A Tough but Perfect Confluence
QNADA President's Forword
It is with pleasure that I write the foreword to this publication. For QNADA, this is our first publication and as such signals our commitment to evidence-based practice and our capacity to support the alcohol and drug sector in this important work.
During the three years covered in this report, QNADA has supported participating services through networking, information dissemination, representation in government forums and providing an ear to workers when times were difficult. QNADA also forged links with the mental health sector and other community service peaks to increase the overall understanding of the complex needs of people with substance abuse and mental health comorbidity.
We were very fortunate to have ConNetica conduct the research on our behalf. John Mendoza, Principal of ConNetica, has a national profile in both the mental health and alcohol and other drug sector. Leanne Craze, ConNetica Senior Consultant is well regarded for her work in the Mental Health field. At the time of writing, Leanne was nominated for an Achievement Award at the National Mental Health Services Conference Their knowledge of the challenges faced by the services to achieve cultural change within their organisations to address the needs of client with a dual diagnosis greatly enhanced the outcomes of this research.
Looking back over the past three years, as I read this work, I realised how momentous the changes were for participating organisations, including my own organisation, DRUG ARM Australasia. The Improved Services Program has greatly enhanced the charity’s ability to deliver quality alcohol and other drug education, treatment and outreach services to the community.
Fortunately, QNADA has captured much of the tools and resources developed by these services and by other organisations researching and developing mental health and drug and alcohol comorbidity. This work, along with the stories recounted here, will make the transition to being capable of addressing comorbidity much easier for other services in the sector.
I congratulate the organisations that participated, and the team of researchers for their contributions to this work. I thank the Treatment Programs & Policy Section and the Department of Health & Ageing for their funding and support.
Dr Dennis Young
President, QNADA
" The ISI is a rare project and DOHA is to be congratulated for having the foresight to design a project like this. It gave us the resources and enough flexibility to do what made sense here in this service, in our local areas and with the needs of our client group. The project has made a significant difference to client outcomes. The project has saved the government money because many people with complex needs related to co-morbidity are now being assisted as against being excluded or banned from services. "
An ISI Project Coordinator
