The Productivity Commission Inquiry Report on Mental Health was released in November 2020 (download the report HERE.) The Department of Health is undertaking a survey-based consultation with key stakeholders to gather views on the report’s recommendations.
DANA is seeking to provide a response, with a particular focus on the report’s content as it relates to the delivery of alcohol and other drug services to people experiencing mental health issues. This is a matter of great importance to many of us who work in this sector.
If you would care to comment on the report in terms of the alcohol and other drugs sector please send your comments to [email protected] by 24.1.2021.
The recommendations start on page 61 of the report. Recommendation 14 is of relevance to our sector. These are some extracts from that recommendation and actions list.
“Substance use comorbidity is common for individuals with some types of mental illness, and a large proportion of people who present for substance use treatment display symptoms of mental illness. However, people with substance use comorbidities often do not receive adequate care for both conditions. Governments should ensure that mental health and drug and alcohol services address both mental health and substance use needs, by directly providing services, or referring the person to other services where appropriate.”
“Many people with mental illness and comorbid physical health problems or substance use disorders do not receive integrated care, leading to poor outcomes, including premature death. Action is needed to improve the care provided to people with comorbidities.”
One of the reforms recommended for consideration under this recommendation is:
“Mental health and alcohol and other drug services should jointly develop and implement operational guidelines covering screening, referral pathways, and training, guidelines and other education resources for mental health and alcohol and other drugs workers. (Action 14.2)”
‘Integrating mental health and substance use planning, commissioning and service provision’, which states:
“Many people with mental illness also have a substance use disorder. Services to deal with both these conditions should be seamless from the consumers’ perspective.
In considering your responses, members may find it useful to refer to an excellent paper recently developed by 360edge for the National Mental Health Commission, Exploring the place of alcohol and other drug services in the mental health system.
DANA’s responses will be sent to the Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council (AADC) for inclusion in their submission on behalf of the AOD sector.
If you require additional information please sned an email to [email protected]
A vacancy exists for a highly motivated Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) with appropriate knowledge and skills to join the Drug and Alcohol Specialist Advisory Service (DASAS) at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney in Darlinghurst.
Employment Type: Permanent Part Time, 24 hours per week
On behalf of the DANA management committee, I would like to wish you all a happy new year and all the best for 2021. Our thoughts go out to those members who have been impacted by the recent COVID outbreak in Sydney, and hope you managed to catch up with family and friends over the festive season (even virtually). 2020 is a year most of us will be happy to leave behind, and we look forward to a 2021 where we can hopefully return to things we liked doing prior to COVID – living life on Zoom is getting a little tiring! So, from all of us at the DANA HQ, have a happy new year and we hope 2021 is a great year for you.
Latrobe Regional Hospital: Traralgon Victoria
Well, we have made it to the end of a very ‘interesting’ year. Fittingly, 2020 was the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, and like many other specialties, AOD nursing stood tall at the coalface of a global pandemic. In conversation with non-nursing colleagues, I mentioned that our COVID-19 research showed that it was often nurses who remained in our services, providing medications, physical and mental health monitoring, and of course, COVID testing. We have stayed the course to ultimately provide for our clients, who are often marginalised and struggle to access healthcare services that many of us take for granted.
This position is listed on seek.com.au. This is an extract from their post….
NCCRED is hosting a series of three introductory webinars to for clinicians interested in Clinical Research
South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
There is a temporary full-time position available for a Clinical Nurse Consultant in the CICADA Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Service providing clinical leadership within the multidisciplinary team and provision of expert care for adolescents with moderate to severe substance use.