heading HEADING HEADING Text finance and business Text 2019 Annual Report 1 chair’s report “SANDAS’ message has continued to be that we believe it is important that people…have access to a health intervention/service as an immediate priority.” 2 chair’s report 2018-19 has been another year of The team have also done substantial work around considerable advocacy and awareness- stigma reduction, by providing information and raising for SANDAS. education to media and government officials. We started this year with a new State Government SANDAS have continued to work on strengthening our with several 100-day promises relating to the connections and partnerships across the sector, with alcohol and other drug sector. One of these our member organisations, with DASSA and with the promises included the changes to the police drug Primary Health Networks. Our two key partnership diversion initiative, of which we are still to see the events are the annual SANDAS Forum and the full effect. SANDAS’ message has continued to be Symposium. that we believe it is important that people who are found by police to be in possession of an illicit The year 2018/19 saw considerable changes to our substance have access to a health intervention/ board. We have farewelled Treasurer Mark Anders, service as an immediate priority. who made a significant contribution. We have also farewelled other board members including My- The second area of advocacy by SANDAS in Phuong Sramek, Deidre Flynn, Sue Bertossa, Leigh relation to the new State Government has been Garrett and Brendan Jones (joined and left). This has and continues to be around the Mandatory Youth meant that we have had the opportunity to welcome Treatment model. We have raised questions and new members Paul Brianni (Treasurer), Tania Sharp concerns around ensuring that interventions are and Susan Allen. Thank you to all the directors of health based in the first instance; that the rights of the board, both past and present, for their valuable the young person are upheld; that the intervention contributions to SANDAS. is evidence based, inclusive of families and is as least restrictive as possible. The work done by SANDAS would not happen without the dedication and commitment of the team - There was also considerable advocacy at the Michael, Sam, Lesli, Michelle and Gwenda. National level, focused on the National Election and the allocation of $20 million into the South Helene Nielsen Australian AOD sector. SANDAS contributes to the Chair – Board of Directors, national agenda through our membership of the SANDAS National AOD Peaks Network. 3 executive officer’s annual report The 2018-2019 financial year has been a Many may not have used drugs recently (cannabis very interesting and busy one. SANDAS, can be detected for weeks) or if they have, will not along with our National Peaks colleagues need treatment if their level of use is not sufficient to and other key stakeholders in the alcohol and other drug sector, were heavily negatively affect their job seeking. We argued that the involved in providing information to Government should focus funding on where it is most all political parties in the run up to the needed, that is specialist treatment services for people federal election in early 2019. experiencing dependence and voluntarily seeking treatment, support for families, early intervention, We advocated for the incoming government to prevention and workforce development. address the significant shortfalls in funding for specialist treatment services and for a number We have also worked with the media and media of key strategies that would improve the delivery students to discourage the over-sensationalising of of treatment services for Australians affected methamphetamine use, which leads to increased by their own or another person’s alcohol and stigma. Whilst the media often conflate any use with other drug use. These changes included focussing dependence, the following data shows that many more on demand and harm reduction, which people who use methamphetamines do so only combined receive only about 25% of the funding occasionally. the government allocates to addressing AOD issues. The remaining bulk of the funding is spent on supply reduction - policing, the courts and corrections. We highlighted that nearly half of the Australians who need or seek alcohol and other drug treatment are unable to access it due to a lack of available treatment. SANDAS also continued to advocate for policies and practices that would reduce the harms for people who use alcohol and other drugs. This included arguing against the drug testing of welfare clients. Drug testing is expensive and intrusive, subject to both false positives and negatives, and may deter people from seeking both social security and support for their alcohol and drug use. According to the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, of those who had used methamphetamines in the past 12 months: 4 https://cracksintheice.org.au/how-many-people-use-ice executive officer’s annual report South Australia has been