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Supporting alcohol and other drug prevention in the Wheatbelt

Holyoake’s Wheatbelt AOD Prevention services work in collaboration with local communities, organisations, and stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention strategies.

Our goal is to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm, promote relapse prevention strategies, and enhance community safety through education, advocacy, and targeted programs. By focusing on prevention and harm reduction, we aim to increase knowledge about alcohol and other drugs, improve safety, and reduce the impact of AOD use in the community.

 

What we do

• Community events

We actively participate in Wheatbelt community events to promote AOD prevention strategies and increase awareness of substance use risks. Some key events include:

  • Machinery Field Days
  • Youth Week Events
  • NAIDOC & Reconciliation Events
  • School Expos

These events provide opportunities for education on drug use, alcohol dependence, and prevention strategies, particularly for young people and at-risk communities.

 

• AOD-specific events & initiatives

Our dedicated Wheatbelt AOD Prevention Coordinator organises alcohol and other drug prevention events, including:

Family Fun Days – “It’s for Mum, Bub, and Us”

An initiative focused on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) awareness, reducing stigma, and educating communities on the Australian Alcohol Guidelines for pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Youth Health & Wellbeing Festival

Held in collaboration with WA Country Health Service, Shire of Narrogin, and Moorditj Youth, this event promotes mental health, AOD prevention, and relapse prevention strategies by inviting young people to participate in a range of activities, such as:

  • Yoga & multi-sports
  • Cultural games
  • Boxing
  • Giant games
  • Mural painting
  • Hip-hop workshops
  • Presentations on vaping, healthy eating, and youth mental wellbeing

 

• Community Wellbeing Plans

Community Wellbeing Plans (CWPs) are 2-3 year strategic frameworks that incorporate evidence-based AOD prevention and suicide prevention strategies. Developed collaboratively by the Wheatbelt Alcohol & Other Drug Coordinator and Wheatbelt Suicide Prevention Coordinator, alongside place-based stakeholders, CWPs outline local action plans to reduce risk factors, change attitudes toward drinking and drug use, and improve community resilience.

 

• Local Drug Action Teams (LDATs)

We support two LDATs in the Wheatbelt that implement harm reduction and primary prevention initiatives. One example is Pingelly Brookton LDAT’s “Within Your Wallet” program, which provides young people (10-18) in the Southern Wheatbelt with one of four wallet cards that provide free access to diversionary activities, mental health resources, and other AOD help and support. There are also two culturally safe cards that provide appropriate information for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

 

• Educational campaigns & training

We promote and co-design several state and national educational campaigns at local community events, school expos, trainings and workshops. Key campaigns include:

We also provide tailored training programs that we co-design with local communities and stakeholders to address areas of concern. We coordinate and facilitate training and presentations across the Wheatbelt, working with the Mental Health Commission to organise training on various topics, including:

  • Alcohol use during pregnancy
  • Volatile Substance Use (VSU)
  • General AOD literacy & Relapse prevention strategies AOD

These can be tailored for organisations, sporting clubs, community groups, and workplaces. If your organisation is interested, contact us at wcadsprevention@holyoake.org.au to discuss your needs.

 

• Advocacy & stakeholder engagement

Our team engages in regular advocacy opportunities to increase services available for people living in the Wheatbelt.

Holyoake’s advocacy efforts focus on harm reduction, prevention strategies, and increasing access to essential AOD services. We actively support the development of local detox facilities, needle and syringe exchange programs, and housing and additional rehabilitation services for local communities.

We collaborate with key health and wellbeing networks, including:

  • Wheatbelt Human Services Managers Forum (WHSMF)
  • Alcohol And Other Drug Prevention Committee (AODPC)
  • Wheatbelt Regional Aboriginal Health Planning Forum (WRAHPF)
  • 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:

 

• Wheatbelt VSU Incident Reporting Program

As volatile substance use (VSU) is often hidden, we have developed a VSU Incident Reporting and Response System to support timely interventions. Reports help service providers track substance use incidents, reduce risks, and provide rapid responses to individuals in need.

Report an incident

 

Supporting Wheatbelt mental health & wellbeing

We work closely with Wheatbelt mental health services, ensuring a complementary approach to reduce harm associated with alcohol and other drug use by addressing risk and protective factors. Our initiatives align with broader mental health and AOD harm reduction strategies to create safer, healthier communities.

Learn more about our Wheatbelt mental health services.

 

Contact us

For more information about AOD prevention services, relapse prevention strategies, or training opportunities, contact us or email wcadsprevention@holyoake.org.au.

 

Our Childsafe commitment

Every child has a right to live without violence, be cared for and be 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.

 

Frequently asked questions on our Wheatbelt AOD Prevention services

Holyoake’s Wheatbelt AOD Prevention service focuses on alcohol and other drug prevention by working with local communities, organisations, and stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate harm reduction and prevention strategies.

Our programs aim to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm, promote relapse prevention strategies, and improve community safety.

Our services are available to individuals, families, community groups, and organisations in the Wheatbelt region who are interested in AOD prevention, education, and support programs.

We work closely with health services, schools, and local councils to make prevention efforts accessible to everyone.

We organise and participate in a range of community events and AOD-specific initiatives, including:

  • Community events: Machinery Field Days, Youth Week Events, NAIDOC & Reconciliation Events, School Expos.
  • AOD Prevention initiatives: Family Fun Days (FASD awareness), Youth Health & Wellbeing Festival (mental health & AOD education).
  • Local Drug Action Teams (LDATs): Implementing harm reduction and primary prevention projects such as Within Your Wallet, a youth-focused mental health and AOD awareness program.

We offer relapse prevention strategies for AOD recovery, including:

  • Education & training: Workshops on relapse prevention techniques, substance use risk factors, and mental health support.
  • Support networks: Connecting individuals with local health services, mental health support, and peer networks.
  • Harm reduction programs: Promoting safe and healthy behaviours to reduce risk factors for relapse.

We provide tailored training sessions on topics such as alcohol and pharmaceutical medications, volatile substance use (VSU), and general AOD literacy.

If your organisation, school, sporting club, or workplace is interested, contact us at wcadsprevention@holyoake.org.au to discuss your needs.

Volatile Substance Use (VSU) is often a hidden issue. Our VSU Incident Reporting and Response System helps track incidents, reduce risks, and provide timely intervention.

Service providers can submit reports to ensure that individuals receive appropriate support and harm reduction assistance.

Our AOD prevention initiatives align with broader Wheatbelt mental health services, including Head to Health and Northam Health Service, to create a complementary approach to AOD harm reduction.

There are several ways to support AOD prevention in the Wheatbelt:

  • Attend our community events and educational workshops.
  • Make a donation towards alcohol, drug, and mental health recovery and prevention.
  • Join a Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) to help implement prevention strategies.
  • Advocate for harm reduction policies and improved access to AOD services.
  • Partner with us to promote AOD education and prevention efforts.

For more information or to get involved, email us at wcadsprevention@holyoake.org.au.

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