Director’s Notes

This has been a year of progress on many fronts for culturally and linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in New South Wales. On a policy level DAMEC participates on the NSW Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Council. The Council prepares and implements NSW Government policy in relation to AOD issues. As well as DAMEC’s ongoing participation on the Council all policy positions and projects must now contain a CALD communities impact statement.

DAMEC is also having an influence nationally with representation on the National Illicit Drug Strategy Community Partnerships Initiative (CPI) Funding Committee. This year for Round 5 funding an increase in the number of applications from CALD communities was received. This is an encouraging result.

Finally DAMEC and Network for Alcohol and Drugs Agency (NADA) are working together to form a consortium of non-government Drug and Alcohol services to develop a range of services to engage with the corporate sector. This is important especially for prevention strategies.

For further information on this and other articles contact Kelvin Chambers

Email: manager@damec.org.au

In this Issue

Director’s Notes

New Resource

African Companions

Drug and Alcohol Case Study Group

Training Course Success

Cultural Competency Project

Chinese Project

Pasifika Hypothetical

Workforce Development Update

Research Update

CALD Clients and data collection

CALD Clients and treatment experiences

Staff Changes

Minister launches new resource

Photo by Connie Donato-Hunt

NSW Minister of Community Services, Reba Meagher, recently launched translated versions of a booklet on drug use and support information for families and carers.

The launch at Cabramatta Library on November 30 was attended by community workers, representatives from DoCS, Health, Probation and Parole, Migrant Resource Centre and Transcultural Mental Health Centre. Community representatives, Vuong Nguyen from the Moving Forward Program and Timohir Ljubisic from the Serbian Orthordox Welfare Association spoke on drug use issues in the local community and the usefulness of such a resource. The English version of the booklet has been available as a companion to the FACT resource kit for generalist workers as a NSW Health initiative since 2004.

DoCS funding enabled DAMEC to produce this booklet in Croatian, Chinese, Serbian, Turkish and Vietnamese. The booklet is also available in Arabic. Copies can be ordered by contacting Sarina at DAMEC 9699 3552.

Francine Seeto

African Companions launches

The East African Companions were formally launched into their communities on November 4 in Auburn.  Despite the wet day 200 people turned out to enjoy a free BBQ lunch and jumping castle. Each family took home an African Companions shopping bag containing translated drug and alcohol information, business cards for each member of the African Companions group, and an African Companions fridge magnet.

Auburn barbeque. Photo by Jo Khoo

These African Companions (from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Liberia) had earlier completed drug and alcohol training including an excursion to the Wentworth Centre for Drug and Alcohol Medicine. This proud group is now ready to assist their communities with appropriate information and referral.  Hamed Turay, originally  from Sierra Leone, is our African Communities Liaison Worker whose role has been to resource the African Companions and support them in their community work.

The African Companions from Liberia were launched at another free BBQ event in Doonside on 2^nd December.  Varmah Dulleh, the Chairperson of the Liberian Community in NSW introduced the African Companions to the assembled crowd.  Once again the African Companions did their bit to alleviate the drought, with a storm breaking just as the BBQ was ending. 

Next year a new training series in alcohol and drug issues will start in the Blacktown area, open to people from any African refugee community who are interested in becoming African Companions.  

Helen Sowey

 Doonside barbeque. Photo by Helen Sowey

Drug & Alcohol Case Study Group

This professional development initiative was developed in partnership with Fairfield Drug Health Service to complement formal training. Group meetings combined a short presentation on a topical issue and a facilitated group analysis and discussion on a related case study in a three-hour workshop structure.

The sessions featured presentations on Sydney South West Area Drug Health services and programs; Substance Use in Parenting; and Dual Diagnosis and Parenting. Evaluation has been very positive and an announcement on future Group meetings in 2007 will be made in February or March.

Francine Seeto

Training on Strategies for Working with Family Members of Drug Users

In response to a recommendation by DAMEC’s Multicultural Family Support Project (Training Report) NSW Department of Community Services is negotiating to purchase the two day course for delivery to its funded agencies in 2007.

The course is based on the ‘Families and Carers’ (FACT) kit, and was adapted by the trainer Jenny Melrose, for delivery to ethno-specific and other family workers between April and August in five areas throughout New South Wales. A total of 70 participants representing 40 different agencies working with families attended the training and evaluation was very positive. Almost 60 percent of participants were bilingual workers.

Additionally the course will be rolled out with the availability of a booklet in several languages that accompanies the FACT kit and contains useful information on drug and alcohol dependency and treatment for family members or carers. The original FACT kit and training were launched by NSW Health in 2004.

Francine Seeto

Cultural Competency Tools

DAMEC is promoting a set of Cultural Competency Self Assessment tools developed for use in staff supervision or performance appraisals, and a Service Cycle model to assist  in organisational review and development of a Cultural Competency Strategic Plan.

The tools and review process were trialled with Barnardos South Coast by consultant, Kate Sullivan.  The report will be available shortly.

