Resources and links
- Language Matters guide
- Cracks in the Ice is an online toolkit providing information and resources about crystal methamphetamine (Ice) for the community and for health professionals
- Network of alcohol and other drugs agencies (NADA) – the peak body for the non-government alcohol and other drugs sector in NSW
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre provides a range of resources to support treatment and other interventions responding to alcohol and other drug related harm, including a resources section for AOD workers
- Developing a screening tool for prescribed opioid dependence - report on study undertaken by NDARC to develop a screening tool for prescription opioid dependence, developed specifically for use in primary care settings (general practitioner and community pharmacy screening)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources
- Australian Indigenous Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre
- Sydney University’s Handbook for Aboriginal Alcohol and Drug Work and Alcohol Awareness Kit
- Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Network – a Network for Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol workers from across NSW
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) resources
- National LGBTI Health Alliance Knoweldge Hub
- ACON’s Pivot Point, AOD self-assessment and resources for LGBTIQ persons
- ACON’s Language Guide: Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion
- GLHV’s The Rainbow Tick guide to LGBTI-inclusive practice
- ACON's pdf Trans and Gender Diverse Language Guide (114 KB)
- ACON LGBTI Inclusive Guidelines for AOD Treatment Providers pdf AOD Inclusivity Guidelines (1.02 MB)
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) resources
- Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre
- DAMEC’s NSW Bilingual Workers and Programs Directory
Working with Families
Working with Diversity
Working with people with co-exisiting mental health and drug and alcohol support needs
Current practices and support needs of healthcare providers in CESPHN in relation to addressing patients’ co-occurring mental health and alcohol and other drug issues
As part of a needs assessment conducted in 2016, CESPHN identified comorbidity between AOD and mental health conditions as a priority area, with low levels of service provision. To inform how best to address this priority area, the CESPHN funded NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in mental Health and Substance Use (CREMS) to undertake a scoping exercise to evaluate the current practices and support needs of healthcare providers in the CESPHN in working with co-occurring mental health and AOD issues among their clients. The scoping exercise was undertaken to improve understanding of these issues at the network level, with a view to providing recommendations for workforce development and capacity building. By improving the capacity of healthcare providers to identify, intervene, and provide appropriate referral and coordinated care with this population, the standard of care, and the lives of people with co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions may be improved.
Key documents
- The final report from the project is pdf available here. (1.27 MB)
- A two-page bulletin summarising the report and recommendations is available here.
Comorbidity Guidelines
The Comorbidity Guidelines website provides evidence-based information, training and resources to assist with the management of co-occurring, or comorbid, AOD and mental health conditions.
This website and online training program was developed by Dr Christina Marel, Associate Professor Katherine Mills, Mr Jack Wilson and Professor Maree Teesson at the Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use (CREMS), University of New South Wales Sydney. In December 2018 the Comorbidity Guidelines, website and online training program moved to the University of Sydney and is now located at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use.
- Comorbidity Guidelines: Free online training is available here
- Comorbidity Guidelines: Order a free hard copy here
Co-existing mental health and AOD webinars
Comorbid mental health and substance use disorders
- Co-Occurring Substance use and Mental Disorders: Implications for Managing and Delivering Best-Practice Health Care
- Identifying Mental Disorders and Related Conditions Among Patients with Alcohol and Other Drug Conditions
- Managing and Treating Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders
- Managing the Physical Health of People with Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders
Using opioid agonist treatment for pharmaceutical opioid dependence
Routine Opioid Outcomes Monitoring (ROOM) Tool
Tools for health professionals
Health professionals play an important role in smoking cessation. Supporting smokers to quit is an activity for the whole health care system and should be integrated into as many settings as possible, including hospitals, health services and community settings. Health professionals can be very effective in encouraging and supporting people to quit smoking regardless of their professional discipline.
Combining brief advice with other effective interventions, such as pharmacotherapy can greatly increase quit smoking success.
The following guidelines and resources will assist health professionals to confidently provide evidence-based management of nicotine dependence and smoking cessation for their clients/patients.
Clinical guidelines
- RACGP supporting smoking cessation: A guide for health professionals
- Clinical guidelines for the management of substance use during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period Managing nicotine dependence: A guide for NSW Health staff - covers all aspects of management including the 5As brief intervention model, use of pharmacotherapies as well as helpful tools and strategies.
Resources related to management of nicotine dependence in the health care setting
- Tool 1: Flowchart of tools to help clinicians manage nicotine dependent clients
- Tool 2: Quick guide to smoking cessation brief intervention
- Tool 3: Assessing nicotine dependence
- Tool 4: Flowchart for NRT use in hospital
- Tool 5: Quick guide to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
- Tool 6: Tips for helping clients stay smoke-free
- Tool 7: Quick guide to drug interactions with smoking cessation
- Tool 8: Clozapine, olanzapine and smoking cessation
- Tool 9: Managing smoking in consumers who go on leave from a NSW Health facility
- Tool 10: Discharge checklist for smoking cessation
- Make a client referral to NSW Quitline
Resources related to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
- Nicotine replacement - frequently asked questions
- NSW Health factsheet on nicotine replacement therapy in pregnancy
Resources related to Aboriginal smoking
- ATRAC Framework aims to support the planning, integration and coordination of Aboriginal tobacco resistance and control efforts in NSW.
- A-TRAC Program had the broad goal to contribute to reduced smoking rates for Aboriginal people in NSW.
- Quit smoking booklets for Aboriginal clients. Three brochures to support Aboriginal people who are at different stage of quitting.
- Quit for new life brochures on smoking and pregnancy for Aboriginal women and their cohabitants.