fortunate to receive We look forward to doing the same again and an extra $23 million allocated by the Australian invite you to ring, email or invite us out for a visit Government in short term funding to extend and share your knowledge to inform our work. the range and reach of treatment services. This funding was in recognition of the need to provide Staff and Board Movements more treatment, especially in rural and regional In December Gwenda Owbridge, our Finance South Australia. Whilst most of the projects funded and Administration Officer, left us and we were are only just commencing, we look forward to joined by Michelle Lindblom, who brings with her seeing what emerges out of these very interesting a wealth of experience in the non-government services. sector. Our longstanding Treasurer Mark Anders left us due to the demands of his work and family We have also advocated at state level to ensure life. Mark has overseen a significant transformation that South Australians, particularly young people, of our financial practices. He has been replaced Aboriginal people and those marginalised in our by Paul Brianni, a senior practicing accountant society, are not criminalised for AOD issues. We who is continuing the development of our have called on the government to address AOD financial management system. We acknowledge issues through health interventions rather than the the service of Deirdre Flynn, Catherine House; justice system. This has seen significant changes Leigh Garrett, OARS; My Phuong Sramek, CASSA; proposed to the draft Controlled Substances (Youth Emanuela Caroscio, Sonder (replaced by Debbie Treatment Orders) Amendment Bill. SANDAS Kardrusman); Sue Bertossa (Flinders University); collaborated in this work with a wide coalition of Dimitri Morfopos, Salvation Army (replaced by legal, human rights, Aboriginal, health and welfare Tania Sharp), who have resigned, and we welcome services. the organisational representatives who have taken up their role. For the staff of SANDAS the highlights of the year have been the number of people who have accessed our training and workforce development Michael White events, the opportunity to spend time with our Executive Officer members on site visits and at events, and hearing from workers, clients and their families about the positive impact engagement with treatment and support can have. We have enjoyed sharing information that comes to us from our colleagues in other peaks and the research centres. 5 year in review In June we held our annual SANDAS House Victoria on their new family treatment Forum. The opening address was titled, centre; Paula Ross – 360 Edge on working with “The good, the bad and the ugly (and the families; Anke van der Sterren - Alcohol Tobacco good again)”. This ‘year in review’ will and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA) follow the same logic. presenting on their Safer Families Project; and Helen Francis – Emerging Minds on child aware The Good…. practice in AOD. In 2019 we saw nine services funded under a $23m grant in Federal funding to SA to tackle alcohol and drug issues, focussing on rural and remote locations, with $3m to address needs specifically in the Limestone Coast. Whilst expected to commence in July 2018, funds did not flow until early 2019. We look forward to seeing these programs develop. The Australian Government also re-funded AOD services through direct grant and the Primary Health Networks, with most South Australian services recontracted until 2021. The National Ice Action Strategy was also extended until 2020. L-R: Chloe Colton, Tony Trimingham, Brendan Jones, At state level, the Department of Health moved Sam Raven, Alex Bird, Michael White and Emma Nixon at the 2018 SANDAS Symposium. forward with the recommissioning of services. When finalised, state funded services should move In 2018/2019 we saw some significant to a 3+3+3 year funding model, thus ensuring long developments on stigma. SANDAS facilitated a term sector stability. We welcome the timeliness Parliamentary Briefing for SA Parliamentarians and of this commissioning and look forward to the their staff on this issue and the appropriate use outcomes in 2019/2020. of language. It was convened by Blair Boyer (Lab), Connie Bonaros (CA) and Matt Cowdrey (Lib). We The 2018 SANDAS Symposium was very well also presented workshops to Advertiser journalists received, with over 100 registrations. Speakers and UniSA media students. We participated in a included Jenny Valentish – journalist and author national working group convened by Mindframe of “Woman of Substances” on her life and to develop the Mindframe for Alcohol and Other research into why AOD treatment does not meet Drugs resource, which provides comprehensive women’s needs; Tony Trimingham – CEO/Founder guidelines on how the media can best address Family Drug Support on harm minimisation and alcohol and other drug issues. We also delivered supporting families; Anne Tidyman – Odyssey a workshop on stigma for Aboriginal alcohol and other drug workers through Nunkuwarrin Yunti.