug and Alcohol Committee (Sydney, NSW)
Excellence in quality development award
The winner: Community of Practice, Triple Care Farm (Robertson, NSW)
Travel and accommodation subsidy
NADA members may be eligible to receive a travel and accommodation subsidy to attend the conference. Download the travel and accommodation subsidy guidelines [PDF]. Applications have closed.
Supported by
