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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 6 Hansard (13 June) . . Page.. 1638 ..
MR MOORE (continuing):
urgently assess the current gaps in detoxification services for young people and provide the requisite funding to meet the full range of demand; and
investigate the need for youth-specific detoxification services.
This recommendation is partially supported. The Government supports the provision of appropriate youth and adult drug and alcohol services and, in the new financial year, enhanced drug and alcohol services for youth will be funded. This will include the enhancement of the existing Ted Noffs Foundation facility in Watson to incorporate a small residential withdrawal service for youth.
In addition, further support for youth with problematic drug use will be available next year through the Police Early Diversion Program. This will include in-court assessment and outreach support.
Another option being considered is skill development for the staff of services, such as SAAP services or Quamby, which may sometimes need to support a young person during withdrawal.
The Government will also invest significant resources in services to support drug and alcohol dependent youth generally, and withdrawal services specifically, in the next financial year including:
Recurrent funding for the youth rehabilitation after-care service. An outreach youth worker will help clients in the final month of the program and after they have left the program. This will be an adjunct to the Ted Noffs Foundation residential youth rehabilitation service.
Recurrent funding for the pilot college based education and support program-DRIC @ College. This initiative is a college based drug education program involving a Drug Referral Information and Counselling worker on site once a week.
Extension and recurrent funding of the family support and education project based on the NSW "Family Support" model. The project involves enabling access for ACT families to the NSW Family Drug Support 24 hour helpline and providing the Family Coping Manual written by Family Drug Support.
Funding to enable the Alcohol and Drug Foundation of the ACT to implement a new clinical program by upgrading its counselling and lifeskills services to individuals and families.
Additional methadone places and capacity to provide new pharmacotherapy treatments such as buprenorphine which has shown promise as an outpatient withdrawal treatment.
Recurrent funding for the community based health program for opiate dependent people through General Practice surgeries. The service will focus on GP surgeries, with practice nurses providing coordination and adjunct services.
Recurrent and enhanced funding for supported withdrawal services including additional beds for Arcadia House and a new outreach and support service for women with children.
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