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Coordinating and supporting stakeholders, organisations and community groups in the development, implementation and evaluation of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) harm-minimisation initiatives.

About the service

In collaboration with local communities, organisations and stakeholders, our AOD Prevention Service develops and facilitates a broad range of training, workshops, initiatives and programs. Our aim: to increase knowledge about alcohol and other drugs, improve safety and reduce the impact of AOD use in the community.

  • Community events. Our team attends a range of events in the Wheatbelt to promote alcohol and other drug harm-minimisation strategies and support services within the community. This includes Machinery Field Days, Youth Week Events, NAIDOC and Reconciliation Events and School Expos.
  • AOD events. Our Wheatbelt AOD Prevention Coordinator also organises and implements alcohol and other drug prevention-specific events:
  • Family Fun Days: It’s for Mum, Bub and Us. Reducing the stigma associated with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and raising awareness of the Australian Alcohol Guidelines for pregnancy and breastfeeding. These events are funded by the Mental Health Commission.
  • Youth Health and Wellbeing Festival. Organised in collaboration with WA Country Health Service, Shire of Narrogin and Moorditj Youth, inviting young people to participate in a range of activities, including yoga, multi-sports, cultural games, boxing, giant games, mural painting and hip-hop, with presentations on vaping, healthy eating and youth mental health.
  • Community Wellbeing Plans. Community Wellbeing Plans (CWPs) are 2-3 year strategic plans that use evidence-based AOD and suicide prevention strategies to improve the safety of a community. CWPs are overseen and developed collaboratively by the Wheatbelt Alcohol & Other Drug Coordinator and Wheatbelt Suicide Prevention Coordinator, alongside place-based stakeholders, with various organisations invited to contribute. Each CWP is tailored to address the areas of concern within the community and provides an outline of what action can be undertaken to address these issues locally and create sustainable change.
  • Local Drug Action Teams (LDATs). We currently have two Local Drug Action Teams in the Wheatbelt, creating localised programs to address alcohol and other drug concerns in their communities. For example, Pingelly Brookton LDAT’s successful Within Your Wallet program aims to reduce risk and increase safety by improving protective factors for young people aged 10-18 in the Southern Wheatbelt. All young people received one of four wallet cards that provide access to free diversionary activities and information on accessing mental health and AOD help and support. There are two culturally safe cards that provide appropriate information for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

We can also co-design campaigns with local communities and stakeholders that address areas of concern and need for sporting clubs, community events, young people etc.

  • Training and presentations. We coordinate and facilitate training across the Wheatbelt, working with the Mental Health Commission to organise training on a range of topics, including alcohol use during pregnancy, Volatile Substance Use (VSU) and general AOD literacy. We can also tailor training for organisations, sporting clubs, community groups and workplaces. Please contact us if you have any training requests and we can work together to create a presentation to address your needs.
  • Our team engages in regular advocacy opportunities to increase services available for people living in the Wheatbelt. We follow the harm-minimisation model and support the development of needle and syringe exchange programs, local detox facilities, housing and additional rehabilitation services for local communities
  • Stakeholder engagement. We ensure that all alcohol and other drug prevention activities undertaken within the Wheatbelt region are integrated through representation on the following committees:
      • Wheatbelt Human Services Managers Forum (WHSMF)
      • Alcohol And Other Drug Prevention Committee (AODPC)
      • Wheatbelt Regional Aboriginal Health Planning Forum
      • Wheatbelt Suicide Prevention Advisory Forum (WSPAFM)
      • Wheatbelt Tobacco Control Network Meeting

Alcohol and other drug activity in the Wheatbelt is also guided and overseen by the Wheatbelt Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Advisory Group (WAODPAG). Membership includes representation from:

      • Australian Drug Foundation
      • Avon Community Services
      • KEEDAC
      • Holyoake Clinician Team
      • Holyoake Prevention Team
      • Head to Health
      • Mental Health Commission
      • Cancer Council
      • Moorditj Koort
      • Moorditj Youth
      • Amity Health
  • Wheatbelt VSU Incident Reporting Program. As volatile substance use (VSU) can be a hidden activity, the extent of VSU occurring in any given location can be difficult to determine. We’ve developed a VSU Incident Reporting and Response system to help local service providers collect information about VSU incidents and ensure a timely and coordinated response. The system allows a range of actions to be implemented in response VSU incidents as they arise. These may include referring individuals to the appropriate health or alcohol and other drug service, engaging with and providing support to family members, or informing and advising relevant stakeholders about the issue and forming a plan of action.

 

Please note, Holyoake is the Coordinating Agency in the Wheatbelt for VSU Incident Reporting. To submit a report, please complete the form and send through to the email provided.

 

For more information about our Wheatbelt AOD Prevention Service, please call email wcadsprevention@holyoake.org.au

 

Our Childsafe commitment

Every child has a right to live without violence, be cared for and protected from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

We’re committed to child safety and wellbeing and maintain child-safe and child-friendly environments, implementing and completing self-assessments aligned to the National Principles of the Child Safe Organisations 2019 framework, as developed by the Commissioner for Children and Young People Western Australia.

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