Page 3099 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 9 November 2021
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However, this is not an area where we intend to rest on our laurels. There are still too many people impacted by alcohol and drug misuse—not only people who use alcohol and drugs themselves but their families, friends and others who are affected by alcohol and drug misuse in the community. That is why the government is in the early stages of developing the next iteration of the DSAP, which will set the key actions and deliverables that will best achieve our shared goal of minimising harm in our community.
We will be working with our NGO partners, leveraging their passion and expertise to capture the aspirations that we all share for improvement in alcohol and other drug services in the ACT. The plan will be used to further guide and develop our services and policies in the future.
The issues of co-occurring or comorbid disorders are complex and multifaceted and will continue to be addressed in the next plan. However, I can say that integration of services is one of my key priorities as Minister for Health. When people use the ACT health system, their contact with services should be as seamless as possible and delivered in a manner and place that best meets their needs. I continue to work towards ensuring that every Canberran can access the care they need when and where they need it.
As I mentioned earlier, the 2020-21 budget included funding to scope a service for young people experiencing mental illness with comorbidities, including disability, trauma and alcohol and drug use. This investment will contribute to the development of a future service that breaks down the silos that are so challenging for so many young people who experience co-occurring challenges in our community.
I want to acknowledge the work that the sector itself already does in this space, including CatholicCare’s youth and wellbeing services, to which we have committed additional funding, and the annual comorbidities showcase. Directions Health Services’ mobile primary care outreach clinic, PAT—Pathways to Assistance and Treatment—also works to address co-occurring alcohol and drug and mental health disorders. This service is jointly funded by ACT Health, the Capital Health Network and the John James Foundation.
This mobile outreach service provides weekly integrated primary care and appropriate acute care services for health, mental health and alcohol and other drugs, and access to a range of supports to highly vulnerable people with complex service needs at five locations across the ACT for free and without an appointment. The value of this service has been clearly demonstrated in recent weeks, through its role in delivering COVID-19 vaccinations for tenants of high density social housing and other populations who face barriers to accessing mainstream health services.
The ACT government’s own services are also playing their part. The older persons mental health community team is currently conducting a quality improvement project on assessing people aged over 65 for alcohol and drug dependence. Alcohol and other drug service comorbidity clinicians are also working on developing further training and support for mental health and alcohol and drug workforces across the ACT. The
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