Cairns AOD Agency Forum Report

Cairns AOD Agency Forum report

Background

The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) has determined it will hold an alcohol and other drug (AOD) agency forum in conjunction with its meetings in each State and Territory. These forums form part of the ANCD’s strategy to fulfil its role of ensuring the views of non-government, community-based organisations and associated services working with drug and alcohol issues, are considered as part of drug policy advice.

The ANCD produces a report from each forum which aims to provide a brief description of the issues raised by forum participants. These reports are available on the ANCD’s internet site to enable forum participants and interested others to access the issues that were discussed. The ANCD also provides a copy of each report to the Premier or Chief Minister, as well as the responsible Minister in each jurisdiction to ensure the Government is aware of the issues raised.

It should also be noted that all the issues raised at the forums are not necessarily areas that the ANCD agrees with or are able to address. They do however provide ANCD members with an important insight into community concerns and perceptions about specific AOD issues. In addition, the ANCD believes that it has an obligation to participants to report the issues and concerns raised in an unfettered manner.

Cairns 2002

Approximately 35 people from Cairns and the surrounding area participated in the ANCD’s AOD agency forum, which was held at the Oasis Resort in Cairns, on 18 June 2002. The forum participants included representatives of non-government organisations, Indigenous organisations, Local Council, State Government Departments and the education sector.

The Chair of the ANCD, Major Brian Watters, welcomed participants to the forum and explained its purpose. The Members and Executive Officer (Mr Gino Vumbaca) of the ANCD then introduced themselves to the forum participants.

Mr Vumbaca gave a presentation that:

Explained the role of the ANCD and its position within the National Drug Strategic Framework;
Highlighted some of the projects the ANCD has commissioned;
Outlined progress under the Tough on Drugs Strategy; and
Provided information about a range of specific AOD issues.

At the conclusion of his presentation, Mr Vumbaca opened the floor for questions/comments about current and emerging AOD issues in Cairns and the surrounding region. The following issues were raised:

Workforce Development
A view was put forward that there is a strong need to increase the opportunities available for AOD workers to increase their skills. The emphasis was on competency based training, rather than knowledge based training.

In addition to training opportunities, participants also raised concerns about AOD sector wages, conditions, resources and the impact of these on recruitment and retention of workers within the sector.
Gender Balance of the AOD Workforce
There is a perception that the majority of AOD workers in the Cairns region are female. Participants discussed issues which may impact on recruiting Indigenous males to the AOD workforce. This was seen as an important issue when attempting to provide culturally appropriate health services to Indigenous communities, in particular males.
Primary Prevention Initiatives
The view was expressed that primary prevention initiatives receive limited publicity, in comparison with other initiatives. Participants and ANCD members discussed the range of primary prevention initiatives of which they were aware.
Role of Family in Treating AOD Problems
The participants of the forum clearly stated that alcohol use causes serious problems in North Queensland. Families and family support were identified as being essential for treating individuals with AOD problems. More specifically, it was thought that the role of the family must be recognised and families are actively encouraged to participate in the treatment process, where appropriate.
Traditional Healing Methods
With regard to Indigenous communities, the view was put forward that traditional healing methods are being ‘lost’ and that they have a legitimate place in the treatment of AOD problems.
Funding for AOD Agencies
A view was put forward that not all AOD agencies are adequately funded to provide their core services. Numerous examples were raised where specialist staff have to perform tasks well outside their job description eg. Counsellors who also fulfil the role of secretary, cook and cleaner.
Lack of Resources for New Organisations
Concern was expressed that there are limited resources available, or promoted, which explain how to establish new AOD organisations.
Decriminalisation of Major Illicit Drugs
There was discussion on whether there was any research into the impact of decriminalising illicit drugs in Australia.
Focus on Illicit Drugs Vs Licit Drugs
Some participants questioned the specific focus on illicit drugs compared to licit drugs. It was put forward that more attention should be given to dealing with licit drugs, in particular alcohol, as it is the cause of the majority of problems in North Queensland.
Substance Use and Parenting
Forum participants mentioned that several of their adult clients use AOD as a coping mechanism for abuse they experienced as a child. Many of these clients have now become parents. Concern was expressed that parents in this situation need access to advice and/or information that assists them to develop sound parenting skills. This is especially important if they have to deal with issues of their own child’s drug use.

Another issue related to parenting was the lack of parental involvement in addressing their child’s AOD use. Several participants suggested that parents believe it is the role of the AOD worker to ‘fix the problem’.
Comorbidity
Several forum participants expressed concern over the number of clients they have to deal with who have mental health disorders, while they have no training in this area. It was put forward that there needs to be more access to, and opportunity for, professional development in this area.
Detoxification Beds for Women
A major area of concern was the limited number of detoxification beds in the Cairns region that are available for women. It was suggested that this situation combined with other responsibilities, such as family, is creating barriers for women who are seeking treatment. It was put forward that there is a need for detoxification services with dedicated beds for women. Participants reinforced the need for the creation of linkages between service and support structures to allow women to complete their treatment.
Youth Specific Withdrawal Services
Concern was expressed over the lack of youth specific withdrawal services in the Cairns region. Often young people were referred to services in Brisbane. This has a detrimental impact on family structure and decreases the likelihood of successful completion of withdrawal and entry into treatment.
Continuity of Treatment
Participants were informed that counselling for AOD problems can be a long term process. As a result, it is important that links/networks are established to other support services to ensure individuals receive continuity of treatment, which will increase the likelihood of long term change occurring.
Inhalant Use
The use of inhalants, especially by young people, was seen as a problem. AOD workers felt that there was limited information available to them to refer these people to appropriate services. They believed that there was a lack of state based resources available to gain knowledge to deal with inhalant issues.

Concern was also expressed about the capacity of parents, who often lack education on the issue, to deal effectively with their child’s use of inhalants.
Resource Issues in the Cape York Region
The view was expressed that the majority of resources to deal with AOD issues in the Cape York region do not go to service providers from that region. To make AOD treatment services more effective, it was suggested that funding, infrastructure and resources should be given to service providers who are based in Cape York and intend on remaining there for the long term.
Indigenous Basketball Program
Participants and the ANCD were made aware of a basketball program in the Cairns region that targeted young Indigenous people. The purpose of the program was to positively engage young people in activities, in this case basketball, that offer alternatives to alcohol.

As a result, the Alcohol, Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF) are liaising with the coordinator of this program to explore possible funding opportunities.
Success Stories
The forum heard about an unfunded program in an Indigenous community in the Cape York region, which reduced the numbers of petrol sniffers from approximately 60 to 0, over the period of two years.

It was noted that it is difficult to promote the ‘good news’ stories associated with AOD interventions. It was suggested that there should be more promotion and awareness of programs/initiatives etc that have had positive results in dealing with AOD issues (such as the example above).

Top of page

Whilst all care has been made to ensure only authorised material appears on this site, the Australian National Council on Drugs accepts no responsibility for inaccurate or false representations appearing herein.