Page 3516 - Week 11 - Thursday, 24 September 2015
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MR CORBELL: I thank Dr Bourke for his supplementary. Yes, approximately $7½ million is invested across six key areas when it comes to drug and alcohol services and treatment provided by ACT Health. This includes consultation and liaison through the adult mental health unit and addressing drug issues there and addressing drug issues in surgical, medical, oncology and maternity wards. Priority for these services being given to those patients admitted to the emergency department through our mental health services and in our intensive care unit.
We also have medical services, which is made up of a team of addiction and psychiatric specialists who provide outpatient and inpatient services for patients with alcohol and other drug addictions. This is also a service providing advice to GPs in the community on these matters.
We have a strong focus on police and court drug diversion services, which includes diversion services for alcohol use amongst young people, illicit drug diversion and a court alcohol and drug assessment service. This is a very important program.
We have our opioid treatment services, a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, social workers and counsellors who are providing pharmacotherapy programs for opioid substitution treatment for clients with opioid addiction.
We have withdrawal services for clients withdrawing from the use of alcohol and other drugs, including a 10-bed inpatient ward for these clients. Also, counselling and treatment teams are providing services in a range of settings, including our wonderful community health centres, at the Alexander Maconochie Centre and at Bimberi youth centre. So these are just part of the government’s response, working with our community, on these issues.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Fitzharris.
MS FITZHARRIS: Minister, can you please outline the community services available to people with substance abuse problems?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Fitzharris for the supplementary. In addition to the programs provided by ACT Health, we have an important range of programs provided by people in the community sector, the not-for-profit sector, assisting people with alcohol and other drug problems. For example, Directions ACT provide an excellent range of services and programs for people affected by alcohol and other drug issues, their families and the wider community. They received from the ACT approximately $3.3 million for information and education, counselling, support and case management, rehabilitation and withdrawal services, and they run a very important needle and syringe program.
We have the great work done by Karralika, which provides residential and community-based rehab services, which received $2.3 million for support and case management and residential rehab. We have the work done by Toora Women, who support women with complex needs. They received approximately $950,000 for information and education, counselling, support, case management and day rehab.
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