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A psychologist specialising in alcohol and other drug issues
The Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Psychology Service offers a hybrid service to clients trying to achieve and maintain a drug-free lifestyle.
The service went completely digital during lockdowns. However, once they were lifted, telehealth continued to be offered along with face-to-face counselling, as clients appreciate the flexibility and accessibility.
The service was also acknowledged by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) during the Haymarket Foundation’s accreditation process.
The surveyors made special mention of the Haymarket Foundation’s Clinical Psychologist, Carlos Duarte (pictured), for his internal benchmarking data. Carlos has been keeping these records since he began the service 15 years ago.
During the most current reporting period the main drug of choice for clients accessing the service was alcohol, followed by amphetamines (mainly ice), cannabis, heroin and cocaine.
It would seem as if supply chain issues during the pandemic led to more people substituting alcohol and cannabis for other drugs, but these trends seem to slowly be reverting to what they were pre-pandemic.
There is a notable increase in the number of First Nations peoples accessing the service – representing 12% of those seeking help. This could be linked to Aboriginal case workers in another of the Haymarket Foundation’s services, the Bourke Street Program.
Latest data on effectiveness of the service highlights that 85% of clients attending the service report that they have improved.
The surveyors with the ACHS also noted in June 2022 that the benchmarking for the service’s PREMS (‘Yes’) survey – a requirement for all AOD services – exceeds all those of the Department of Health’s. This trend continues in the latest yes survey data.
People can find out more about the service here.
The service is funded by the Central and Eastern Primary Health District