Charlotte Varcoe
THE Substance Misuse Limestone Coast (SMLC) will call on the state and federal government to help fund a stand-alone alcohol and other drug support service.
Based on the WRAD Health facility in Warrnambool – which is a standalone bulk-billing medical clinic with a focus on alcohol and other drug services.
The Warrnambool facility had been operating for 35 years and employs 37 on-site staff with outreach services available across Western Victoria.
SMLC project officer Sophie Bourchier met Member for MacKillop Nick McBride and Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell at the Warrnambool service recently in a bid to gain insight for possible facilities in the Limestone Coast.
It comes as the SMLC also engaged specialist health consultants Health Q to conduct a feasibility study into whether a simliar model could be adapted in the region.
Ms Bourchier said the Victorian service had general practitioners onsite as well – giving availability for different services in one location.
“We know it is pretty difficult to get general practitioners here in the Limestone Coast but it is part of the pipedream,” Ms Bourchier said.
“What we know is we can have a similar service to what they have been operating for 35 years and they have grown into this really large organisation and we know it would be pretty difficult to set that up.”
She said data received from the most recent summit showed that the need for the stand alone facility was there.
Ms Bourchier said the facility – which could deliver “comorbidity services” as well as youth alcohol and other drug services – was needed across the Limestone Coast with a majority of Year 10 students claiming they have been intoxicated within 30 days of the summit held in November.
“We do not have either of those things here in the region currently so we have to start small but it is a sustainable model,” she said.
“We know these services are needed in this region because the alcohol and other drug services for youth have previously been available until it got defunded.
“That service had a waiting list so we know those people are there and have nowhere to go.”
Ms Bourchier said the SMLC was now calling for either state or federal funding with the support of Mr Bell and Mr McBride.
“Having this facility will make a huge difference to the community where youth and other people can accessalcohol and other drug services,” she said.
“At the moment there is only one service which provides that but they are now a user-specific service.”
According to Ms Bourchier there was only one service which currently provided services for alcohol and other drugs which was a “user-specific service”.
“They also provide alcohol and other drug services to the whole population so they are extremely busy,” she said.
“This will just make a huge difference and we can see in the Planet Youth data that alcohol use by young people is extremely high now.
“We also know there is a lot of other drugs that younger adults are using which is detrimental to their wellbeing so it will also assist in that area.”
Ms Bourchier also stated the proposal would bring the opportunity for further education and skills in alcohol and other drug services staff.
“We have fantastic tertiary facilities and if we can grow our own alcohol and other drug workers it can lead to people doing other things like nursing or social work,” she said.
“We know the pool is really small with qualified alcohol and other drug workers so if they can do a certificate or a diploma here locally, face-to-face it would really make a huge difference.”
She said after speaking with a number of people she discovered there were many interested in studying and working in the field but wanted to study locally.
“If that could be delivered locally in a subsidised cost it would be a game changer,” Ms Bourchier said.
The suggested program would also have face-to-face alcohol and other drug counseling for those experiencing mental health and alcohol and other drug issues.
“There is a comorbidity or a dual diagnosis and there would also be youth face-to-face alcohol and other drug counseling,” Ms Bourchier said.
“We have neither of those things here and neither of those things are funded in the Limestone Coast.”
Mr Bell said the proposed service would also have the added benefit of being discreet due to multiple services being available at the one site.
“There is no stigma of going to the clinic because people could be going in there for a cold or flu, mental health support or alcohol and other drug support” Mr Bell said.
“They could go in for matters on alcohol and other drugs and mental health but also see a general practitioner.”
He said having the coordination of those services within the region would be beneficial for those in need.
“I would like to see the coordination of all of those services in the Limestone Coast in one building and one entry point for those people who need support and help in that area,” Mr Bell said.
“It takes a lot of the guesswork out from the clients point of view as they know to go to the centre.
“I think it is very positive but it is also a self-sustaining model and encompasses all of these services that people may be needing and they are not scattered throughout town like in Mount Gambier.”
Mr Bell has since asked the SMLC to put together a proposal, allowing him to then lobby the state government for support and get general practitioners interested.
Mr McBride said he was also impressed with the Warrnambool model of care as well as the incorporation of general practitioner services with the alcohol and other drug support staff, psychologists and other allied health professionals.
“The management by a private consortium, a coordinated approach with general practitioners, mental health and community health professionals all employed under the same building is a common sense approach that provides a continuity of care that can be difficult to achieve when these services are fragmented,” Mr McBride said.
“We know the state government has pledged one million dollars to the Naracoorte hospital with an intent to look at regional health services beyond Naracoorte and I would love to see a smaller scale WRAD model of care be looked at as part of this investigation.
“It resonated with me that we can’t just rehabilitate the individual, we have to create an environment that supports the families and connections to the individual – otherwise we are potentially putting people straight back into the environment that may cause addiction and or mental health issues to resurface.”
Ms Bourchier said it was great to have both Mr Bell and Mr McBride on board for the initiative and she looked forward to working towards completing the project to “fill the gaps” in the community.
