Strategic Assessment and Mapping of RADAR’s Journey 2004-2007 Stage Three Representatives from Agencies addressing Drug and Alcohol issues Regionally FINAL REPORT by Evaluation Solutions for the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand March 2010 ISBN 978-1-877373-64-0 (print) ISBN 978-1-877373-65-7 (online) Prepared for ALAC by Evaluation Solutions ALCOHOL ADVISORY COUNCIL OF NEW ZEALAND Kaunihera Whakatupato Waipiro o Aotearoa PO Box 5023 Wellington New Zealand www.alac.org.nz www.waipiro.co.nz MARCH 2010 Contents 1. Introductory Overview ........................................................................................................ 3 2. Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... 5 3. Alcohol and Drugs: Are They a Problem in Northland? .................................................... 12 4. NIF Priority Areas ............................................................................................................. 14 5. Feedback from Radar Members ....................................................................................... 15 6. Additional Research and Data .......................................................................................... 18 7. What are the Perceived Gaps and the Current Projects in Northland? ............................ 22 8. Members’ Feedback on Radar’s Future Progression ....................................................... 26 9. What are the Possible Structures for Radar? ................................................................... 27 10. National Alcohol Action Plan .......................................................................................... 34 11. Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 36 Appendix 1 – Northland Alcohol and Drug Statistics ............................................................ 38 Appendix 2 – Alcohol and Drug Data: Source, Type, Availability, Limitations and Potential Indicators for Alcohol-Related Harm .................................................................................... 41 Appendix 3 – National Alcohol Action Plan: Consultation Action Points .............................. 46 Appendix 4 – Stage One Radar Establishment .................................................................... 54 Appendix 5 - Radar’s Milestones and Journey ..................................................................... 57 1. INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW RADAR – Research brief Purpose: The purpose of this research is to provide ALAC and partner agencies with information to support their decisions on “RADAR” – an initiative in which Northland agencies collaborate to address issues of alcohol and other drugs in the region. The research particularly aims to support decisions relating to: • RADAR’s lead agency and membership • Its positioning and future progression • Establishing a platform for building further research, processes and/or structures that would lead to a Northland-based Drug and Alcohol Action Plan. Background: In December 2007, the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) commissioned the documentation and mapping of RADAR’s journey from 2004 to 2007 to identify: • The rationale behind the initiative • Its establishment and implementation • Its vision and mission • Its processes and action plans • The current membership structure • RADAR’s role within the community • RADAR’s reporting lines to the Northland Intersectoral Forum (NIF) • RADAR’s journey and milestones • Issues raised through RADAR minutes. The project was based only on the RADAR minutes plus documentation1 supplied by Northland Health. The subsequent Stage 1 report was tabled at a RADAR meeting in February 20082. The meeting members agreed that the report could be a guide to RADAR’s progress, but highlighted the limitations of it being drawn only from minutes and outdated and limited literature. They asked that the report be amended to include members’ feedback as well as up-to-date research and statistics held by agencies. Objectives: The objective of the Stage 2 report was to document: • Feedback from Stage 1, i.e. the mapping of RADAR’s journey • Additional research and perceived gaps in alcohol-related service delivery • Where possible, local statistics • A possible RADAR structure • Advice on the feasibility of that structure. The report was tabled at a group planning day convened to discuss, analyse and develop a plan for RADAR’s future progression. 1 RADAR flow charts, memos from members, presentations, shared workspace documents. 2 Northland District Health Board, Dairy House Building, Level Three – 28 February 2008. Page| 3 Process: Fourteen organisations (past and present RADAR members) were invited to participate in the planning day. Two did not respond, and from those that did, 15 people were interviewed. They represented ALAC, New Zealand Police, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), the Department of Corrections, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), the Far North District Council, Rubicon Youth, Youth Transition, RoadSafe Northland and the Northland District Health Board (including CAYAD [Community Action on Youth and Drugs] representation, with two members of Health Promotion and a member from the treatment sector being interviewed). A standardised questionnaire process was developed. Each interviewee was supplied in advance, via email, with a copy of the draft Stage 1 report, a research brief, the organisation data and research questions. The research brief explained that the interview would have two parts: 1. An anonymous questionnaire on the process covering RADAR’s past and future progression. 2. A questionnaire on the alcohol-related information held by each organisation, including research, statistics, gaps in service delivery and current alcohol projects. The email was followed up with a phone conversation. The interviews were carried out between 31 May and 4 July 2007. Each interview was recorded and transcribed. Once transcribed, the research and statistics component was returned to the participants, providing them with: 1. Information on the availability of research or statistics that had been discussed in the interview to assist with the RADAR report. 2. A synopsis of alcohol-related research and statistics for participants to review, amend and/or change to ensure the members were happy with what was being reported. Limitations: Not all RADAR members were interviewed. Instead, members from a selection of organisations and at a variety of authority levels participated. This has affected the information available for this report. The author acknowledges that the information in this report reflects the opinions of only 15 RADAR members, and not necessarily the views of the range of people working in Northland to reduce alcohol-related harm and dependence on addictive substances. Owing to time constraints, background research on the viable structure options for RADAR has been limited. If a structure is adopted, it will require further analysis to achieve the best possible results. Liability: Evaluation Solutions gives no warranty that the information or data supplied in this report is error free. However, all care and diligence has been used in analysing and extracting information. Evaluation Solutions will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by anyone consequent upon the information in this report. NOTE: All discussion points made in this report are made solely by the author, based on information and data obtained at the time of analysis. 4 | Page 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Is alcohol and drug use an issue in Northland? Alcohol and drugs are taking their toll on Northland communities. Statistics and feedback indicate a rise in demand for treatment and emergency services. Northland Police report an 18% increase in alcohol-related apprehensions between July 2007 and June 2008 compared with the same period the previous year3, while the Department of Corrections4 has expressed frustration with its inability to get offenders to complete alcohol and drug programmes before they finish their sentences. The youth of Northland are also an indicator of increased need. Rubicon Youth5 reports being at capacity, and receiving six to eight new referrals per week6. Conclusion: Achieving a sustainable impact on alcohol and drug issues in Northland requires a collaborative approach to achieving shared outcomes7. Challenges in setting up a collaborative group RADAR (Representatives from Agencies addressing Drug and Alcohol issues Regionally) was established in 2004 in an attempt to take a collaborative approach to addressing alcohol and drug issues in Northland. The journey has been arduous, with little support and a lack of understanding of the complexities of setting up such a forum. Member feedback indicates that the stumbling blocks to achieving effective outcomes have been: • Ad hoc agency representation and membership inconsistency • Personnel representation and their subsequent influence on decision-making • A lack of clear purpose and direction for the forum • Difficulties in translating communication into action • The lack of a clearly defined “lead agency” role and inter-service relationship capabilities8. On a positive note, members commented that: • Networking has played a vital role in understanding other service roles and delivery • Identifying what was happening in Northland services and getting regional updates were valuable parts of the forum