Francine Seeto

Chinese Project Outcomes

During 2005-2006 the Project delivered drug information training to 25 Chinese community workers and delivered 15 community education seminars to 300 Chinese parents and community members in Sydney. In 2006 the project liaised with Chinese language newspapers to run ten articles on illicit drug use, support and treatment issues.

Other outcomes were a poster urging Chinese parents and community members who have a concern about alcohol or other drug use to seek professional assistance.

Evaluation results indicated the strategies were effective and stimulated greater interest by workers and community members in drug issues. A key finding was the interest by the Chinese community to access drug information as part of a holistic approach to family wellbeing (mental health). The project was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing through its Community Partnerships Initiative.

David Yan Han

Pasifika Drug & Alcohol Hypothetical

In August DAMEC in collaboration with Ted Noffs Foundation conducted a Pasifika hypothetical in Mt Druitt. The positive response by almost 70 participants ensures the hypothetical will be repeated in 2007.

Earlier DAMEC had conducted an Arabic hypothetical at the International Drugs and Young People Conference held at Randwick.

The model invited audience and a panel of community workers to interact and debate issues relevant to a Pasifika young person on a hypothetical journey to treatment for problematic alcohol and other drug use. Kelvin Chambers facilitated an interesting discussion on dilemmas faced by his family and community.

Karen Redding

Workforce Development Update

DAMEC provided several in-services and workshops to services across Drug and Alcohol, and broader Health and Welfare sectors. These included Australian Drug Foundation, Canterbury Bankstown Migrant Resource Centre, Centre for Addiction Medicine, Australian Turkish and Kurdish Community Services.

Other opportunities in this area have included development of Cultural Diversity model policies and procedures for NSW Family Services, collaborating with NCETA and NGO agencies to address workplace drug and alcohol abuse, and protocols for NSW Centre for Drugs and Alcohol in working with Cultural Diversity issues.

Karen Redding

Prevalence Study

Currently we are analysing data collected during 2004-2005 exploring the knowledge, attitudes and use of alcohol and other drugs among six ethnic communities in NSW: Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese and Pacific Island.

Preliminary results for the Chinese and Vietnamese subgroups have been presented at various conferences and symposiums including the Diversity in Health and APSAD conferences. Currently key informant interviews for the Vietnamese community are near completion, with Chinese key informant interviews to begin soon. These interviews will provide further contextual understanding of the data collected through the community questionnaires.

Translation, coding and data entry of Arabic subgroup and analysis of data from the Pacific Islander subgroup is underway. This will be followed by analysis of the Italian and finally the Spanish subgroup. The Prevalence Study is funded by the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation. Detailed findings and final reports will be made available in 2007.

Sonali Munot

CALD clients & AOD data collection

DAMEC is undertaking research to investigate whether the low proportion of CALD clients captured in the National Minimum Data Set (MDS) for Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services is an actual reflection of client demographics.

The first stage is to look more closely at the CALD subpopulation captured in the MDS and compare this with other data sets, such as MERIT and emergency admission data. Obtaining access to these data sets has recently been achieved, so analysis will begin shortly.

Connie Donato Hunt

CALD clients & treatment

This pilot qualitative study aims to understand the experiences of CALD clients in accessing mainstream drug and alcohol treatment services. The study is in its early stages but is anticipated to be underway in early 2007.

Connie Donato Hunt

GP’s Paid $1000 A Day to Learn!

The Centre for Drug and Alcohol (CDA) has made available funding for GPs identified as having an interest in a clinical placement with a drug and alcohol service in NSW Health Area Health Service Regions. This applies to interested GPs in Private Practice and GP Registrars.

GPs can choose a placement depending on the area of interest eg cannabis, alcohol, psycho-stimulants, drug dependence treatment (methadone & buprenorphine), drugs in pregnancy, chronic pain or choose a particular service such as the Langton Centre or St Vincent’s.

The sum available per GP is $1000 for one day, and reasonable travel and accommodation costs if the placement is more than one day, and the GP is from a regional or rural area. 30 RACGP Category 1 CPD points also apply. Funding is available until June 2007.

If you wish to pursue this opportunity, assistance in finding a suitable placement is available.

Contact Anne Lawrance at Centre for Drug and Alcohol,

Tel:(02) 9391 9261 / Fax:(02) 9391 9042

email: anlaw@doh.health.nsw.gov.au

Front Bench Re-shuffle

The DAMEC team has undergone some changes during 2006. In Research we said farewell to Michelle Toms after six years, and welcomed Connie Donato-Hunt.  Sonali Munot was on maternity leave until July. David Yan Han left us after completing the Chinese Project but at the same time we gained Hamed Turay to work on the African Project. Jo Khoo came on board as a volunteer with the Research team and stayed on to become our latest Project Officer. Celia Cairns completed a student placement as part of her welfare course at TAFE. After eight years Francine Seeto is leaving at the end of the year for adventures undisclosed. We thank Michelle, David and Francine for their wonderful contribution and wish them all the best.

And finally DAMEC wishes all a very happy and safe holiday.